How to make $10,000 a month on OnlyFans, according to creators

• OnlyFans has become a go-to platform for creators, particularly in the sphere of adult content.
• Influencers have built lucrative businesses on the subscription platform.

The subscription website OnlyFans has become a go-to platform for creators who publish paywalled content online, particularly those in the adult industry.

There's no lack of opportunity — according to the company's latest available financial statements (for 2022), payments made through the platform increased by almost $1 billion compared to the previous year, and the number of creators using OnlyFans was close to 3.2 million.

Business Insider spoke with a number of influencers who have built successful businesses on OnlyFans, and who make $10,000 a month from it — or, in some cases, much more.

Identifying the best and most efficient ways to monetize on OnlyFans can be complex, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the service and its features.

Creator Morgan Edwards faced this issue when she first joined.

"I was absolutely in the dark," said Edwards, who uses the pseudonym "Kitty K" online. "One of the things that I did was really just sit back, observe, and sort of do what others did."

Edwards tried different approaches and eventually focused on selling personalized videos to her subscribers. She was making $60,000 a month when she spoke with Business Insider.

Read more about how seven OnlyFans creators who make thousands of dollars per month established their prices

Here are the top ways OnlyFans stars earn $10,000 or more per month:

Subscriptions: The most common way to start earning an income on OnlyFans is by placing content behind a paywall. OnlyFans allows users to establish their own pricing tiers for monthly subscriptions on the platform.

While some creators keep their pages free of charge, others prefer a model that is more expensive for a smaller number of fans.

Bryce Adams, a popular creator whose business made over $9 million in a year, runs three pages with different offerings, to cater to different needs.

Read more about Adams' strategies for success and how she built a multimillion-dollar business

Direct messaging: Some creators build their presence on OnlyFans based on the direct communication they establish with their fans and connecting with them on a personal level through messaging.

These types of interactions can be particularly lucrative. Pay-per-message chatting, custom content (like pay-per-view personalized videos), and tips account for over 50% of OnlyFans' revenue. For some users, chatting with creators has become a way to find an emotional connection.

Read more about how men are turning to OnlyFans to combat loneliness

"I understood that what guys wanted was a connection, so I sort of created this method of texting where I write and make videos at the same time," said Amber Sweetheart, who has 26,000 fans.

Read more about Sweetheart's business and how she used DMs to make over $2 million on OnlyFans

Because of the high demand for interaction from their subscribers, some creators are even turning to AI chatbots to help them out, or creating AI versions of themselves that can chat 24/7.

Here are different ways adult creators are experimenting with AI

Personalized content: Another way for creators to build a relationship with their fans is creating bespoke content for them for a fee.

Promo "shoutouts": Creators rely on marketing tactics to get new customers, like buying and selling "shoutouts" from each other to advertise on OnlyFans and other social-media platforms.

When Riley Reid joined the platform, she enjoyed recognition from her career in the adult-movie industry and decided to help new creators on OnlyFans by providing promotional spaces on her page for a fee.

"A lot of girls just kept asking me to pay for shoutouts," Reid said.

Read more about the lucrative business of selling promotional "shoutouts" on OnlyFans

How 13 OnlyFans creators built their incomes to over $10,000 per month:

• Chloe Sasha, a single mom of four, built an income of almost $18,000 a month. Incorporating content in both English and Spanish has helped her reach a broader audience.
• Australian creator Audrey Aura built her income to $21,000 per month. She also started a coaching program to help others get started on the platform.
• A creator who calls herself "Mrs Robinson" has earned an average of $23,000 a month in three years. Pay-per-view content and Reddit have been key promotion strategies for her.
• Rayna Rose averaged $24,000 a month within a few months of creating her account. A revenue-share deal with another OnlyFans creator helped her kickstart her career.
• Teddy Bear built a brand as a male OnlyFans creator and made approximately $25,000 per month on the platform.
• Liensue, whose content focuses on cosplay, earned about $25,000 a month over two years. Her content is not explicit, but she's been able to build a dedicated fanbase.
• MelRose Michaels earns around $30,000 per month. She shared tips on how to promote OnlyFans by posting safe-for-work content on other platforms.
• Belle Grace earned an average of $35,000 per month. She shared the exact posting schedule she used to achieve that.
• Farrah earned about $40,000 a month in two years on OnlyFans. Most of her content is faceless, and she only reveals her identity to a select number of fans.
• Kitty Morgan was making between $40,000 and $60,000 per month. She said building an audience on social media was a successful promotional strategy for her.
• Morgan Edwards' monthly earnings were about $60,000 per month. Personalized content was they key to find success for her.
• Amber Sweetheart averages about $62,000 per month in revenue from her main account. She explained why her business is built primarily on direct messages to fans.
• Steph Mi has earned over $73,000 per month without doing nudity. She broke down how she built her following, from livestreams to a golf show.

How 4 OnlyFans creators are making over $100,000 per month:

• Isabella James was averaging $170,000 a month in OnlyFans revenue. She focused on private messaging to build the bulk of her income.
• Canadian creator Isla Moon made almost $400,000 a month on OnlyFans in 2023. She says her success comes from combining her hobby of fishing and traveling in nature with adult content.
• Bryce Adams made an average of $450,000 per month on OnlyFans. Here's how she made seven figures in just over a year.
• Superstar creator and OnlyFans model Amouranth was making up to $1.5 million a month on the platform. She broke down her strategy and advice to new creators.