Since 2019, the subscription-based platform OnlyFans has exploded in popularity — and in revenue. Created in 2016, the platform was designed to allow content creators to sell exclusive content to their fans and followers but struggled to find a foothold for several years.
That is, until the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe. That’s when many people turned to OnlyFans to create a new revenue stream for themselves, one that they could do from home. And while things did improve from 2019 to 2020, the growth was nothing compared to the subsequent years.
In 2019, OnlyFans annual revenue was less than $250 million and boasted less than 15 million users. Those numbers jumped in 2020 to $1.7 billion in revenue and nearly 84 million users. And the following year, things more than doubled with 190 million users and nearly $5 billion in revenue.
And in 2024, OnlyFans kept up the record growth, reaching nearly $8 billion in revenue and 400 million users.
Why the astronomical growth? It helps that as the platform grows, the stigma of using it diminishes. While the content on the platform is still primarily X-rated, there is so much more available now.
Musicians like Kate Nash are turning to the platform to help them make ends meet between tours, book recording time, or even fund their tours. Nash revealed in an interview that her experience was: “Very exciting, my butt enterprise. I need to get a [corporate] name. I need to get ‘Butts for Tour Buses’ on a credit card.”
Athletes are also using the platform to fund their training and support their lifestyles. Even some Olympic athletes are using it, including British swimmer Jack Laugher. He claims that OnlyFans was an absolute lifeline and helped him take home bronze in last year’s Olympic games.
It also seems to be a lifeline for some celebrities like Drea de Matteo, former Sopranos actress, who was on the verge of losing her home when she decided to create an account. She said, “I signed up [for] that OnlyFans thing, and I thought, wow, I didn’t think it was gonna work, but I didn’t think anybody would care. I didn’t think anybody would care. I’m, you know, Adriana from The Sopranos from 100 years ago.”
And now she’s thriving on the platform, like so many others who rely on it as a key source of income.
While some of these athletes and musicians do post risque content, some stick to strictly SFW (safe for work) content, offering exclusive songs, training tips, and behind the scenes footage.
Even some brands are jumping on the platform, like Flitedeck, a company that makes lightweight high-tech handlebars for bicycles. While Flitedeck used the platform as a fundraising tool, Nimbi, a razor company, is using it for marketing.
After all, OnlyFans began as a place for content creators to paywall any and all content. While some social media platforms added this option, like Instagram, OnlyFans is still one of the top options out there for content creators.