✓Quick Takeaways
- You need a government ID, a bank account, and social media accounts to verify your OnlyFans — the signup itself takes 20 minutes.
- Don't start at $10/month. Lower subscription prices ($3-5) with strong PPV content make more money long-term.
- Build 50-100 pieces of content BEFORE you start promoting. An empty page converts nobody.
- Your iPhone is enough. Spend money on lighting first — it matters 10x more than your camera.
- Promotion is 90% of the work. Instagram alone won't cut it — use Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter together.
- Things don't click overnight. Most creators grind for 3-6 months at $100-300/month before seeing real income.
- Guys can absolutely make money on OnlyFans — but your audience targeting needs to be more precise.
- The biggest mistake new creators make? Starting with fresh social media accounts instead of using existing ones.
I spent my entire first month on OnlyFans making exactly $0 in tips. I'd signed up, posted some content, started promoting on Instagram — and nothing happened. Got maybe 5 subscribers in those first few weeks. They paid the subscription price and wouldn't spend a single dollar beyond that. If you're figuring out how to start an OnlyFans that actually makes money, I get it. Creating your account takes 20 minutes. Building it into something that pays your bills? That's a completely different story. It took me 4 months, a total pricing overhaul, and an agency telling me everything I was doing wrong before I saw real money. Most guides you'll find online are written by people who've never opened an OnlyFans page in their life. I'm writing this one because I've been through every part of it — the confusing verification process, the $10 pricing mistake, the "just post on Instagram" strategy that went absolutely nowhere. This is the guide I wish existed when I started.
What You Actually Need Before Signing Up
Before you even open the OnlyFans website, there are a few things you'll need ready. I didn't know about half of these when I started — especially the social media part.
The social media verification surprised me. OnlyFans asks for your social accounts to confirm you're a real person — not a bot or catfish. If you don't have any, you'll need to create them first. This adds days to the process.
| What You Need | Why | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Government-issued photo ID | Age and identity verification | Passport, driver's license, or national ID. Must be valid and not expired. |
| A selfie holding your ID | Proof that the ID belongs to you | Clear photo, good lighting, both your face and ID fully visible. |
| Bank account or payout method | To receive your earnings | Direct deposit, Paxum, or Cosmo. Set up a separate account from your personal bank. |
| Active social media accounts | OnlyFans uses these to verify you're real | This caught me off guard. I didn't want to share my socials at first, but it's required. |
| You must be 18+ | Non-negotiable legal requirement | OnlyFans checks your ID age. There's no workaround. |
Everything you need to create an OnlyFans account
How to Create Your OnlyFans Account (Step by Step)
The signup itself is straightforward — but the verification process can trip you up if you're not ready. I struggled with it more than I expected. Here's the exact process.
Start the verification process BEFORE you prepare any content. It typically takes 24-72 hours, and you can't post or earn until it's approved. Don't waste days waiting with content ready to go.
Sign up at onlyfans.com
Use your email or sign up through Twitter/Google. Pick an email you'll check regularly — OnlyFans sends verification updates here.
Fill out your basic info
Set your display name, username, and bio. Your username becomes your URL (onlyfans.com/yourname), so pick something clean and memorable. You can change your display name later, but your username is permanent.
Submit your ID verification
Upload a photo of your government ID plus a selfie of you holding it. Make sure both are clear — blurry photos get rejected. It took me a few attempts to get this accepted.
Link your social media accounts
OnlyFans asks for your social accounts (Instagram, Twitter, etc.) to verify you're a real person. I wasn't comfortable with this at first, but there's no way around it. They aren't shown publicly.
Set up your payout method
Connect a bank account, Paxum, or Cosmo for payouts. Use a separate account from your personal banking — it makes taxes and tracking way easier. Payouts take 7 days to process.
Profile Setup That Turns Visitors Into Subscribers
Your profile is your storefront. Most people who visit your page won't subscribe — but a good profile setup triples your conversion rate compared to a lazy one.
Turn on DRM protection in your settings immediately. This prevents your videos from being screen-recorded. But it only protects content uploaded AFTER you enable it — turn it on before posting anything. Read our privacy guide for more safety settings.
| Element | What Works | What Doesn't |
|---|---|---|
| Display name | Your creator name + a keyword (Mia | Daily Posts) | Just your first name or random characters |
| Bio | Short, specific, tells people what they get. Daily content. PPV every Friday. DMs open. | Vague one-liners or just emojis |
| Profile photo | Clear face or body shot (SFW), high quality, good lighting | Blurry selfies, group photos, or heavily filtered images |
| Banner image | Professional-looking, shows your vibe, different from profile pic | Default banner or a copy of your profile pic |
| Welcome message | Auto-sent to new subs. Thank them, mention PPV/customs, ask what they like. | No welcome message — you lose the first engagement window |
| Privacy settings | Geoblocking for your country/state. Hide follower and media counts. | Leaving everything default — your sub count is visible to everyone |
Profile elements that directly affect your subscriber conversion rate
What to Charge (and Why $10 Was My Worst Decision)
I started my page at $10/month. Seemed reasonable, right? It was one of the worst decisions I made. When B9 told me to drop to $3, I was skeptical — but the math worked. More subs at $3 means more people seeing your PPV messages. And PPV is where the real money is. Our full pricing guide breaks down the numbers.
OnlyFans doesn't let you quietly raise your subscription price. When you increase it, every paying subscriber gets a notification and has to manually re-subscribe at the new rate. Most won't. Start at your target price or lower — never higher.
sweet spot for beginner subscription price
Reddit creator consensus + B9 data
of subscribers you lose if you raise prices later
OnlyFans re-opt-in policy
of top creator income comes from PPV and DMs, not subscriptions
Creator surveys
✓Pros
- More subscribers see your PPV messages
- Lower barrier = higher conversion from promo
- PPV and tips make up the real revenue
- Easier to build momentum with higher sub count
✕Cons
- Lower guaranteed monthly income per sub
- Attracts some freeloaders who never buy PPV
- Feels counterintuitive — but the numbers work
Your First-Week Launch Plan
Every guide tells you to post consistently. None of them tell you what day 1 actually looks like. I wasted my first week posting randomly with no plan. Here's what I'd do if I could start over.
Batch your content creation. One solid shoot day per month gives you 4+ weeks of scheduled content. Prep outfits the night before, start with casual no-makeup selfies in the morning, then do the full shoot. This is how full-time creators stay consistent without burning out.
Days 1-2: Build your content vault
Block off a full day and shoot 50-100 pieces before you promote anything. Mix photos (70%) and videos (30%). Use natural light near a window. Prep your outfits the night before — I've wasted entire shoot days picking clothes. Nobody subscribes to an empty page.
Day 3: Set up your page completely
Write your bio, upload your profile pic and banner, set your subscription price, write a welcome message, turn on DRM, and enable geoblocking. Post 15-20 items to your feed so it doesn't look empty. Check our 100+ content ideas if you're stuck.
Days 4-5: Start promoting on ONE platform
Pick the platform where you already have the most followers. I started on Instagram — it didn't work. If I could redo it, I'd start on Reddit. Post 3-5 times your first day, see what gets traction, and double down.
Day 6: Add a second platform
Once you've got a rhythm on one platform, add another. TikTok and Reddit are the strongest combo for new creators right now. Check our Reddit promotion guide for exactly which subreddits work.
Day 7: Send your first PPV message
By now you should have a few subscribers. Send them a PPV message — a preview clip with a price tag. $5-10 for your first one. This is where the real money starts. If you don't send PPV in week one, you're leaving money on the table.
The Only Equipment That Actually Matters
I started with just my iPhone. And honestly? I still shoot most of my content on my latest iPhone Pro. I've bought soft boxes, a gimbal, and a Sony camera since then — but the soft boxes made 10x more difference than the camera ever did.
One app that changed my workflow: LensBuddy for iPhone. It takes burst photos hands-free with a remote, so you can shoot solo without running back and forth to hit the shutter. Multiple full-time creators call it life-changing. For filming techniques, check our video content guide.
| Item | Budget Option | Pro Option | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera | Your iPhone or Android phone | Sony ZV-1 ($400-600) | Low — phone is fine |
| Lighting | Ring light ($20-40) | 2x soft box kit ($60-100) | HIGH — biggest quality jump |
| Tripod + remote | Amazon basic + Bluetooth remote ($25) | Flexible gorilla pod ($40) | HIGH — essential for solo shooting |
| Editing app | CapCut or InShot (free) | Canva Pro ($13/month) | Medium |
| Audio | Your phone mic | Blue Yeti ($50-80) or DJI Mic 2 | Low — unless doing ASMR or talking content |
| Storage | iCloud or Google Drive | External hard drive ($50+) | Medium — always back up your content |
Starter equipment for OnlyFans creators — you don't need to spend more than $100
How to Get Subscribers When Nobody Knows You Exist
Here's the part nobody's ready for. You set up your page, post great content — and realize nobody's coming. Promotion is 90% of the work. I started by posting on Instagram and got basically nothing.
Reddit — best for new creators with zero following
Find SFW subreddits that match your niche (10K-50K subscriber subs work best for beginners). Post quality photos with captions that show personality. Don't spam your link — build karma first. Read our subscriber growth guide for the full playbook.
TikTok — highest reach but highest risk
TikTok drives massive traffic, but they ban creator accounts fast. Run 3-5 accounts at once and expect to lose some. Never mention OnlyFans directly — use a Linktree in your bio. Post 3x/day on each account. Check our TikTok promotion guide for ban-avoidance strategies.
Instagram — slow build but strongest rebillers
Instagram followers take longer to convert, but they rebill at higher rates than any other source. Use Reels for reach, Stories for engagement. Build a theme page that's SFW — your link goes in your bio or Linktree.
Twitter/X — the only platform where NSFW is allowed
Twitter is the only major platform where you can post spicy content openly. But pure nude spam gets ignored — personality and previews convert better. See our Twitter/X strategy guide for what works.
My biggest mistake was starting with brand-new social media accounts. If you already have personal accounts with followers — and you're comfortable using them — that's a massive head start. Building a new Instagram from zero takes months. Building on a page with 500 followers? Way faster.
of your time should go to promotion, not content creation
Reddit creator consensus (2,846 upvotes)
of one top creator's subscribers came from Instagram alone
Creator self-reported data
average grind before consistent creators break $1K/month
Reddit creator survey data
Starting OnlyFans as a Guy (Yes, It Works)
One of the biggest threads on r/onlyfansadvice — 2,414 upvotes — asks whether large, male, hairy creators with scars can succeed on OnlyFans. The answer is absolutely yes. But the path looks different for male creators.
Your audience is primarily gay and bi men
This catches some straight male creators off guard. The paying audience for male content on OnlyFans is overwhelmingly men attracted to men. Understanding this shapes your entire promotion strategy and content approach.
Niche beats mainstream every time
The market for the generic attractive male model look is saturated. But bear, daddy, twink, hairy, athletic, and straight-fantasy content? Way less competition. Being different is your advantage — not your obstacle.
Your promo needs to be more targeted
Female creators can post in general NSFW subreddits and get traction. Male creators need niche-specific communities. Look for subreddits matching your body type and target audience. The NSFW subreddit directories are your best starting point.
Study creators who look like you
Find 3-5 male creators with a similar body type and style. Study how they promote, what they charge, and which platforms bring them subs. Reverse-engineer what works instead of guessing from scratch.
One verified top creator put it perfectly: no matter what you look like, you are someone's hottest fantasy. There are entire niche categories for things you wouldn't expect. Male, hairy, large, scarred, tattooed — there's an audience actively looking for you.
8 Mistakes That Kill New Pages Before They Start
I've made most of these myself. The ones I didn't make, I've watched other creators repeat over and over. Every single one is fixable — but only if you catch it early.
Starting at $10+ and getting price-locked
When you raise your subscription price, every subscriber has to manually re-subscribe. Most won't. Start at $3-5 and let PPV carry your revenue. I learned this the hard way.
Promoting with zero content on your page
You spend a week driving traffic from Reddit — people click through and see 3 photos. They leave. Get to 50-100 pieces before you promote anything. Non-negotiable.
Posting free nudity to attract subscribers
If people can see everything for free on your Reddit or Twitter, why would they pay? Creators who stopped giving away free nude promo content saw their conversions go UP. Tease — don't give.
Only promoting on one platform
Instagram alone didn't work for me. Reddit alone is too saturated for most creators now. Use 2-3 platforms minimum. The most successful creator I've studied runs 5+ TikTok accounts alongside Reddit and Instagram.
Replying to every random DM on social media
One Reddit post with 1,237 upvotes says it all: stop wasting time replying to random DMs. Almost all unsolicited messages from strangers are freeloaders or scammers. Spend that time on promotion instead.
Running a free page thinking it makes more money
A free page with 20,000 followers where 1% buy a $20 PPV = $4,000/month. A paid page with 500 subs at $20/month = $10,000/month. Multiple creators dropped their free pages because they made almost nothing.
Starting with brand-new social media accounts
Fresh accounts have zero followers, zero credibility, and zero algorithm favor. If you have personal accounts you're comfortable repurposing — even partially — you'll get traction 10x faster. This was my #1 mistake.
Quitting after 30 days of slow results
The creator who eventually earned $6K/week spent her first 6 months making $100-300/month. If you quit after one slow month, you're quitting right before it gets good. See our earnings breakdown for realistic income timelines.
When OnlyFans Becomes a Real Business
For the first few months, OnlyFans felt like a side project I was bad at. Then I started working with B9 at month 4 — and everything changed. Not some secret trick. They just treated my page like a business. That mindset shift separates creators earning $200/month from those hitting $5K+.
Open a separate bank account
Don't mix OnlyFans income with your personal money. It makes tax season a nightmare and makes it impossible to track what you're actually earning. A dedicated online banking app works great.
Track everything in a spreadsheet
Revenue per day, subscriber count, PPV conversion rate, which promo posts drove traffic. The creators earning $5K+ know their numbers cold. If you don't know what's working, you can't do more of it.
Plan for taxes from day one
OnlyFans income is self-employment income. In the US, that means self-employment tax (~15%) plus income tax. Set aside 25-30% of everything you earn. Don't wait until April to realize you owe thousands.
Consider agency help when you hit $3-5K/month
Running your own DMs, content, and promotion is a full-time job. When the workload starts hurting your growth, that's when an agency makes sense. They handle chatting, social media, and pricing while you focus on creating. See our agency comparison for what to look for and how top creators maximize revenue.
Before you start, ask yourself honestly: is this really what I want? Not just the money — the content creation, the daily promotion, the subscriber management, the privacy trade-offs. The creators who last are the ones who went in with their eyes open.
what the average OnlyFans creator earns
OnlyFans platform data
how long it took me to see real income (with agency help)
Mia, B9 Creator
OnlyFans takes from everything you earn — plan for it
OnlyFans Terms of Service
Mini Case Study: $0 to $30K in 30 Days
Creator: New creator, small Instagram following, zero OnlyFans experience
Situation: First month was a disaster: banned Instagram from over-posting, wrong pricing ($20 too high), no content systems, random posting schedule. Total earnings: $0.
Action: Connected with B9 and rebuilt everything: proper pricing ($12.99), content batching system, Reddit-first promotion strategy, professional chatting support, organized PPV ladder.
Result: Second month: $30K revenue. The only thing that changed was having real systems instead of winging it. Now I just focus on content while B9 handles growth and chatting.
Mistakes to Avoid
✕ Posting 30 reels in your first week
This is how I got my Instagram banned. Platforms flag aggressive posting as bot behavior. Start with 1-2 posts per day and act like a normal user.
✕ Pricing too high without a promo
I started at $20/month with no promotion. Set your base at $10 but run a constant $3 promo — fans love feeling like they got a deal, and $3 is an impulse buy.
✕ Trying to be on every platform at once
TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Snapchat — doing all of them means doing none of them well. Pick ONE, master it, then expand.
✕ Panicking when verification gets declined
Getting rejected 2-3 times is normal. Better lighting and clearer photos fix most issues. Don't give up at this step.
✕ Using a fresh social media account
New accounts get scrutinized way more than established ones. If possible, start from a built-up personal account for better algorithmic treatment.
Complete Guide: All Topics Covered
Explore every aspect of this topic with our in-depth guides below.
- Celebrities With OnlyFans: Full 2025 List by CategoryFull list of celebrities with OnlyFans — real earnings, subscription prices, and content types. Organized by TikTok, Twitch, UFC, and more. Updated 2025.
- OnlyFans Release Form: Every Field + Rejection Fix (2025)OnlyFans release form explained field by field — rejection fixes, PDF vs link method, and what couples need to know. From a real creator's experience.
- OnlyFans Captions: 200+ Ideas That Actually Convert (2025)Copy 200+ proven OnlyFans captions for feed posts, PPV messages, and DMs — sorted by placement type, with caption formulas that actually drive tips and unlocks.
- OnlyFans Restricted Words: Full 2025 List + Ban GuideFull list of 200+ OnlyFans restricted words by category. Safe alternatives, error fixes, and what gets you banned — from a team managing creators daily.
- OnlyFans Bio: 20+ Niche Examples & Templates (2025)Copy-paste OnlyFans bio examples sorted by niche — feet, fitness, cosplay, GFE and more. Fill-in-the-blank templates from an agency managing 200+ creators.
- Fansly vs OnlyFans: Which Pays Creators More? (2026)Fansly vs OnlyFans compared with real data — 40% lower conversion on Fansly from our managed creator accounts. Fees, payouts, features, and our honest verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
Starting an OnlyFans isn't hard. Starting one that actually makes money is a completely different thing. The creators who succeed treat it like a business from day one — they batch content, promote across multiple platforms, and track what's actually working. I wasted my first few months doing everything wrong. If this guide saves you even one of those mistakes, it was worth writing. Once you're earning consistently, consider adding a backup platform in case OF ever changes its policies. Our OnlyFans alternatives guide compares every option so you don't have to test them all yourself. And if you hit the point where you're making $3-5K/month and want to scale beyond that, check out what agencies actually do — because that's exactly where my own page changed.
