How to make money on OnlyFans and Patreon? Which is better for creators?

Right now, there are so many avenues for creators to make money online that it can be overwhelming to pick the right platform. Creators with buzzing YouTube and Instagram business accounts can earn from just branching out and creating an inner-circle community on platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans. 

Picking the right platform to create a community is so important as creating such a community comes with a lot of obligations: delivering extra and exclusive content can create creative load. 

At Clipchamp, we love a fair comparison between social media platforms. That’s why we’ll investigate the differences between Patreon and OnlyFans, how to make money on both platforms and grow your subscriber base.

• Getting started on OnlyFans and Patreon

• Locations and age restrictions for OnlyFans and Patreon

• How to make money on OnlyFans and Patreon

• How to grow your OnlyFans and Patreon subscribers 

• Top tips to grow your OnlyFans and Patreon

• Content types to build community

Getting started on OnlyFans and Patreon

What is OnlyFans? How to sign up to OnlyFans?

Founded in 2016 by British tech entrepreneur and investor Timothy Stokely, OnlyFans is a subscription-based website that allows content creators to monetize their influence. 

Content is locked behind a paywall, allowing only paying fans to access their content for a monthly fee or one-off payment. With over a million creators on the platform, you’ll be able to even find notable people like Cardi B, Tana Mongeau, Bella Thorne and Sonja Morgan. 

Skyrocketing from 7.5 million users to 85 million in March 2020, the site has boomed in popularity. From personal training tips to artists and cooking classes, OnlyFans can be used for absolutely anything. 

Signing up to OnlyFans is easy. All you have to do is head over to OnlyFans, log in with your Twitter account, or create an email and password account. 

What is Patreon? How to sign up to Patreon?

Just like OnlyFans, Patreon lets users financially support and reward content creators through a monthly subscription. Co-founded in 2013 by musicians Sam Yam and Jack Conte, together they wanted to develop a platform that allows ‘patrons’ to pay a set amount of money every time an artist creates a work of art. 

Now, with over 6 million patrons and 4 million supporters, the platform has tripled its numbers in the last 3 years. Creators can post content ranging from podcasts to gaming reviews to individual artists promoting new music and art. 

To sign up, just visit Patreon, sign up with Google or Facebook, or create an account with your email address and password. 

Location and age restrictions Is OnlyFans available anywhere in the world? 

OnlyFans isn’t available in every country, but many different regions do permit it, including the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, India, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela. The site isn't permitted in South Africa.

How old do you need to be to create an OnlyFans?

Users and content creators must be at least 18 years old to register, regardless of the content consumed or shared. 

Is Patreon available anywhere in the world?

Not every country in the world permits Patreon.. Patreon is restricted in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria. But, if you’re located in the USA, UK or Australia, you’ll have no problems sharing or watching content. 

How old do you need to be to create a Patreon?

Users must be at least 13 years of age to create a membership. To be a creator, you must be 18 years old or have permission from a parent or guardian.  

How to make money on OnlyFans and Patreon?

Let’s discuss what commissions Patreon and OnlyFans charge from creators. 

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Earnings and commission on OnlyFans

In 2020, OnlyFans generated more than $2 billion in sales, with an annual net income of $400 million. The popular platform pays out over $200 million every month to its creators. So how do you make money on OnlyFans? 

Content creators can set up a subscription cost for their followers. Usually, these prices range from $9.99 to $14.99, with promotional deals starting at $5.99 monthly. As your followers grow, so will the amount of content you produce each week. You’re welcome to increase your subscription price anytime, depending on how your profile is performing. Users can also tip creators up to $100 a day. In addition, creators can sell “exclusive” content to existing subscribers for an additional fee of up to $50 called pay per view. To start making money, you will need to post photos, videos, and live streams. Creators are able to keep 80% of their money generated by their OnlyFans account. The remaining 20% is paid to OnlyFans. 

Here’s a snapshot of the top earning accounts on OnlyFans in 2021.

Earnings and commission on Patreon

Patreon paid more than half a billion dollars to creators in 2019. Creators' earnings have skyrocketed to a total of $21.74 million in February 2021. Monthly payouts have increased by 68.42% in the last year which is an indicator of how many patrons participate. 

(Source: BackLinko)

So how do you make money on Patreon? The best way to explain Patreon’s earnings is to think of it as a pay-as-you-go membership. Followers can choose which creator they support, and how much they spend. It’s been found that people who set their own value on a product will more likely pay more than if the price is set already. Patreon takes a more personal approach, so users aren’t just paying for a monthly subscription. Subscriptions can range from $3 - $100. Patron’s can cancel their payment anytime and are completely in control of the price they set as supporters. This takes the pressure off signing up with an initial huge fee. Creators can also sell content directly to followers for a small fee. 

There's a platform fee payable to Patreon of 5% - 12% per creator's earnings, as well as a payment processing fee of 2.9%. Lite accounts will pay 5% plus payment processing fees, Pro accounts will pay 8% plus payment processing fees and premium account fee is 12% plus payment processing fees. 

How to grow your OnlyFans and Patreon subscribers

It’s easy to create an OnlyFans or Patreon account, but many creators have a hard time gaining followers and sustaining loyal subscribers. If you don’t have a huge social media presence to start with, growing an organic following can be challenging. Below are some strategies to help your OnlyFans or Patreon profile gain subscribers and make you money. 

1. Assess your demographic and popular countries

Just like any other traditional social media marketing, creators need to assess who their target audience is. Demographic data is an essential starting point to figuring out how to gain the attention of your target audience. Post content that's relevant to your preferred audience. If your fanbase is in one particular country, be sure to sponsor posts targeting that country. 

2. Promote your content on social media

To attract new subscribers, your video content should be promoted on different social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok. The more places your content can be found, the more chances you have of attracting new subscribers. Make sure you aren't breaching any of the platforms guidelines. 

Understand where your fans hang out. Forums and chatrooms are usually popular choices. In particular, OnlyFans Reddit and Patreon Reddit. Creators are taking advantage of one of the largest OnlyFans communities on Reddit. Creators can promote their profiles and content sales to a designated audience. 

3. Offer discounts and packages

Forums go hand in hand with discounts and packages. The forum will drop a link to your profile driving traffic to your account, but offering a discount exclusively to the forum community will incline users to go that one step further and subscribe to paid content. Users love a good deal. Promotional packages and discounts can be offered at any time, any day, but keeping in mind a promotional marketing calendar is key. 

4. Cross-collaboration with other creators

Another way to promote your OnlyFans or Patreon account is by cross-collaborating with other creators on your platform. Creating content like collaborative live streams, or featuring in a video or photo together is a great way to gain exposure and grow your audience. Showcase your talent to similar audiences who love the genre you’re promoting. 

5. Engage with your subscribers

Promoting your OnlyFans and Patron profile page is one thing, but engaging with your local community is another. Like, comment and socialize with your followers to tell people you appreciate them. Connect on a deeper level by showing your gratitude. New potential subscribers will see your interaction with your community, inclining them to take a step further and subscribe to your paid content. Building your following base on OnlyFans and Patreon is all about showing users that their experience can get even better with a higher price. 

Growth methods on OnlyFans and Patreon are really similar. Keep in mind that these tips won’t grow your profile overnight—it can take time for creators to achieve their goals depending on their persistence, active online presence, and timing. 

Top tips to grow your OnlyFans and Patreon 

1. Figure out your why: Why should users subscribe to your profile and pay to support you? Make it clear and deliver on your promises. 

2. Cross-promote: Add your OnlyFans or Patreon account to your intro or outro video and in your social media bios. 

3. Templates: Use ready-to-use video templates to create your content faster. Templates can keep your branding consistent, so users can recognize who you are just from your logo. Adding a watermark logo to your videos is also highly recommended.   

4. Patreon Reddit and OnlyFans Reddit: Find Reddit threads to share insights with other creators.

5. Be patient: Growing your profile won’t happen overnight.

Content types to build community

You can cross-promote your OnlyFans videos or Patreon profile as many times as you want, but if the content isn’t relevant to your audience, then you'll hit a roadblock. Take time to research and understand what kind of content people like to see when they pay to subscribe. They’re likely expecting inner-circle exclusive content that you can’t see for free. 

OnlyFans video ideas and Patreon video ideas

• Share personal stories,

• Get to know me videos,

• BTS videos, 

• Challenge videos, 

• Daily uploads, 

• Day in the life,

• Reaction videos,

• Tutorial videos,

• Share your personal thoughts. 

Keeping up with the demand of always having new content to share can be time-consuming and frustrating if you’re on the go. A great way to ease the stress is to plan your OnlyFans video or Patreon video content with Notion and batch create content. 

So, is OnlyFans or Patreon better for video creators?

Both platforms make money online and are profitable companies. But which platform is better? It all depends on what you’re looking for. 

OnlyFans leads overall, with creators bringing in $2 billion dollars revenue in 2020, compared to Patreons, half a billion dollars in 2019. If you’re driven by popularity and which platform has the most users, OnlyFans will be your first choice. 

Remember that OnlyFans takes 20% of your subscription profit, while Patreon only takes 8%-12% of the money you make off fans and subscribers. 

Want to read more about Patreon? Check out A video creator’s guide to Patreon.

Want to make an OnlyFans banner? Check out OnlyFans Banner—Size, dimensions, format and tips.

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