In recent years, OnlyFans has been everywhere — in the news, on social media, in memes, and everyday conversations. The name has become almost synonymous with adult content. But that wasn’t the platform’s original purpose. It was initially designed to help creators connect with their fans, allowing supporters to tip or subscribe as a way to say thanks for their work.
Everything changed during the pandemic, when OnlyFans evolved into the platform we know today. Models began creating content and bringing fans directly to their pages.
What draws people to OnlyFans are the opportunities it offers. Take Camila Araujo, for example — she now earns $1.5 million a month. She retired her parents, bought them cars, and paid off all their bills. Another well-known model, Sophie Rain, shared a screenshot of her yearly earnings along with the news that she bought a private jet — all thanks to her fans.
The adult content industry is expected to keep growing, and that’s why many aspiring models want to join platforms like OnlyFans now — to give themselves a shot at reaching the top 1% of creators. But not everyone knows where to start.
In this article, we’ll break down what kind of content subscribers actually enjoy, how to monetize it, and how to begin earning on the platform.
How to Make Money on OnlyFans: Five Monetization Methods for Models
Content creators can use five main tools to earn money on OnlyFans: paid subscriptions, pay-per-view messages, tips, paid posts on their feed, the referral program, and live streams. Let’s take a closer look at how each one works.
Free vs Paid Page: Which Format to Choose and How Much You Can Earn from Subscriptions
OnlyFans subscriptions can be either free or paid. On paid pages, subscriptions are often the main revenue stream — they can make up to 40% of a model’s total income. Most creators use both formats: one free page and one VIP page that requires users to pay to subscribe. This is considered the most effective setup, as each page serves a different purpose.
The free page is used to warm up potential subscribers before moving them to the paid one. Models also use free pages to sell promo spots and post SFS content.
On paid pages, the model sets a monthly fee for access to her content — typically between $5 and $50. The average subscription price usually falls between $10 and $15, but it depends on how unique the content is and how well-known the model is. You can also offer discounts to new users, especially if they subscribe for a longer period — such as 3 months, 6 months, or a full year.
This approach makes it psychologically easier for a fan to agree to pay — and once they see the value, they’re likely to keep the subscription going.
Private Messages and Pay-Per-View Content
A large portion of a model’s income comes from selling pay-per-view content through private messages. This is known as PPV (Pay Per View), where the user has to pay to unlock and view the content.
This format is most commonly used in DMs — for example, a model might send a fan a post with a short caption and a blurred preview.
The main idea behind private messaging is to build a connection with the subscriber and offer them content they’re personally interested in. Sometimes, that means creating something unique based on a fan’s request — custom content, which typically comes at a higher price.
Since fans value personal attention, many models send out mass messages that include a teaser and an offer to unlock the full version for a set price.
Paid posts can also be shared directly on your main feed. In that case, the content remains locked until the fan pays to view it. This method is especially popular among models with free accounts, where the main feed acts as a storefront — basic content is available publicly, while premium photos and videos are sold separately.
Tips from Fans
Tips usually serve two main purposes: a simple way for fans to show appreciation, or as a form of payment for a service. For example, a fan might send a tip to pay for content or a custom request.
Tips can be sent under a post, during a livestream, in a private message, or just randomly. Many models also encourage tipping by offering content in return — often through a “tip menu,” which is a list of services or content options with set prices.
While tips can be unpredictable, they can make up a significant portion of a model’s income — especially when there’s a loyal community behind her.
Live Streaming on OnlyFans Live
The Live-streaming feature on OnlyFans allows creators to host real-time broadcasts and monetize them. Livestreams let you interact directly with your audience — answering questions and responding to fan requests as they happen. There are two main ways to earn from streams: charging a fee for access and receiving tips during the broadcast.
Models with free accounts can host paid livestreams and set an entry fee starting at $5. For paid accounts, access to streams is usually included in the subscription and free for followers.
During a livestream, viewers often send tips — either to request specific actions or simply to support moments they enjoy. OnlyFans also allows you to set tip goals during a stream. For example, once a stream hits $100 in tips, the model might do something special. This encourages more fans to contribute.
There’s also the option to co-stream with another creator. Two models can go live together, combining their audiences — which helps grow followers on both sides and boosts tip potential.
Selling Physical Products
In addition to everything else, models can sell physical products — and the possibilities are endless. These can include items like body-scented oils, bath water, used panties, intimate toys, and just about anything their audience might desire. Creators can also run promotions, sales, and offer discounts on these items to boost interest and drive purchases.
True fans are often willing to pay a premium just to feel closer to the model and have even the slightest real-world connection with her.
How to Increase Your Income: Key Factors That Influence a Model’s Earnings
The monetization tools offered by OnlyFans can help boost earnings, but 90% of a model’s income depends on factors like appearance, content quality, chatters, and proper positioning. That’s why it’s essential to focus on each of these areas.
Appearance and Content
Appearance and persona are a model’s calling cards — the main reason users come to OnlyFans. Most successful models tend to align with conventional beauty standards: symmetrical facial features, full lips, a proportionate nose, large eyes, and healthy hair and skin.
Body shape isn’t as critical — there are fans for every type. But the most important factor is looking well-groomed in the most basic sense: clean hair, clear skin, manicured nails, and overall hygiene.
Models who follow mainstream beauty trends driven by marketing — like styled hair, shaped brows, or professional skin care — generally earn more.
Beauty standards also vary by nationality, which ties into niche selection.
The second key factor is creating high-quality content. OnlyFans is a visual platform — users buy with their eyes — so your content needs to look flawless. That means every model should learn which angles work best for them and which ones don’t. It’s also worth investing in a good camera and learning how to use it. A high-end smartphone like the iPhone 15 Pro is usually more than enough.
Wardrobe selection also plays a big role in content quality. Think lingerie, stockings, socks, skirts, blouses, and so on. Many models also use wigs, accessories, and props — especially those in anime-themed niches.
Choosing a Niche and Model Persona
Choosing your niche is something you should do right from the start — and it’s usually not that hard. Most models pick a niche based on their appearance and overall persona.
For example, if a model is from Italy, Brazil, or Mexico, she’ll likely fall into the “Latina” niche. If she’s into plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancements, the “bimbo” niche might be a fit. And for models with a fuller figure, the “BBW” category is ideal.
If your appearance is more conventional and you don’t have standout features — for example, you’re a young white woman with an average body, no tattoos or piercings — then you’ll need to dig deeper.
Think about your hobbies, lifestyle, or identity, and explore more specific niches. For example, if you’re into video games, you might fit into the “gamer girl” niche. If you’re a university student, you could position yourself as the “girl next door” or go with a “college girl” theme.
Your niche directly impacts your income, because every fan has a particular fetish they’re looking to explore. If a model can fulfill that desire, she can earn well. There are also less popular or highly specific fetishes that might focus on a certain pose, outfit, or body type. The more niche the fetish, the more fans are willing to pay — because it’s harder to find, and they value someone who can bring it to life.
In 2024, PornHub listed the most-watched categories globally: hentai, MILF, and lesbian. This once again shows that every niche has its audience.
But that’s not all. It’s important to remember that an OnlyFans model is also a performer. Personality, emotion, and charisma are major factors in attracting and retaining fans. For beginners, taking an acting class can be incredibly helpful — it teaches you how to better control your facial expressions, gestures, and body language.
Chatters and Content Sales
You’ve chosen your niche and created your content — now it’s time to sell it to your fans. That’s where chatters come in. Chatters handle private messages 24/7, keeping conversations going, remembering subscriber history, sticking to the model’s persona, and selling content effectively. A skilled chatter can double the earnings of an account, which is why they’re usually paid a percentage — often around 20% of all sales.
The main strategy is to gradually sell fans a complete sexting set — a pre-recorded content sequence designed to feel like a personal, real-time interaction. It usually starts with casual photos or welcome videos and slowly builds toward more intimate actions.
While it’s possible to handle chats yourself in the beginning, over time the number of messages can become overwhelming. At that point, you’ll likely need to hire a chatter. This decision should be taken seriously — an inexperienced chatter can get your OnlyFans account banned by using prohibited words or breaking platform rules.
Chatters also typically help with posting and scheduling content. It’s important to publish as often as possible — ideally, daily — especially if you’re running a paid subscription page.
Beyond consistency, engagement is key: reply to comments, welcome new subscribers, run polls, and host livestreams. Fans aren’t just paying for content — they’re paying for attention and a sense of personal connection. Creators who actively engage with their audience tend to retain fans longer and receive more tips.
Beginners should plan their content schedule in advance. It’s better to post smaller amounts more frequently than to drop a large content pack once a month. Consistent activity shows fans that the profile is active and worth staying subscribed to.
Breakdown of OnlyFans’ Built-In Marketing Tools: Mass Messages, Promotions, and Discounts
After the surge of NSFW content, OnlyFans adapted by introducing a range of marketing tools designed to help adult creators boost their earnings.
The platform offers several built-in features and settings that allow creators to manage their accounts more effectively and increase revenue. Below, we’ll cover the key tools every creator should be using.
Analytics and Tracking Links
To grow successfully, it’s important to understand your audience and track how your profile is performing. OnlyFans offers a built-in analytics section where you can view subscriber growth and churn, post views, likes, and other key engagement metrics. It also shows which countries and regions your fans are coming from, as well as traffic sources — helping you understand how users are finding your profile.
You can also track your page’s earnings for any selected time period, giving you a clear picture of your revenue and performance trends.
Specifically, OnlyFans highlights your top fans — users who have spent the most money — and marks them with special badges. You can send them personalized thank-you messages to strengthen the connection.
To better understand how effective each traffic source is, OnlyFans also lets you create tracking links. These show how many subscribers came through each specific link, making it easier to measure what’s working.
You can also create a tracking link with a promotional offer — but we’ll cover that in more detail below.
Content Settings and OnlyFans Tools
OnlyFans gives creators a wide range of tools and profile settings that can be customized to fit specific goals. You can set your subscription price, choose a payout currency, and link a payout account. The platform also includes built-in tools for offering discounts and running promotions.
Key content settings and tools on the platform include:
- Post scheduling, which lets you queue content to go live automatically at specific times. This helps maintain consistency even when you’re busy.
- Pinned posts on your feed, such as welcome messages for new subscribers or a tip menu with pricing.
- Stories, similar to Instagram Stories — short photo or video updates that disappear after 24 hours. These are perfect for quick updates or behind-the-scenes moments without cluttering your main feed.
- Subscriber tagging and list segmentation, which lets you label fans (like VIPs) or group them by interest, so you can send more targeted content through DMs.
In short, OnlyFans’ flexible settings allow you to tailor your account to match your workflow — whether that’s daily scheduled content, a tiered subscription system, or a personalized approach for different fan segments. Take time to explore all the available features in your account settings — many of them can help reduce routine tasks and boost your performance on the platform.
Promotions and Discounts
OnlyFans’ promotion tools are designed to help boost subscriber growth and retention. For example, you can offer an automatic discount when fans pay for several months upfront — a great way to encourage long-term subscriptions.
In the dashboard, there’s a dedicated section for setting up promotional offers. You can create limited-time or limited-quantity discounts. For instance, “50% off the first month for the first 20 subscribers” — this offer will stay active on your page until either the 20 slots are filled or the time runs out. These flash sales work well because they create a sense of urgency and FOMO, pushing fans to subscribe before they miss out.
You can also send targeted discounts to specific users — for example, to those who’ve unsubscribed, encouraging them to return with a special offer.
Another useful feature is the Free Trial Link — a private link that gives a user free access to your page for a set number of days. These are often used to track traffic performance: for each promo source, you generate a unique trial link with a custom label, then monitor how many subscriptions it brings in.
Discounts aren’t limited to subscriptions — you can also apply them to content. For example, you can run a sale on paid posts in your feed or offer a bundle of videos at a reduced price. These one-time offers can be promoted through mass messages to your subscribers.
Many models schedule sales around holidays like New Year’s, Christmas, Black Friday, or Thanksgiving, as well as personal milestones or follower goals. A smart discount strategy builds loyalty — fans feel like they’re getting a deal and access to something exclusive.
However, it’s important not to overuse discounts. If regular subscribers notice you offer 50% off every month, they’ll stop buying at full price. That’s why you should plan your sales carefully, so your content doesn’t lose its value.
In short, flexible pricing and promotions are part of a broader business strategy on OnlyFans — helping you attract new fans, retain existing ones, and maximize revenue from every subscriber.
Mass Messaging and Other Features
The mass messaging feature is a powerful tool for both monetization and engagement. Instead of messaging each fan individually, you can create a group message and send it with one click to specific categories of users — such as all active subscribers or your top fans.
You can include pay-per-view content like photos, videos, and a set price, or simply use it to share announcements and updates.
Mass messaging saves time and lets you reach a broad audience — for example, to announce a video sale or send a private discount offer to unsubscribed fans to win them back.
Advanced creators segment their fans into lists and send targeted offers: discounts to new subscribers, premium content for loyal fans willing to pay extra, and exclusive perks for big spenders.
OnlyFans even supports creative uses of mass messaging, like quizzes and giveaways through DMs. Don’t hesitate to leverage this tool — personalized outreach at scale boosts both earnings and retention.
The platform also offers other built-in features. For example, Vault is a content storage area where all uploaded photos and videos are automatically saved, allowing creators to reuse them without re-uploading. This is perfect for sharing older content with new fans. Additionally, there’s a tagging system to help you easily organize and navigate your content library.
Sales Funnel Automation Within OnlyFans
Sales funnels are typically used in email marketing. They’re essential for automating interactions with your audience based on specific, pre-set triggers. On OnlyFans, every model uses this feature because it saves time and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
The most popular automation is a welcome message sent immediately after someone subscribes or follows back. As soon as a user becomes a subscriber, they receive a personal message — either with info or just a friendly, “live” greeting.
You can set up automation rules for any action, such as unsubscribing — in which case the user will receive a message that might include a discount offer to encourage them to come back. This way, you’re actively working on both closing sales and retaining customers.
Promotion: Internal and External Traffic Sources
Each model on OnlyFans needs to promote themselves independently — the platform doesn’t provide internal traffic. That means fans come from both inside and outside sources: through collaborations with other models and via social media.
For beginners, the most effective and straightforward way to grow on OnlyFans is internal promotion methods like SFS (Share for Share), buying GG shoutouts, and swaps. This involves posting promotional content on other OnlyFans creators’ pages.
Models with smaller audiences tend to rely mostly on SFS, where creators mutually share each other’s posts and exchange followers. You can launch SFS traffic through a service like Bender SFS Boost.
New creators need to be ready to invest both time and money into promoting themselves on social media. Here’s a quick overview of where and how to promote your OnlyFans:
- Instagram — Great for building an aesthetic public image. You can attract followers with high-quality SFW photos and short videos, then convert them into OnlyFans fans.
- Twitter (X) — More adult-content-friendly. Many OnlyFans creators run open Twitter accounts, posting risqué teasers, GIFs, and engaging followers with erotic conversations.
- Reddit — A goldmine for adult creators. There are countless subreddits dedicated to various fetishes, looks, regions, and more. Find a few that match your niche, learn their rules, and start posting your best photos, videos, and GIFs. Include a direct OnlyFans link in your profile. A single post hitting the top of a subreddit can bring dozens of new subscribers in a day. Keep in mind, competition is fierce — you need to post regularly and creatively to stand out.
- Telegram — In Russian-speaking communities, Telegram channels have become a major promotion tool for OnlyFans models. You can start your own channel and share free content like photo previews, personal thoughts, and uncensored chats. Recently, Telegram added many monetization features: paid messages, channel subscriptions, and selling PPV content.
- PornHub and Similar Platforms — Models upload videos not to earn directly, but to drive traffic to OnlyFans. One effective tactic is posting short preview clips that require payment to watch the full version. You can include your OnlyFans link in the video description and within the clip itself.
Also consider using TikTok, YouTube, dating apps, and other platforms. Traffic acquisition is critical — even the best content won’t earn if potential buyers don’t see it. So, spend as much time on promotion as you do on content creation. Ideally, start building your social media presence before launching your OnlyFans, warming up interest. After launching, continuously redirect your audience from external platforms to your profile.
Helpful Tips: What You Need to Know Before Getting Started
New OnlyFans models need to start with the right mindset. First, define your niche and style: be yourself, but keep your audience’s interests in mind. Analyze popular creators in your category and take note of their best practices. Second, prepare a content backlog before launching — aim to have 10–15 posts ready so you don’t leave subscribers without updates. Third, actively promote yourself using both external platforms and internal promotion methods.
Don’t expect to get rich within a month. It’s normal to have few subscribers and modest earnings at first, so don’t give up when faced with early challenges.
It’s important to understand your country’s tax laws. In most countries, income from OnlyFans must be declared and taxed. Learn your local regulations and register as self-employed or set up a business entity if needed to avoid legal issues.
Be prepared for the possibility that your content might leak online. However, many fears are exaggerated — unless you’re a celebrity, it’s unlikely your photos will attract widespread attention outside OnlyFans.
Modeling on OnlyFans is a form of sex work, so it’s essential to set your own moral boundaries. Clearly define what you’re comfortable with and what you’re not. Never compromise your personal comfort — there will always be fans who appreciate your style, whether it’s mild or extreme.
Track your stats carefully: which posts attract subscribers, where your traffic comes from. Use new platform features, experiment with pricing and promotions. Don’t hesitate to learn from others: join creator communities and share experiences. The industry is evolving, competition is growing, but so are opportunities.
Approach OnlyFans as a business: with planning, analysis, and adaptability. This way, you’ll have a real chance to turn subscribers into a solid income while staying within your comfort zone. Be creative, and keep your expectations realistic!
