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Best Backpage Alternative Websites 2020
BestBackpage Alternative Websites 2020
Backpage was a classified advertising website whichhad become the largest online marketplace for prostitution in the USA beforeseveral law enforcement agencies seized it in 2018. Since it got shutdown, a need was felt for some bestBackpage alternative websites, and there was a long list of businesses waitingto grab this opportunity.
Many of thecompetitors rose to the top because of its demise. Numerous new websites likeBackpage started copying its exact format and structure, but only some of themsucceeded.
It’s 2020, and westill feel the need for similar websites for our day-to-day use. That’s why Ihave compiled a list of best Backpage alternative websites in 2020. But let’sstart with basics first and understand what this website was and what were the reasonsfor shut down.
History of Backpage
Backpage waslaunched in 2004 by New Times Media (later Village Voice Media) as a freeclassified advertising website. Soon, it became the 2nd largestonline classified site in the USA. The site comprised of different uniquesections ranging to various categories.
Their websitebecame popular due to its adult sections through which a vast prostitutionnetwork was operating. Hundreds of ads featuring escort services were runningon their platform, and it literally ruled the internet prostitution industry.
In early 2011,law enforcement agencies started investigating Backpage as they sensedsomething was wrong with this particular website. It was accused that userswere encouraged to post ads related to prostitution & human trafficking,and they tried to hide this from the outside world.
However, Backpagewas also famous for reasons other than those mentioned above. It was usedextensively by locals to post free classified ads to sell their products andservices. Many locals earned a good fortune by doing business there.
It was seized andterminated on 6th April 2008, and all its services were closed by theUS Department of Justice. Since then, the need for websites like Backpage wasfelt, and a lot of other sites emerged. But only a few of them were good andhad a good reputation.
So, let’s look atall the Backpage alternative websites in 2020 which you can use to post yourads.
Best Backpage alternatives in 2020
1. Craigslist
Craiglist is anAmerican classified advertisement site which is a decent alternative toBackpage because of its popularity. Craigslist has a broad user base across theUSA and is the largest advertisement site there. All the available categoriesare listed on the homepage with a useful links section on the left sidefeaturing valuable tips to avoid being scammed and implement personal safety measures.You can post ads for free, except in some categories where you have to pay afixed price. Since its user base is enormous, each ad gets a substantial amountof exposure.
Craigsliststarted as an email distribution list between friends in the San Francisco Bay area in 1995. Soon it became big, and aproper website was set-up to tackle the increasing number of users. In 2000, itexpanded to other US cities and state. As of now, Craigslist operates in morethan 70 countries and is favourite options for many locals who run theirbusiness through it.
The personal adssection on Craigslist gained immense attention from its users for itsprostitution-related ads. But, before it could turn into another prostitutionhub, the ‘Personal’ section was closed for the public in March 2010 to controlit. Craigslist is safe for its user in current form, but still, scam alerts areseen from time to time on the platform.
1. Oorgin– freeglobal classified ads
Oorgin is a USAbased classified ad website where you can post ads related to more than 10categories and many other sub-categories. The user interface of oorgin is straightforwardand easy-to-use, and it can be considered as the best Backpage replacement sitein 2020.
It’s free fromany type of adult-related ads as their policies are precise for those who tryto post such ads. Since each ad gets reviewed before going live, any spam ormisleading text advertisements are not allowed and deleted instantly by the administrators.
This platform operatesin a total of 29 countries, but its main branch is located in the USA.It hashad great success helping local businesses to a great extent in setting up andexpanding services through their platform. Posting an ad on oorgin is entirelyfree, and you don’t have to pay a dime. The ads remain on their platform for 3months without any problem.
Oorgin encouragesits user to follow all the safety & security standards before buying anytype of services or products from their platform. You can rarely get scammed onOorgin as they have a dedicated anti-scam policy for users. It helps them bygiving out essentialtips & tricks to avoid scams from fake ad posters. Ifyou are looking for an excellent replacement website for Backpage, this is theone you should look forward to.
1. Locanto
Locanto is aGermany based classified advertisement website which operates in more than 60countries and is a top player in the world of classified ads. Their websitefeatures services related to many different categories like jobs, community,services, personal.
Their homepage iscategorized according to the famous locations followed by all the states. Onceyou select your state, you will be greeted by numerous listed categories youcan browse through.Locanto’s primary focus is on the safety & security ofthe consumers and therefore, it has strict rules related to the posting of anadvertisement.
Though posting anad on their platform is totally free, they do have a paid service for $2.95where you can enjoy extra benefits as an advertiser. They also have a mobileapp for both Android & iOS, which you can use to post ads and browse.Overall, Locanto can be a goodpick to replace Backpage.
3.Bedpage
Bedpage is apopular alternative to Backpage because it resembles not only its name but alsoits website structure. As you can see in the image below, Bedpage looks exactlylike Backpage, and in fact, it’s one of the most famous copies of the Backpagewebsite.
They too have avariety of categories listed on their homepage with different services offeredat their website.Bedpage is not free when it comes to posting an ad, but theirfee is also not too much of a hassle. They take $2 charge for the posting of anadvertisement, and due to this, the platform is free from scammers. They havemany other paid services like ‘Auto Repost’ and ‘Sponsor Ad’ which is helpfulto promote any specific advertisement for sellers.
Bedpage operatesacross the world, but they are mainly popular in the USA, Canada & Europe.Their website also has adult service, which is a famous category people browsethrough.
As we all know, Facebook is one of the biggest social media platformsboasting a user base of almost 2.5 billion. And there is no reason for itsmarketplace not being popular among users across the globe. The Facebookmarketplace was launched in 2018 for people all over the world.
Facebookmarketplace is the biggest social media marketplace to buy & sell servicesand products. You just need to visit the ‘Buy & Sell’ groups and startposting your requests or your products & services. You can communicate withother buyers via comments or by directly messaging them through the messenger.They also have a dedicated dating platform inside the marketplace which isquite popular and is authentic.
Classified Ads isa vast advertisement market with tons of categories to browse through. Theyhave an attractive user interface on their website. Though they are availablein many countries, most of their user base is from the USA & Canada.
You can browseand view ads according to states & cities and get relevant results foryourself. They operate on a fixed set of rules to avoid scams on their platformas it is a free-to-use service, and anyone can post an ad. They have a‘Personal’ section for dating related advertisements, but you can find adultservices too.
According totheir website, they claim to “be confident that you’ll find only quality, relevant listings.” Due to thesefeatures, Classified Ads make up on the list of alternative websites toBackpage.
So, these are 6 websites which are highly relevant to whatBackpage did in the past. If you were a fan of Backpage, you might considerthese websites to start off your business again, and I am sure that you willnot be disappointed.