Is OnlyFans Worth It?
TL;DR – Yes, OnlyFans is worth if for women that want to put real work into consistently producing adult content. For everyone else, no, it’s not.
In this article we look at both the subscriber side and the creator side.
First off:
What IS OnlyFans?
Chances are (if you’re a guy) you’ve been scrolling through your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and stopped here or there on some hot girls that you don’t remember following (sure you don’t). These social media models usually post provocative and sexy pictures of themselves that just barely squeak by the guidelines for the mainstream social platforms. Sometimes the image is more adult-oriented and requires a black bar or strategically placed emoji. Inevitably these models will make reference to offering uncensored content, which as a long-time accidental follower, you may be interested in.
OnlyFans is a streaming platform for social media models or influencers to monetize uncensored content through subscriptions and price lock options. The site also offers options to post videos and images like other social media sites, which are only available to those who subscribe to their account.
Swipe-up! Link in bio! Check out my personal site!
Whatever the clickbait, it all leads to one place. Most social platforms seem to restrict posts that explicitly call out OnlyFans, so you might see creative ways around this…like using a zero instead of the letter O, a reference to their “Only Friends” page, or something similar. Popular meme pages like @plocced on Instagram (1.1M followers and growing) will promote a model’s OnlfyFans account as a paid post. This doesn’t get flagged because the post won’t make reference to the OF page, but the pinned comment will. Most commonly, a URL for linktr.ee will appear in the bio or in a post. If you’re unfamiliar, linktree is a service that provides a single page which hosts links to all of the social media pages or websites belonging to the user (think of it as a one stop shop for that person). This is the most common place to find a hidden link to an OnlyFans page, as well as other platforms like Twitter, Premium Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or even more boldly…Amazon Wishlists, CashApp, or Venmo.
should i subscribe to onlyfans?
I mean, that’s the question, right? There’s literally billions of results on the web for uncensored or adult content and a vast amount of that content is free. So, do you want to pay real-world money for this specific girl’s uncensored content? For about 50 million people, that answer is yes. The reason for this is the parasocial bond that exists between the viewer and the content creator (more in-depth article to come, but for now you can read more about it here). Since you started “accidentally” following this person you’ve grown attached to them in some way and you feel that they hold more value to you than a random person you’ve never heard of. Let’s be honest, she told you she was getting bubble tea and you told her you liked that. It’s almost like the progression of dating someone. You get to know each other over little things here and there and eventually you want it to escalate to intimacy. This is likely the point when you pull the trigger and virtually swipe your debit card.
How much does OnlyFans cost?
That depends. Some OnlyFans content creators will offer a free to follow account. These free accounts don’t generally seem to contain the type of content you’d expect from a model’s OnlyFans page. It’s a loss leader. For those of you that didn’t go to business school, think about it like this. Costco offers a whole rotisserie chicken for $5. It costs them more than that to get the chicken, prep it, cook it, package it, and sell it…plus pay everyone involved in preparing the final product and getting it out the door. So when they sell the chicken they essentially lose money on it…but it gets customers in the door. While there, the customer buys a 400 pack of Charmin for $250. That’s where Costco makes the money. This is the same with a free to follow account on OnlyFans.
Actual subscriptions can cost anywhere from a minimum of $4.99 per month to a maximum of $49.99 per month. In the case of a free-to-follow account, the user will often be referred to one of these subscription-based pages for a more intimate experience.
If I subscribe to an OnlyFans page do I get full access to all content?
The short answer is no. For most OnlyFans accounts you get what is essentially Instagram 2.0 (if I were to put it succinctly). The images and videos posted (that you just paid to access) are often times a mirror image of another one of the creator’s social media accounts. As frustrating as this is, there is still hope for uncensored content…if your pockets are deep. The message function of OnlyFans allows the content creator to “communicate personally” with you. Which is essentially a notification that goes out to all subscribers, but might include your name (taken from your account, not personally added) to appear more personal. While these messages aren’t special from one person to another, they most times will contain a picture, video, or even a set of or combination of pictures or videos…but this is where the deep pockets come into play.
How much is it to view locked pictures or videos on OnlyFans?
The messages sent to subscribers by content creators is where OnlyFans really starts to fulfill its promise. These are the completely uncensored and more adult content type of media that one might expect. However, each block of content comes with an ADDITIONAL price tag. This is called a price lock. Creators can charge anywhere from $3 to $100 to price lock each message as long as it contains at least one photo, video, or audio file. Some messages I’ve come across are price locked at $60 for a 15 second clip, which, if you calculate out to an hourly wage is $14,400.00 per hour, YIKES! Others I’ve seen have been price locked at $10 for ONE PICTURE.
Is it worth it to subscribe to an OnlyFans page?
That’s up to you. Some accounts will string you along and empty your wallet with half fulfilled promises. Although, not all content creators are exactly as described above. Some are more interested in providing value even at the base subscription level. @nalafitness ($8.99 per month) and @violetsummers.vip ($9.99 per month) are great examples of creators meeting subscription fees with an appropriate level of content. Another good example is @celestialbabeee ($15.55 per month) who provides value fairly close to the subscription rate that is being charged.
So the real answer is, you don’t know until you know.
My advice? Wait until a subscription goes on sale. Often times this will be $3 for the first 30 days. The $3 is worth it to gauge if the creator is delivering the content as it has been alluded to. If not, you can cancel the subscription immediately to avoid re-billing at full price when the trial period is over.
Now for the creator side:
Should I start an OnlyFans page?
OnlyFans offers you the ability to create the content that you want, without the worry of being censored. That being said, there’s a certain expectation of what kind of content will be found on OnlyFans, which tends to be sexual in nature. Be sure this is something that you’re not only comfortable with, but that it’s something you actually WANT to do.
How much can I make on OnlyFans?
How does a million dollars a month sound? That’s what Belle Delphine (@belledelphine) reportedly makes on the platform. This isn’t common though. Belle is the 12th biggest earner on OnlyFans and got there through promoting her account across all of her social media. On Twitter (@bunnydelphine) she has 1.6M followers and on Instagram (@belle.delphiny) she has 671k followers. However, the number 1 earner is reality TV star Blac Chyna (who has 16.2M followers across platforms). She’s pulling in about $17 million per month.
How much does the average OnlyFans streamer make?
The average content creator on OnlyFans earns about $180 a month. Of course this depends on your social media presence, frequency of posting, engagement of fanbase, amount of promotion, and if you advertise (yes, it’s actually work). The more you work at it, the more you can earn. About 75% of creator revenue goes to the top 10% of creators, while about 33% of revenue goes to the top 1% of creators alone. Also keep in mind that OnlyFans will take 20% of your income as a fee for using the site. So, pricing your account and content correctly is important.
How should I price my OnlyFans content?
This is a delicate balance if you want to keep an engaged fan base (read “signed up for auto-billing”). Subscription price should be a reflection of your relative celebrity. If you’ve appeared on multiple television shows, acted in feature films, and/or have a social media following in the millions, go ahead and ask for $30 a month for a subscription. If you have 10k-20k followers or are looking to make a name for yourself on the platform, think about a lower subscription fee, like $4.99. At this point, your subscribers are taking a chance on you. You want them to stick around as long as possible to build a parasocial bond. At any price point, the content on OnlyFans should offer something that other social platforms don’t. If it’s a copy of your Twitter or Instagram, people will just go there for free and stop subscribing immediately, or worse, they’ll feel scammed and unfollow you across all platforms out of spite.
How should I offer price locked content through messages?
Reserve price locked content for the best of the best, or the most intimate of your content. While paying for a subscription should be rewarded with something above normal social postings, the price locked content in messages ask for additional payment on top of the subscription your followers have already paid. If you’re asking them to pay a second time, it has to be worth it, or they’ll bounce.
do i need any special equipment for onlyfans content?
Production value is a topic that is constantly discussed across all content creation platforms. You can start with your smart phone if you’d like. Keep in mind this will limit your quality to that of your phone’s camera. There are many options to upgrade your camera for streaming or for video production (if you plan to film it in sequences and/or edit the final version). My advice is to always just start now with what you have and eventually build your production quality over time.
One thing that’s important in the beginning is the lighting of your stream. No one is going to pay for content they can’t really see. A ring light or LED lighting panel should be a great start to making your content look more professional. Wardrobe, makeup, and background (setting) are also important when you’re starting out. Wear something inline with the content you’re providing. Make sure your room isn’t a mess. Maybe hang something nice on the wall? How about a strategically placed mirror? Do you have a persona on social? If you’re posting fitness stuff regularly then maybe your OnlyFans page should have a similar setting, like some gym equipment, or maybe take pictures on a running trail. Are you a gamer? Use your gaming setup as a background. Controllers and gaming chairs make good props as well. You get the idea.
top 4 things you need to get started on onlyfans:
- Smartphone or Digital Camera
- Ring Light
- Tripod
- A Good Microphone
How do I promote my OnlyFans?
Some social media channels have an algorithm that will reduce the visibility your post gets if you explicitly call out your OF page. Even if you say “OF” it can still get flagged. Some creators have used clever spelling to get around it, like using a zero instead of the letter O, calling it ‘Only Friends,’ or just saying it’s your personal site. The most common way to get your link out is to use Linktree or a similar service and then put the Linktree URL in your bio. These services host links to all your platforms on one page. While you’re there you can grow your other channels by listing them as well.
can a guy make money on onlyfans?
Yes, but it won’t be that much. Keep in mind that most of the content that is heavily monetized across OnlyFans is adult content. It’s no secret that the majority of people consuming adult content are men, which is why so many of the high earners on OnlyFans are women. There’s other non-adult-content avenues a man could pursue, such as fitness coaching, but most people are looking for that on YouTube…for free. If you’re a man and interested in creating adult content for OnlyFans, remember that men consume more adult content than women and it’s likely that the following you build will be other men. So if you’re comfortable with doing twice the work (or more) for a fraction of the income of your female counterparts, give it a shot.
can people i know find me on onlyfans?
If you use your real name, probably. The good news is you don’t have to use your real name…or even show your face. The thing to keep in mind though, if you don’t want your subscribers to see your face, is that you’ll be excluding a segment of your potential market that’s not into the no-face content. As for your name, you can use a fake name generator, an alias you already have, or just come up with something funny. What’s the formula…your first name is the name of your first pet and your last name is the street you grew up on? Puppy 166th East Avenue doesn’t really have a ring to it, I’ll keep looking.
our summary of onlyfans:
It’s worth it if you really want to create the kind of content that is most heavily monetized, you want to put in the consistent work that’s required, and you’re a woman (sorry dudes).