Is The OnlyFans Hustle Dying?

OnlyFans was once a lucrative business for independent creators, specifically those who made and produced their own adult content. Though the subscription-based service was not launched in 2016 explicitly for adult pleasure, it became a way for people in this industry to make a living by getting their fans to pay a monthly fee for their content.  In recent years, stories have poured in of people raking in millions from the platform.  A married model named Andrea Vasile Stage, who launched her account in 2018, told LadBible that she was the first American to make $1 million yearly from the site. Influencer Bhad Bhabie set a record on the website when her OnlyFans, launched a week after her 18th birthday, made a reported $1 million in six hours in 2021. Sex worker Reno Gold reportedly brings in over $100,000 a month on OF. Hearing figures such as these can be enticing. However, not everyone brings in the big bucks, and there may be several reasons why.

One OnlyFans creator spoke with Baller Alert, explaining that the site became overcrowded. 

“I started out of necessity when I caught COVID four years ago. I think now the game is too oversaturated. Unless you have a really niche market or solid fanbase, you’re probably just doing it for pocket change at this point,” they explained. 

The year 2020 brought about the “OnlyFans Lockdown Boom.” It was then that the site saw a staggering 553% growth in revenue. OF not only offered a way to keep people entertained during stay-at-home, but it also was a means of survival for those who were out of work. However, even then, there were signs that the OF bubble would soon burst. Creator Brooklyn Rose told The Guardian in December 2020, “It was hard to get people to pay attention to you because everyone and their mother was on this app.” These sentiments were felt amongst the OF industry when big-time celebrities began joining the app, crowding a space once designated for the less-known creators.

Former Disney star Bella Thorne was among one of the first major celebs to join the platform in August 2020.  The move was controversial, as she brought in $2 million in just a week.  Sex workers slammed this action, claiming millionaires such as Thorne joining OnlyFans would take away their valued customers. Her success helped usher in a wave of celebs, such as Cardi B and Blac Chyna, who once claimed to have made $240 million on the platform. Unfortunately, this has left others who once solely depended on the site in the dust, with no chance of competing against those with millions of admirers.