Running OnlyFans Free Vs Subscription Pages – Which Is The Best Option?

One of the big questions you need to answer when setting up an account as a content creator is whether you want to go down the route of setting your own subscription price for your content or running free pages that instead charge for content individually.

And we're sorry to say that there's no clear and easy answer on which is the best. A free OnlyFans account with PPV content will work for some people, whereas others will find that getting a subscription fee is the key to earning the big bucks.

In this guide, we'll break everything down to help you decide between a free or paid OnlyFans account, so that you can at least make your own informed decision. But we've got to be honest – don't expect a definitive instruction by the end!

How OnlyFans Works

Firstly, it's important to explain how OnlyFans works because we know that, even with the platform's success, there'll be some people who aren't fully aware of it. If you're already au fait with OnlyFans then you can skip to the next heading.

OnlyFans lets you set up what is essentially a social media page where you post exclusive content for your fans to enjoy.

You can either post content for all of your subscribers to see, or you can lock some of it behind a paywall so that only people who pay for that specific piece of content can see it.

Then you set your subscription fee – some people will charge a monthly fee, whereas others will make it a free OnlyFans page so that it costs nothing to subscribe.

This means that a content creator can earn money in two main ways:

• Run a free page that then charges for access to individual photos, galleries or videos
• Run a paid subscription page which then gives subscribers access to your content

There's a third blended option, which we'll cover in a little more detail later, but ultimately this is what creators are trying to decide between. Do they want a paid OnlyFans page or a free one that instead makes money by selling content individually?

Each approach has its pros and cons, so let's dive into those.

Benefits Of A Free OnlyFans Account

There are two many benefits to running an OnlyFans free page that can make it an appealing option.

Easier to build a fanbase

With no initial cost barrier, potential subscribers are more likely to follow your page, giving you a larger audience. This can be particularly advantageous when starting out, as you can quickly build a sizable following by offering enticing free content.

The hardest thing on OnlyFans is getting people to hit that subscribe button – but if your page is free, then they're a lot more willing to do it. Of course, it does mean that they know what to expect – either content that's not quite as spicy, or a paywall for the best stuff.

But the expectation is there, and at least it makes it a lot easier for you to showcase your personality and get to know them, and for them to get to know you so that you can convince them to pay to see your best stuff.

Give fans more freedom to choose

A free page allows fans to purchase content on a per-item basis, giving them the freedom to choose what they want to pay for. This can be attractive to fans who prefer not to commit to a monthly subscription but are willing to pay for specific content that interests them.

The key here will be making sure you describe your content accurately, because if you mislead your fans, there's no faster way to get people to complain on your page, or even complain to OnlyFans and ask for a refund.

You can be quite sexy and sultry, without being super-explicit, in explaining what a hidden content item contains, and that can help to sell it too.

So, fans aren't feeling restricted by being tied into a recurring subscription like they are with a paid page, but they can pick and choose which of your posts they want to see.

Benefits Of An OnlyFans Subscription Page

Let's break down each of the benefits of a paid OnlyFans page now.

Consistent income

A subscription model for a paid account can provide a more predictable and stable income stream. Subscribers pay a set fee each month, ensuring that you have a steady flow of revenue regardless of how much content you release.

Even just on a basic level, this can help you with your own personal budgeting, because you know what to expect from your income. You multiply the number of subscribers by your subscription fee, then multiply that by 0.8 (since OnlyFans takes a 20% cut). That's how much you are going to make that month.

With a free account, there's a lot more uncertainty over your earnings. Even amazing content can sometimes flounder if potential customers aren't willing to pay.

Fans know they're getting good content

Subscribers are often more loyal and engaged with a paid account, as they've already invested in your content. This can lead to a more supportive community that values and appreciates your work, knowing they get regular content updates.

Paid subscribers know that, since they're paying the OnlyFans creator already, they can expect a decent level of reward for that. It's not like they're worried about whether a free account with hidden content could scam them because their fee should already give them access to some of the best content on your OnlyFans profile.

The flipside to this is that, if you're charging for access to an OnlyFans account but not adding much content, or the content you are adding isn't the most exciting, those subscribers will soon go elsewhere.

Flexibility to still run PPV content

Even with a subscription page, you can still offer certain content as pay-per-view (PPV), adding an additional revenue stream. This way, you can cater to both regular subscribers and those willing to pay extra for exclusive, and even spicier, content.

We'll explain a little more later, but this is a good way to earn more money.

Should You Run Two Accounts?

One option that some creators have decided on is to use both types of pages. Instead of having either a free OnlyFans account or a paid page, they do both.

The free page tends to work more as an advert. It's here where you post your safe-for-work but slightly spicy content, engaging a wider audience. But at the same time, you're promoting your paid OnlyFans account, telling your fans that they can enjoy even better content if they sign up to pay for that page.

This approach does work for some people, including some top creators. You can get quite clever with how you work it – the free page can essentially become a ‘behind-the-scenes' account that doesn't showcase the really naughty stuff but hints at it instead.

There are some important considerations if you decide to run two pages though:

Both need to offer value

You can't run two pages if only one of them is interesting. Your free OnlyFans page can't just be a billboard to point people towards your paid one – you need to ensure it offers some kind of value!

It doesn't have to have nude content or anything that you want to sell, but it should be fun and engaging. Use it to build a community – post, comment, interact with fans and do everything necessary to make sure people want to stay on the page!

(The occasional spicy content will help too, but don't give it all away for nothing).

It's twice the work!

You have to remember that running two pages does mean twice the work. While it's a viable option for some creators who can commit to two pages, you shouldn't go down this route if you only have the time for one page.

If you try, and one page ends up neglected (or worse, you end up with two sub-par pages) then it's going to ruin your chances of earning good money. Be sensible, and if you decide to run both an OnlyFans free page and a paid one, put the right amount of effort into it.

Branding becomes even more important

It's super-important to make it obvious that you have two pages, and which one is which. You don't want people to find your free OnlyFans account and assume that's the only one that you offer, or to then struggle to remember which is your paid account.

Sure, you'll link between them, but never give your fans extra work. Try giving your paid OnlyFans account a name that's clear it's your spicy one, and your free page something that's obvious it's a free one.

Little branding adjustments like this just make the experience better overall for your fans.

Blended Accounts – Subscription With PPV

The third option we hinted at earlier is a blended page – one that is a paid OnlyFans account but that has PPV content as well.

This also works for a lot of creators, including some of the top ones, but again you need to be extremely careful with this. A lot of subscribers resent having to pay twice. With that in mind, if you decide on a blended approach, follow these tips:

• Keep your subscription fee low – it's only fair that people can see most of your content for an affordable price if you also want to charge more for access to extra content
• Be clear on what value the PPV content has, and why it costs more. Is it something especially naughty? Or is it an extended video, running much longer than your regular content?
• Be very clear in your bio about your approach. Explain that you do sometimes charge for PPV content so that fans at least know to expect it. Remember that many people will advertise their paid OnlyFans page with the tagline “No PPV!” because they know fans don't want to pay twice – if you're going to ask them to, it's best to be upfront.

What's The Best Option?

We said at the start of this guide that there's no definitive answer on the best approach and we're sticking by that.

For some people, a free OnlyFans account will work really well if you have great content that's worth paying for individually.

For other OnlyFans creators, a paid page will work much better, since it guarantees income.

Don't go for two accounts, or a blended account, if you don't have the time and energy to do both justice.

And remember that there are other ways you can earn too.

A subscription page that also offers custom content for a paid fee, or OnlyFans accounts that also offer live stream content elsewhere (such as Chaturbate) to make money online, are other viable options that let you keep your Onlyfans page simple.

Additional stream income is worth considering when looking at the best ways of making money with your account.

And remember that you don't have to stick with one approach. If you try for a few months – and we mean really try – and it's not working for you then you can change, either making your page a subscription one and removing the PPV paywalls, or doing the opposite.

You could even try one approach on OnlyFans and a different one on an alternative site. But remember that you need the time to commit to two different pages, if you do that.