OnlyFans is a subscription site that lets content creators monetize their influence. Creators can lock their content behind a paywall, allowing fans access for a monthly fee or one-off tip. The site was founded in 2016 by British tech entrepreneur and investor Timothy Stokely and now has more than 30 million registered users and more than 450,000 content creators.
Since OnlyFans launched in 2016, the site has paid out more than $600 million to creators. Creators can allow their fans to pay for content via a monthly subscription between $4.99–$49.99 each month (OnlyFans retains a 20% fee). They can also have free pages where they then charge fans to access content via pay-per-view. Other creators have both a free page and a subscription page to diversify and optimize their earnings. After actor Bella Thorne joined OnlyFans and racked up millions of dollars in just a few days, OnlyFans implemented transaction limits which capped PPV pricing at $50 per post and tips from new fans at $100 per tip. They also changed the payout frequency in some countries from weekly payouts to payouts every 21 days.
OnlyFans is a site, not an app. This is important to note since Apple doesn’t allow apps in the App Store with “overtly sexual content.” But, wait… What do they mean by sexual content?
Not Just Porn… But That’s a Big Part of It
OnlyFans creators can post themselves doing any number of things that wouldn’t fly on other social media sites, but it wasn’t created solely for that purpose. In fact, there are creators on the site that don’t offer adult material—artists, fitness instructors, chefs, and others who want to use the site to monetize their content. Given the site’s lack of restrictions, however, OnlyFans quickly became a home for adult performers, sex workers, and models who share NSFW content.
Creators can post uncensored, X-rated pictures and videos as well as host live streams where followers can engage with creators in real-time. OnlyFans also has a messaging feature that lets creators market to their viewers similar to email marketing, letting them know about new or exclusive content, polls, and more. These live performances go a long way toward increasing audience engagement, brand affinity, and optimizing viewership.