Making Money on OnlyFans: The Complete Guide

Today’s creatives live in an era with seemingly boundless opportunities for side hustles. You can now use social networks to find an audience by interest, create your community, establish your brand, and earn, of course!

OnlyFans is among the recent content outlets to explode over the past few years. Many might recognize it for its connection to, well, let’s call it NSFW (not-safe-for-work) content. But this isn’t its only purpose, as you can also use it to make some extra cash publishing content based on the things you like to do.

The platform offers vast income-generating features that you can leverage for financial freedom. But you must know the different opportunities available for creatives and how to find what works for you.

Fortunately, this detailed guide will take you through the art of making money on OnlyFans, whether you have your clothes on or not.

At its core, OnlyFans is a social networking platform that allows content creators to earn by sharing unique video content with their subscribers. Joining is free for everyone, but you may need to subscribe to a particular content creator’s Fan Page. 

The platform was established in 2016 but wasn’t popular until between 2020 and 2021. As of November 2019, the site had only 7.5 million users, but the numbers increased to 85 million as 2020 concluded. 

Many strip club staffers and sex workers likely joined after the COVID shutdowns forced everyone out of their workplaces. 

The surge in users can also be attributed to celebrities like Beyoncé promoting their music on the platform and the fact that more “regular” content creators seek income opportunities online.  

OnlyFans’ primary objective is to enable content creators to dispense valuable premium content viewers can’t find on any other social or video-sharing platform. You can set your page as free or paid, and “fans” may part with a fee to access exclusive content. Although creating an account is free, you’ll only take 80% of what you earn.

Anyone can use OnlyFans. The site is home to poets, writers, authors, inspirational speakers, chefs, artists, and more. But it’s more popular as a content hub for porn stars, sex workers, and adult content creators.

OnlyFans’ uniqueness is that it lets you post content that would get you banned on other social networking platforms like Instagram or Facebook. That’s why you’ll find numerous adult content creators, amateur pornstars, and sex workers uploading images and videos and interacting with their fans via direct messages.

Due to the explicit nature of most of the content, one must be 18 years and over to sign up. The platform also protects creators’ branded content, ensuring no one shares it outside the site.

In fact, if someone tries taking a screenshot, the content will appear blacked out. You’re also subject to a ban if you screenshot or record what you’re seeing.

Small and established influencers have equal potential to earn on the platform, which could be life-changing. The site offers vast monetization features that let people develop income streams from their passions and talents. 

Here are the different ways of earning from the platform:

This is the most commonly used earning method. When someone subscribes to your content, you’ll get 80 percent of the earnings while the site keeps the remainder. You can set up your account in different ways.

You can post free content to get people interested or hooked enough to subscribe to your content. You’ll decide how much you charge, but first, check the rates charged by others like you.

Generally, the monthly rates may range between $4.99 to $49.99. You can also publish premium content that even your subscribers must pay a fee to unlock.

You’ll decide how to set up your account, but using locked content and subscriptions is among the best ways to earn on the platform.

Well, OnlyFans doesn’t offer coaching features. But numerous content creators have gained significant popularity, hence providing services outside the platform. Whether you wish to replicate your accomplishment or use your knowledge to achieve an objective, coaching can earn you some income.

Whether you use a free or paid OnlyFans account, your “fans” can appreciate your content through the site’s tipping function – provided you have at least five posts on your page.

They can tip your direct messages, posts, Live Stream sessions, or profile by simply hitting the Tipping icon.

Instead of the commonly used subscription-based model, you can still maintain a free account, but your content must be behind a paywall or price lock post. So instead of paying a monthly subscription, users can select the price-locked posts they’d like to view and then pay for the posts, videos, or other content.

Besides posting content on the platform, you can also stream it in real time. The site’s Stream feature lets you interact with fans and earn. Generally, users will tip you during the stream.

You’ll do this by creating a tip goal, and users will view your entire plan and the milestones you have left. Another way to earn by live streaming is through a payment-gated stream, where users must pay to watch or join your live-streaming sessions.

Some fans are willing and able to pay to interact with their favorite content creators, hence another income generation opportunity for OnlyFans content creators. This could be a flat rate or charged per message. 

Many creators have gained such immense popularity that they outsource their direct messaging. If you get it right, the approach can be your leading source of income on the platform.

OnlyFans appreciate random acts of kindness by users and offer the fundraising feature. So if you intend to raise funds for charitable causes, this feature can come through for you.

All you’ll do is click on “Compose New Post,” choose “Your Target,” and then set your fundraising goal.

Here’s the big question: How much can a content creator expect to earn on OnlyFans?

Obviously, the site has grown more popular than it was a year ago, so there’s some competition for subscribers. OnlyFans’ subscriptions range from $4.99 to $24.99 monthly. With some content creators boasting hundreds of thousands of fans, it’s easy to come up with an earnings estimate.

While some celebrities have acknowledged earning more than $2 million in a week, most content creators earn much less than that. But many have replaced their full-time incomes with what they make on OnlyFans.

Off-site promotions and leveraging the vast earning opportunities are key to earning on the platform.  

The first step to earning on OnlyFans is to have everything you need. While subscribers don’t really expect professional quality content, you must make your content look and feel as professional as possible. Great content gets you more fans and more money.

You must invest in the following essential equipment to deliver the best content quality:

While none of these is an absolute necessity, investing in them will help you deliver the highest quality content possible.

Now that you know the content you want to focus on and have acquired the necessary equipment, it’s time to set up your OnlyFans account. You’ll follow these steps:

While OnlyFans offers numerous income-earning opportunities, overnight success isn’t as common. But the following tips will help you grow your fan base and boost your income on the popular platform:

Most people know OnlyFans for its controversial nature, but there’s more to it than being an unrestricted platform for posting adult content. 

The site also has numerous other creators of safe-for-work content making money doing the things they enjoy, and nothing limits you from enjoying such financial freedom.

Income-earning opportunities on the platform range from monthly subscriptions, tips, and paid posts to direct messaging and separate coaching sessions. So be sure to leverage as many as possible while creating the best quality content to earn you more fans.