10 OnlyFans Statistics You Need to Know in 2023

OnlyFans has taken the internet by storm over the past few years. What started as a niche platform for influencers has evolved into a billion-dollar media empire reshaping the creator landscape.

But how did OnlyFans grow so quickly to over 150 million users? Why is the site so uniquely poised to empower creators? And what do the numbers reveal about how fans support their favorite OnlyFans stars?

This comprehensive guide will unpack the top 10 OnlyFans statistics to know in 2023. Beyond the hype, these Stats provide real insight into OnlyFans‘ meteoric rise and future opportunities. Let‘s dive in!

OnlyFans by the Numbers: Staggering Growth Since 2019

OnlyFans experienced modest growth for the first few years after its 2016 founding. But starting in early 2019, the site saw hockey stick user and revenue growth accelerate at an astonishing pace:

OnlyFans hit 160 million registered users as of January 2023, up from just 8 million in July 2019.
The site registers nearly 500,000 new users daily, according to OnlyFans CEO Timothy Stokely.
Monthly site traffic to OnlyFans.com grew from 48 million visits in January 2020 to over 300 million visits by December 2022, per SimilarWeb data.

Date	Registered Users	Monthly Website Visits
July 2019	8 million	48 million
January 2020	12 million	48 million
January 2022	150 million	298 million

Several catalysts powered this exponential growth over the past three years:

The COVID-19 pandemic – Lockdowns led to spikes in site traffic and creator registrations.
Celebrity promotions – Stars like Cardi B and Bella Thorne joining attracted media buzz.
Unemployment spikes – Economic instability motivated more creators to monetize fanbases.
Viral word-of-mouth – Fans and creators spread the word on Twitter, TikTok, and other social platforms.

But ultimately, OnlyFans succeeded by solving two fundamental problems for creators through its business model:

Monetizing fan engagement better than free platforms like Instagram or TikTok
Paying creators more fairly than rivals like YouTube or Twitch

Now let‘s look at how that model translated into over $2 billion in creator earnings.

OnlyFans‘ Creator Ecosystem: 1.5 Million Strong and Counting

Amid OnlyFans‘ rocketing user growth, creator numbers grew in parallel:

As of August 2022, there are over 1.5 million OnlyFans creators globally.
In July 2019, OnlyFans hosted just 70,000 creators.
The site was adding up to 15,000 new creators daily as of 2021, per OnlyFans.

Date	# of Creators
July 2019	70,000
August 2022	1,500,000

These creators run the gamut from celebrities to niche hobbyists:

Mainstream stars like Cardi B and Bella Thorne
Adult and glamour models
Fitness trainers sharing workout tips
Musicians releasing exclusive content
Life coaches providing advice and motivation
Cosplayers unveiling their latest costumes
Chefs teaching new recipes

And many more diverse use cases! This variety helps explain OnlyFans‘ expanding appeal.

Now let‘s explore how these creators actually earn life-changing income.

OnlyFans Creator Earnings: The Rich Get Richer

In 2020 alone, OnlyFans generated over $2 billion in creator earnings. And payouts continue rising:

OnlyFans pays creators over $200 million per month.
Top creators like Bella Thorne can make $1 million in their first day.

But like most creator platforms, the distribution of earnings is top-heavy:

The top 1% of OnlyFans accounts make 33% of total payouts.
The top 10% make 73% of payouts.
Most creators actually earn less than $200 per month.

Creator Earnings Level	Share of Creators	Share of Total Earnings
$0 – $500 / month	92%	55%
$500 – $5,000 / month	5%	12%
$5,000 – $15,000 / month	2%	10%
over $15,000 / month	1% (top creators)	33%

So while OnlyFans offers life-changing income potential, it remains out of reach for most creators. Building a sustainable career on OnlyFans requires smart strategies.

Maximizing Your OnlyFans Earnings

Given OnlyFans‘ winner-take-most payout distribution, how can creators earn more on the platform?

1. Cross-promote across multiple social platforms.

Promoting your OnlyFans to existing followers on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and elsewhere is key for attracting subscribers.

2. Engage fans and reward top supporters.

Fostering an engaged community that wants to support you drives more tips and sales.

3. Offer a variety of exclusive content

Different content types (messages, photos, videos, livestreams, etc) provide more ways to monetize fans.

4. Collaborate with other creators

Cross-promotions and collaborations help reach each other‘s audiences.

5. Run sales, bundles and promotions

Discounts and special offers incentivize new subscriptions and purchases.

6. Provide personalized experiences

Custom content and interactions make fans feel valued.

7. Invest back into your content quality

Higher production value keeps fans engaged long-term.

The top OnlyFans creators don‘t succeed by accident. They combine these strategies to build diverse income streams and passionate fan communities.

Understanding the OnlyFans Business Model

But how exactly does OnlyFans as a platform make money from these creator earnings? OnlyFans generates revenue through two main fees:

1. Subscription Cut – 20%

For any monthly subscription fees fans pay creators, OnlyFans takes a 20% cut. So creators receive 80% of their subscription revenue.

2. Transaction Cut – 20%

OnlyFans also takes a 20% fee from any tips, pay-per-view posts, messages, and other purchases on the site.

This simple 20% transaction fee model contrasts sharply with other platforms:

YouTube pays creators 55% of ad revenue.
Twitch offers streamers a 50% cut of subscriptions.
Etsy charges 5% transaction fees for creators‘ sales.

By taking a smaller cut across the board, OnlyFans incentivizes top creators to drive more sales on the platform. In turn, that generates more revenue that OnlyFans can reinvest into growth.

It‘s a model optimized to align incentives between OnlyFans and creators. And the results speak for themselves.

Who Uses OnlyFans?

While OnlyFans has its reputation, the site hosts diverse creators and content types beyond just adult material.

Some noteworthy celebrities, brands and influencers with OnlyFans accounts include:

Mainstream musicians like Cardi B, Swae Lee and Ty Dolla $ign.
Models and artists like Blac Chyna, Tyga and Amber Rose.
Legitimate brands such as fast food chain Chipotle and energy drink G Fuel.
Drag queens including Shea Coulee and Cheryl Hole.
Athletes like NBA star Dwight Howard and F1 driver Renee Gracie.
Fitness influencers and trainers like Michelle Lewin.
Gaming and streaming personalities like Amouranth.
TV stars from shows like Vanderpump Rules and RuPaul‘s Drag Race.

This range demonstrates OnlyFans‘ potential beyond purely adult content, though that does remain core to its business. The strategic question is whether OnlyFans can shed its reputation to court mainstream audiences and brands.

The Road Ahead: Can OnlyFans Broaden Its Appeal?

While OnlyFans has achieved tremendous growth so far, several challenges cloud its future:

Payment processor restrictions – In 2021, threats by banking partners forced OnlyFans to briefly ban porn before reversing course. Payment partners remain restrictive.
Tax and legal scrutiny – Its massive earnings have subjected OnlyFans to audits of creators‘ incomes and earnings claims. Legal gray areas remain.
Competitive threats – Copycats and feature-rich platforms like JustForFans, LoyalFans, and FanCentro may siphon creators.
Content moderation – As it looks to broaden appeal, OnlyFans will need effective moderation and trust/safety practices.

Despite these concerns, OnlyFans retains an entrenched competitive position in a lucrative niche. While the path forward has obstacles, the platform‘s numbers point toward continued expansion.

The Origins of a Creator Economy Pioneer

OnlyFans‘ founder and CEO Timothy Stokely is far from an overnight success story. His path to building OnlyFans reveals an entrepreneurial drive years in the making.

1997 – At age 13, Stokely begins building websites for UK local businesses.
Early 2000s – Founds internet marketing company Ideoclick Media in the UK.
2009 – Launches GlamWorship, a site selling celebrity-branded merchandise.
2011 – Founds Customs4U, an eBay-style marketplace for personalized video shoutouts.
2013 – Launches mobile gaming company Grab Media.
2016 – Sees opportunity in direct creator-fan engagement. Launches OnlyFans.

Stokely has been quoted as saying he came up with OnlyFans "to empower the influencers and content creators" he‘d worked with in other ventures.

After years cultivating expertise in creator monetization, Stokely developed OnlyFans‘ core business model and feature set purposefully to meet that vision. The rest is history.

Conclusion: The Numbers Behind OnlyFans‘ Rise

OnlyFans has disrupted the creator ecosystem by solving two key problems:

1. Allowing creators to fully monetize fan engagement

2. Enabling fairer payouts compared to other platforms

This potent combination explains how OnlyFans exploded from a niche site in 2016 to a titan of the creator economy managing over $2 billion in creator earnings.

The stats above tell the data-driven story of OnlyFans‘ meteoric growth. But numbers only reveal part of the picture.

Ultimately OnlyFans succeeds by empowering people to turn their passions into professions through direct fan relationships. Its model represents the future of the creator economy.

So what‘s next for this still-evolving platform? However OnlyFans navigates upcoming challenges, one thing seems certain:

The numbers will keep going up and to the right.