Looking for an easy way to make money from an existing adult fan following?

OnlyFans was one of the first content subscription sites which allowed adult creators a way to monetize interactions with their fans and the platform is now ranked in the top 20 adult websites worldwide.

A simple alternative to traditional social media, creators and influencers from right across the adult industry can earn money simply by posting regularly to their feeds. As well as selling membership to a ‘fan club’, creators can also monetize direct messages, content and even get tips and gifts.

In this OnlyFans review, we take a closer look at the adult content sales and fan club subscription model. We examine the main features of OnlyFans, how profitable it can be, and why it’s such a great way to make money from kinky content.

What is OnlyFans?

Founded in 2016, this British platform was one of the first sites to launch a space where content creators could monetize interest in their online stories, videos and photos by selling ‘fan club’ subscriptions.

Although OnlyFans was initially popular with more traditional genres like musicians, commercial ‘experts’ and consultants it was adult entertainers and sex workers who saw the huge benefits and flocked to the site.

We suspect that this was helped along when the 75% of the company was sold to the owner of MyFreeCams in 2018.

Though pretty innovative at the time, the business model for the site is now a very common one with almost all cam sites following suit and plenty of similar services cropping up to compete, including:

• ManyVids
• Extra Lunch Money
• Just For Fans
• AVN Stars
• Fan Centro

Even social media channels have jumped on the bandwagon so you can lock content away and sell premium access.  

And these services all work in pretty much the same way.

A follower can subscribe to a content creator through OnlyFans for a recurring monthly fee. In exchange, this fully paid up fan can now access all premium posts, videos, photos, stories and other content.

Why Sell on OnlyFans?

If you work in the adult industry then we don’t need to tell you how important it is to build a fan following and to engage with your followers as much as possible.

They are the lifeblood of your career whether you are camming or performing in adult movies.

Quite simply, if you don’t already have a platform where you can reach out to your audience then you need one. And whilst you are doing this it makes good business sense to charge money for doing this.

But, if there are so many other platforms out there which can offer you a similar service including cam sites themselves, why would you want to use OnlyFans to sell premium access and content?

One of the best parts about OnlyFans is that it hasn’t solely been designed for use by adult content creators.

This means that the space is shared with lots of other influencers and professionals from other industries and for some models this can make it a more ‘legitimate’ and SFW choice for their fans.

Yes, some models may well be posting some pretty explicit content (and this is allowed on OnlyFans) but it isn’t the main feature of the site. Instead, fans want to use the platform to get closer to their idols and favorite adult stars.

Also popular with a lot of celebrities and high-profile adult stars – and even cabin crew! – the site has a solid reputation when it comes to customer service, privacy and security.

The other draw for using OnlyFans is its simplicity and the platform has avoided trying to become too many things or specializing in one niche. Instead, it operates mainly as a social media channel with fans being happy enough to receive regular updates on what their favorite adult stars are doing.

OnlyFans allows creators to offer free subscription and free trials which can really help boost interest.

Although the platform isn’t available as an app due to the adult nature of content on the site, it is optimized for mobile use and the service works very well both for creators and fans to use on the move.

Not only that but OnlyFans offers a flexible range of ways to monetize your interactions from selling physical, digital and custom content but also enables tipping, gifting and even pays for referrals.

How Can You Earn on OnlyFans?

Primarily you are selling subscriptions to your followers so they can see what you are up to and check out your hidden and premium digital content.

Much like any social media account, this means that you have to post regularly in order to keep your fans engaged.

Creators should be adding exclusive videos, photos and status updates to their fan feed on a near-daily basis in order to warrant them charging for access.

In addition to the regular income your fan subscriptions generate, you can also earn money through:

• Tips – Visitors to your OnlyFans pages can send you a tip whether you are online or not and they often do so just to get your attention or simply to send some appreciation to an adult performer they admire. In order to keep this feature activated you need to post regularly and have at least 10 posts on your account.
• Monetizing Direct Messages – In addition to the premium content being posted to their general feed, creators can also lock individual items of content as Pay-Per-View (PPV). This can be done universally such as sending all fans the same video which costs $X to open or can be sent to specific members only.
• Offering Custom Content – Creators can offer custom content to their fans using their Tip Menu or via PPV messaging.
• Selling Physical Goods – Using OnlyFans as a payment processing service, creators can also offer items for sale that can be sent to fans by mail. This includes personal things like lingerie and used sex toys but could be applied to any number of items.
• Using an Amazon Wishlist – Fans are always keen to get the attention of their idols and gifting them something they really want is a great way to do it. Many creators receive a lot of money (equivalent) this way or simply ask for an Amazon gift card.
• Referral Program – Creators on OnlyFans can earn some good money by getting others to join the site. If another model joins the site and starts generating money then you will receive 5% of their earnings for the first 12 months up to a maximum of $1 million. There are no limits on the number of people you can refer.

Payments on OnlyFans: The Thorne Fallout

Interest in the site has gained momentum recently after OnlyFans hit the news big time in August 2020 when actress, model and singer Bella Thorne reportedly made $2 million in less than a week!

Promising fans nude photos of herself for $200 a pop, she failed to deliver; instead sending followers pictures of herself in sexy lingerie.

The result was a big blow to other users on the site as OnlyFans had to deal with a lot of refunds and has since placed some restrictions on how creators are paid and what they can charge.

Pay-Per-View messages are now capped at $50 and creators must now wait around 30 days before they can access their earnings.

Despite the change in policy, other users on OnlyFans may have benefited from the extra attention with the platform’s most recent viewing figures increasing by 5 million visitors.

What Can You Earn Through OnlyFans?

Creators earn 80% commission on all their sales through OnlyFans including subscriptions, tips and any paid messages. The remaining 20% is paid to the platform to cover processing fees, hosting, support and administration charges.

Obviously, what you actually earn is very much down to what you charge and how many existing followers from your other social media channels you can convert to paying customers.

There’s a neat little tool on OnlyFans which can help you work out roughly what you can earn on the site based on 1%-5% of your followers becoming paid-up subscribers.

See more: How to make money on OnlyFans

The guide above includes hints, tips and tricks for making money on OnlyFans. From how to automate messages and offer promotions, through to the benefits of running two OnlyFans accounts and collaborating with other creators.

OnlyFans Review: The Best Site to Build a Fan Club?

One of the top adult websites in the world (even with the recent negativity around the Thorne debacle), OnlyFans remains a solid choice for anyone in the adult industry looking to monetize their fanbase.

Yes, the fallout from the whole Thorne scandal has resulted in some restrictions to payouts and even reduced the income of some creators on the platform.

However, the business model of most top earners here is based on volume sales at affordable prices.

Whilst some creators have historically offered high-ticket content and sold this to premium fans, it is those models who sell more for less who seem to be most successful.

Economies of scale are the order of the day on OnlyFans and there is an obvious advantage to having 3,000 fans paying $9.99 a month vs 300 fans who pay $49.99 per month.

The bottom line with OnlyFans is that the site continues to attract a regular audience of keen fans who want to connect with their favorite content creators.

The clean design and simple navigation makes it easy to use and the platform is slick and responsive, even when using on mobile devices.

For models, the revenue share on the site, at 80%, is very good and is one of the best around meaning you get to keep most of the income you generate on the site.

The problem with OnlyFans is that all of the marketing you need to create your fanbase is down to you, the creator.

The site isn’t designed for audiences to hit up and search for new faces to follow.

Instead you need to bring your own fanbase with you using other social media platforms (like SnapChat), cam sites or web pages.

In fact, without another source of traffic to funnel to your OnlyFans pages there really isn’t much scope on the service to build one.

So, for those adult content creators who have built a social media following through Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp or Instagram and who are looking for a solid way to covert their followers to paying fans, this platform offers a one-stop shop for doing this.

But, for new cam models looking to do the same, it may just pay to look at ways your existing cam partner site can do something similar for you.

Sign up to OnlyFans to get started building your page.

Featured images in our OnlyFans review via their website.