The best replacement for alkanes is alkenes.

The best alternatives to alkanes are rated as following:
★★★★★  alkenes
★★★  alkenes higher boiling point
★★★  alkenes more reactive
★★  alcohols boiling point
★★  alcohols
★  alkenes have higher boiling points
  alkenes have a higher boiling point

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Speaking about alkanes, one probably shouldn't forget about halogens.

Other search terms related to alkanes and their ratings are:
★★★★★ halogens
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alkanes
alkenes
alkenes higher boiling point