By now it's pretty likely that you've heard of OnlyFans.
Over the past couple of years, the popularity of the site has soared, becoming so prominent that it was even mentioned in Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion's Savage Remix.
The content subscription platform makes headlines regularly, with bizarre stories about family members joining the platform together and creators raking in millions by selling racy snaps.
But while the platform has developed a reputation linking it to explicit content, that's not all that the site is.
Here's everything you need to know about what OnlyFans is, why it was created and what it's used for now, as well as how much money you can make on the site.
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a subscription-based platform where creators can sell their content, with users paying for photos, videos and livestreams via monthly subscriptions to individual creators.
The site was first created in July 2016 by British entrepreneur Tim Stokely and since then has seen massive success.
Within just 20 days of its launch, OnlyFans had secured its first 1,000 users, and by September 2016 that figure hit 10,000.
By 2017 the platform had already hit a million users, but during the Covid-19 pandemic the popularity of the site rocketed.
There are now over 150 million registered users and 1.5 million content creators on the site, while OnlyFans currently employs 200 people.
What is OnlyFans actually meant for?
OnlyFans wasn't initially created as a platform to sell explicit content. The site is actually open to a wide variety of creators and was made for the purpose of "revolutionising creator and fan connections".
It was intended to be used by creators and artists from all genres, including musicians, chefs, makeup artists, actors and fitness enthusiasts.
According to the website, the platform allows all types of creators to "monetise their content while developing authentic relationships with their fanbase".
OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely developed the site with a vison to allow creators to make money on their content free of advertisers.
Now, an array of creators can be found on the platform, including the Vienna Tourist Board, who utilise the more censorship-averse platform to showcase Vienna's artwork that is deemed too explicit by other sites, as well as OnlyFungi, an account dedicated to teaching people about which mushrooms are safe to eat.
What is OnlyFans used for mostly?
Although OnlyFans can be used by any type of content creator, the social platform has mostly been utilised as an adult site and is known for being used by sex workers.
Popularity of the site boomed during the pandemic as sex workers looked to make money elsewhere with the industry facing the negative effects from Covid-19.
As sex workers began raking in huge amounts of money on the platform, more people started to join and many ordinary people have quit their day jobs to make money selling explicit content on the site.
Even celebrities have utilised their fame to sell explicit content on the platform, with former glamour model Katie Price regularly promoting her OnlyFans on Instagram and Love Island's Megan Barton Hanson raking in over £1million for her racy snaps on the site.
Is sexual content banned on OnlyFans?
Despite sex workers largely contributing to the growing popularity of OnlyFans, the company announced last August that it was banning sexually explicit content from October 2021.
Company bosses blamed the policy change on banks, who they claimed were refusing to process payments associated with adult content. At the time they said: “In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines."
However, just a week after making the shocking announcement, OnlyFans reversed its decision after a huge backlash from users and creators.
Announcing the news on its official Twitter account, it said: "Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.
"We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change.
"OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators."
How much can you earn on OnlyFans?
OnlyFans currently pays out a massive $5billion (£4.2billion) to creators annually and over 100 creators have made over $1million since selling their content on the site.
However, while the top earners on OnlyFans can rake in millions of pounds, there are over 1.5 million creators on the site, so competition is fierce.
The reality is that the average OnlyFans creator actually only earns around £124 a month, according to research from FameMass.
Meanwhile, the top creators earn around £82,000 a month and the current highest paid creator, Blac Chyna, is estimated to be making around $20million (£17million) a month.
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