How OnlyFans Became a Billion-Dollar Platform

OnlyFans has revolutionized content monetization by offering creators a platform to directly monetize their fan base through subscriptions, pay-per-view content, and tips. OnlyFans users have significantly contributed to this growth, with key statistics showing a substantial increase in user numbers and a predominantly male demographic. The platform’s immense popularity, especially in the adult content industry, has propelled its financial growth, reaching record-breaking revenue figures. The article discussed the OnlyFans company revenue, its tbusiness model, sources of income and financial success, with statistical data from 2021 to 2026.

A Short History of OnlyFans as a Business

OnlyFans was founded in 2016, as a subscription-based platform for videos; in short, a way for creators to earn directly from their fans. Different from social media, although, was OnlyFans’ capability of allowing the monetization of certain (even risque) types of content without restrictions, all in favor of the creator.

The real growth took off in 2018 when Leonid Radvinsky, a tech entrepreneur familiar with the adult entertainment business, acquired a majority ownership stake. The COVID-19 phenomenon only accelerated its growth and glittered among the most profitable tech company in the world. And today, Fenix International Limited continues with its parent with record-breaking revenue.

OnlyFans Business Model Explained

OnlyFans subscription rate and user engagement rate

OnlyFans operates on a business model centered around direct-to-fan monetization. Its key features include:

  • Subscription-based access: Creators charge a monthly subscription fee (ranging from $5 to $50) for exclusive content.
  • Pay-per-view content: Creators sell individual posts, often premium or explicit, for an additional fee.
  • Tips and donations: Fans can support their favorite creators by sending tips.
  • Custom content requests: Personalized interactions, including one-on-one messaging and custom videos, add to creator profits.
  • Non-subscription revenue: A growing percentage of OnlyFans revenue now comes from one-time transactions, including pay-per-view content and tipping.

How OnlyFans Makes Money: Main Revenue Streams and Fees

OnlyFans comes up with different streams for creators to monetize their content. Apart from the set subscription fees, crators could earn additional revenues through tips and paid private messages that start at $5, foregoing that most of the subscriptions also rake in more money for creators, adding to that personal experience for subscribers, thereby making it a winner for the both of them.

The company keep 20% of all income for itself while leaving 80% to the creators. This model of commissions permits the company to pull in billions yearly. Other than subscriptions, pay per view transactions now account for over 60% of all user spending – a major shift from what was previously seen.

OnlyFans Revenue Growth and Gross Merchandise Value: 2021-2025

In 2021, OnlyFans’ revenue story really took off. Company filings show net revenue of around $900 million, up from roughly $350 million in 2020, and the platform was valued at about $1 billion In the same year, creators generated an estimated $12.5 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV), with the top 1% capturing about a third of that — roughly $4.1 billion — which underlines how concentrated earnings are at the very top.

Based on later financial reports and analyst summaries, the growth from 2021 onward looks roughly like this:

  • 2021: ~$900M in OnlyFans net revenue; creators earned about $3.9B, with gross payments estimated between $4.8B (official filings) and $12.5B (third-party breakdowns, depending on methodology).

  • 2022: Around $1.1B in net revenue (OnlyFans’ 20% cut) on $5.6B in fan payments, with pre-tax profit of about $525M.

  • 2023: Net revenue climbed to roughly $1.3B, up about 20% year-over-year. Fan spend (gross site volume) reached about $6.6B, and creators were paid around $5.3B. User accounts rose to roughly 305M.

  • 2024: Subscriber spending increased again to about $7.2B, while OnlyFans’ own net revenue reached around $1.4B with pre-tax profit of about $684M. Creators received roughly $5.8B in payouts, and the platform grew to 4.6M creators and about 377M registered fan accounts worldwide.

Growth is slower than during the pandemic boom years, but the business is still expanding: transaction volume in 2024 was up about 9% vs. 2023, while net revenue also grew and user numbers kept climbing. As of 2024–2025, OnlyFans has well over 300 million user accounts, with roughly two-thirds of revenue coming from the U.S. market, followed by the U.K. and Europe.

Investments, Dividends, and Business Valuation of Parent Company Fenix International

OnlyFans’ parent company, Fenix International, has turned the platform into one of the most profitable creator-economy businesses in the world. Rather than relying on big venture rounds, the company has mainly funded growth from its own cash flow, reaching a valuation of around $1 billion by 2021 according to UK filings and media reports.

The real story is dividends and cash. Bloomberg and other outlets report that owner Leonid Radvinsky received about $284 million in dividends for the 2021 fiscal year, $338 million in 2022, and $472 million in 2023 — more than $1 billion over just three years. In 2024, his dividend payout jumped again to roughly $701 million, showing how much free cash the business is generating as it matures. Public summaries of the latest accounts also note that OnlyFans keeps a substantial cash pile on its balance sheet, underscoring how cash-rich and low-debt the platform is.

Because of this profitability, recent sale talks have reportedly valued Fenix International at around $8 billion, with analysts generally placing the business in the $7–8 billion range based on its 2024 revenue and profit.

Top Content Creators on OnlyFans

Top Content Creators on OnlyFans

Earnings of the Elite

OnlyFans’ elite creators – celebrities and top adult performers – sit in a tiny fraction of accounts but capture most of the money on the platform. Public reports still highlight Bella Thorne as one of the first stars to earn over $1 million in her first 24 hours on OnlyFans, with later coverage estimating that she went on to make tens of millions of dollars from subscriptions, PPV content, and VIP upsells. Rapper Cardi B has kept her page focused on behind-the-scenes content with a relatively low subscription price, but thanks to her massive audience, that still translates into a highly profitable, fan-club-style revenue stream.

Beyond mainstream celebrities, professional OnlyFans creators also build multi-million-dollar businesses. For example, Business Insider verified that creator Bryce Adams and her team generated more than $6 million in revenue in a single year, largely by running several accounts and combining subscriptions, PPV messages, and livestream upsells. A 2025 analysis of platform data similarly found that the top 0.1% of creators earn the overwhelming majority of revenue, with some names like Sophie Rain, Bella Thorne, Iggy Azalea, Bhad Bhabie, and Belle Delphine estimated to bring in tens of millions of dollars annually. These numbers are extreme outliers, but they show what is possible when a creator already has a strong brand, a big audience, and a team treating OnlyFans as a serious business.

Average OnlyFans Creator Income

Above $1 million annual earnings, however, lie more than 300 creators, while more than 16,000 creators make more than $50,000 on the level yearly. Still, the median account on OnlyFans earns $180 every month, though that is still about $140 after taxes. This tells one of the most important stories about the overall structural inequality of income distribution on the OnlyFans platform: 1 per cent of creators receive 33 per cent of all income, while 10 per cent of them keep 73 per cent of that revenue.

Average annual payout to one OnlyFans creator stands at $1,300, showing typical earnings amid the undeveloped creator economy.

OnlyFans creators generated around $12.5 billion in gross merchandise volume in the year 2021, of which the elite top 1 per cent took in $4.125 billion. On average, the subscription fee varies but is around $7.20, after which creators will get $5.76 due to the platform leader receiving his commission. In spite of all the hype, the average creator only maintains 21 fans-another indication of the competitive nature of the site and this abyssal chasm that separates the trailblazers and the rest of us.

Revenue Distribution

OnlyFans Revenue Distribution

The income distribution among OnlyFans creators remains highly skewed:

  • The top 1% of creators earn 33% of total platform revenue.
  • The top 10% of creators receive 73% of total earnings.
  • The average OnlyFans creator earns approximately $180 per month.

While OnlyFans allows for immense profitability, the competition among creator accounts is intense, reinforcing the need for strategic content planning.

Addressing OnlyFans’ Challenges

Despite its stellar year, OnlyFans faces several challenges:

  • Perceived security breaches: Concerns around cybersecurity and privacy continue.
  • Government relations strategy: Regulators scrutinize platforms hosting pornography. The platform initially struggled with regulations and pressures, leading to a temporary ban on sexually explicit material.
  • Addressing misconceptions: OnlyFans is often misrepresented as solely an adult content platform.
  • The road ahead: Expanding beyond adult content into mainstream content categories remains a challenge.

Benefits of Launching a Platform Similar to OnlyFans

The OnlyFans business model has inspired many entrepreneurs to develop their own content monetization platforms. Launching a similar platform allows business owners to:

  • Directly monetize audiences without platform commissions.
  • Set flexible pricing models beyond subscriptions.
  • Address market gaps in niche content categories.

Seizing the Opportunity in Content Monetization

OnlyFans Company Revenue: How Much Does OnlyFans Make in 2026?

OnlyFans has boldly secured its place as probably the first revolutionary business platform that has redefined how one can monetize content and shows how far the creator economy has to go. Its steep increase in popularity and revenue is evidence of how successful this platform has been for both creators and consumers as far as different ways of consuming and monetizing content are concerned.

However, launching their independent platforms akin to those under the guidance of OnlyFans might explain the true worth of this business model. Along with exciting opportunities for creators that have already established communities or agencies, it would allow savvy entrepreneurs to monetize their content by creating their own website. Creators who abandon third-party sites such as OnlyFans will inevitably earn far more profit, by cutting out the 20% taken at the end of every month, while providing an evolutionary long-term asset whereby business prospects grow with the audience.

For those looking to venture into this lucrative space, whether in adult content or any other very specific niche, the journey begins with a robust technical foundation. Here, Scrile Connect offers a pre-built infrastructure for starting a content monetization website. This website equips business owners with the necessary tools and features to launch their venture efficiently, ensuring that the technical aspects are well-handled, thus allowing them to focus on content creation, marketing, and community building.

Conclusion

OnlyFans’ financial journey from 2021 to 2025 does not only highlight the platform’s incredible revenue growth but also the changing dynamics of the creator economy. Although OnlyFans keeps having record revenues and broadening its business model away from subscriptions, it continues to root itself firmly in place as one of the prominent sources of content monetization. But this accomplishment has pointed out that there is, indeed, an increased urgency for complementary platforms where creators and entrepreneurs would have much more liberty and flexibility around how they control their revenue, content, and audience.

Entrepreneurs who would like to do their own subscription-based platforms or content creators wanting to make the most money without lean-on behavioral intervention on a third-party platform must move quickly to take advantage of this opportunity. With Scrile Connect, you get a ready-made solution for launching your own OnlyFans-style platform-whole ownership over your business, revenue streams, and branding.

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FAQ

1. How much did OnlyFans make in 2025?

OnlyFans generated $6.3 billion in revenue in 2025, with $6.6 billion in gross site volume.

2. What percentage of OnlyFans’ revenue comes from subscriptions?

Subscription revenue makes up about 40% of total earnings, with 60% now coming from pay-per-view content and transactions.

3. How much do top creators earn on OnlyFans?

Top creators can earn millions per month, with the highest earners making over $10 million per month from subscriptions, pay-per-view content, and tips.

4. Is OnlyFans planning to expand beyond adult content?

While adult content dominates, OnlyFans has made efforts to diversify by attracting fitness instructors, musicians, and mainstream influencers.

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