- OnlyFans, a NSFW subscription-based website, has exploded in popularity this year, but its newfound fame has brought fresh criticism of its treatment of sex-work creators.
- Sex workers have complained that the site has mishandled their money, kicked them off inexplicably, and been slow in providing explanations for its behavior.
- As a result, a number of OnlyFans competitors have gained in popularity, including: FanCentro, IsMyGirl, PocketStars, ManyVids, AVN Stars, Frisk, and JustForFans.
- These sites all employ similar subscription models as OnlyFans, meaning revenue goes directly to creators, but they are also vocal supporters of sex workers and the industry at large.
This year, as stay-at-home measures across the country led to a surge in traffic to adult entertainment websites, the rising popularity of the subscription-platform OnlyFans brought a fresh wave of criticism to the site.
Sex workers, who are largely responsible for OnlyFans’ rise in prominence, told Rolling Stone that the platform has mistreated them, mishandled their money, and sometimes kicked them off inexplicably. As OnlyFans’ burgeoning popularity attracted celebrities, sex workers complained to The New Statesman that the site they had made famous was now abandoning them to cater to its newly joined, more influential creators.
In the wake of this growing animosity, a number of OnlyFans competitors have gained traction. Like OnlyFans, these sites use a subscription model and similar payout rates, meaning creators can profit directly off their content. Some even offer components that make their pages feel more like social media, such as stories and the ability to “follow” creators without subscribing to them, features that OnlyFans lacks.
They also differ from OnlyFans in another important way: They champion their sex workers and broadcast their committment to giving them a platform.
“The main reason I decided to leave was because I have read articles and seen people talking on Twitter about how OnlyFans has been deleting sex workers’ accounts with no reason and no warning, and sometimes people have lost thousands of dollars,” said sex worker Jamie Zella in a YouTube video.
Still, with more than 70 million registered users, OnlyFans remains the most popular of these subscription-based sex-work platforms, meaning the site’s network effects make it hard to quit; creators flock to where the traffic is, no matter their misgivings. To accomodate this reality, creators like MelRose Michaels have accounts on more than one platform.
Nonetheless, many of these OnlyFans competitors see the site’s dismissive treatment of their core users as a clear business opportunity. If OnlyFans won’t appreciate their sex workers, these sites will. Below is a list of OnlyFans competitors that employ similar business models but more openly support their sex-work creators.
FanCentro
Website: FanCentro
Founded: 2017
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 75%
Features: Subscriptions, tips, clips, messaging, private stories
Standout attribute: The site has been heavily “gamified,” encouraging users with “quests,” “achievements,” and a personal dashboard.
PocketStars
Website: PocketStars
Founded: 2020
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 80%
Features: Subscriptions, customs, tips, messaging
Standout attribute: The site emphasizes LGBTQ and non-binary sex workers and trans inclusivity.
ManyVids
Website: ManyVids
Founded: 2014
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 90%
Features: Subscriptions, clip sales, items sales, tips, customs, phone sex, messaging, contests
Standout attribute: ManyVids predates OnlyFans and was started by a former adult entertainer, Bella French.
AVN Stars
Website: AVN Stars
Founded: 2020
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 80%
Features: Subscriptions, tips, private stories, messaging, clip sales
Standout attribute: AVN Stars is a product of Adult Video News, a trade magazine and major figure in the pornography industry.
IsMyGirl
Website: IsMyGirl
Founded: 2017
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 80%
Features: Subscriptions, clip sales, private messaging, premium Snapchat subscriptions, live camming, customs
Standout attribute: IsMyGirl’s “timeline” is great for discovering new models and teasing potential customers with free media.
Frisk
Website: Frisk
Founded: 2018
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 80%
Features: Subscriptions, paid chat, tips, clip sales
Standout attribute: Frisk emphasizes “following” models, which allows creators to tease users with their content more easily.
JustForFans
Website: JustForFans
Founded: 2018
Percentage of revenue creators keep: 70%
Features: Subscriptions, customs, cam shows, clip sales, messaging
Standout attribute: JustForFans is also a “blogging” platform, and creators can write posts in addition to adding media.
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