How Much Does OnlyFans Take? Creator Fees & 5 Alternatives (2026)

OnlyFans takes 20% from every dollar you earn — subscriptions, tips, PPV messages, and custom content all share the same flat cut. You keep 80%. That rate has not changed since 2016, and OnlyFans does not offer a lower tier for high earners.

Here's the complete 2026 breakdown: what the 20% covers, how the 7-day hold works, what you actually receive after all fees, and five platforms that charge less.

What OnlyFans' 20% Actually Covers

OnlyFans' fee is one of the simpler structures in creator monetization — a flat 20% on everything, with no exceptions or graduation tiers.

The 20% applies to:

• Subscription revenue — any recurring monthly membership fee you set (minimum $4.99, maximum $49.99/month)
• Tips — one-time payments fans send directly
• PPV messages — pay-to-unlock content sent in DMs
• Custom content — individual commissioned pieces

OnlyFans takes 20% before you see a payout. If a fan pays $10/month, you see $8. If a fan tips $50, you keep $40. The 20% is applied at the point of transaction, not at withdrawal.

The 7-Day Hold Explained

All new earnings on OnlyFans are held for 7 days before becoming withdrawable. This is a fraud-prevention measure — it gives time to reverse chargebacks before funds are released.

After the 7-day hold:

1. Earnings appear in your "Available Balance"
2. You manually request a withdrawal (no automatic payout)
3. Funds arrive in 3–5 business days for bank transfers, faster for some e-wallets

The minimum withdrawal is $20. If your available balance is below $20, you cannot withdraw yet.

What You Actually Net After All Deductions

A practical example at different earning levels:

Monthly Revenue	OnlyFans 20%	You Keep (pre-tax)
$500	$100	$400
$1,000	$200	$800
$5,000	$1,000	$4,000
$10,000	$2,000	$8,000

Self-employment taxes (if you're a US creator) will reduce take-home further. OnlyFans does not withhold taxes — you receive the full 80% and handle tax obligations yourself.

5 Alternatives That Charge Less Than OnlyFans' 20%

OnlyFans' 20% is standard in the fan-membership space, but it's not the lowest available. Depending on what you're selling and who your audience is, one of these may keep more money in your pocket.

1. Ko-fi Gold — 0% Fee on All Revenue

Fee: 5% free plan / 0% Gold plan ($6/month)

Ko-fi charges 0% on tips, memberships, commissions, and shop sales on its Gold plan ($6/month flat fee). On the free plan, it takes 5%. For creators already earning $30+/month, the math favors Gold immediately.

Ko-fi works best for creators who monetize through tips and one-time support rather than recurring subscriptions. See how Ko-fi's fee structure compares →

2. beehiiv — 0% on Newsletter Subscriptions

Fee: 0% on paid subscriptions (plan fees apply)

beehiiv takes nothing from your paid newsletter subscription revenue. You keep 100% of what subscribers pay, minus Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. beehiiv makes money through its plan tiers instead.

This makes beehiiv the lowest-fee option for newsletter creators — significantly cheaper than OnlyFans if your monetization is subscription-based. Full beehiiv fee breakdown →

3. Fanvue — Starts Equal, Gets Better

Fee: 20% → 15% after earnings milestone

Fanvue starts at the same 20% OnlyFans charges, but rewards established creators with a reduced 15% fee once you hit their earnings milestone. For creators scaling past that threshold, Fanvue returns 85% vs OnlyFans' permanent 80%.

Fanvue also supports explicit content (unlike Fanfix below) and positions itself as an OnlyFans competitor with better long-term economics for high earners. Fanvue vs OnlyFans fee breakdown →

4. Patreon — 10% for New Creators

Fee: 10% (for creators who joined after August 4, 2025)

Patreon charges 10% for new creators — half of OnlyFans' cut. Legacy creators on older plans pay 5%–12% depending on their tier. Patreon also charges payment processing separately (Stripe/PayPal rates apply on top).

Patreon is primarily built for recurring community memberships with tiers, not individual content purchases like PPV. It suits creators with an existing audience who want predictable monthly income. Patreon fee breakdown →

5. Fanfix — 20% Fee, SFW Only

Fee: 20% flat (identical to OnlyFans)

Fanfix charges the same 20% as OnlyFans but is strictly SFW (safe-for-work) content only. The differentiation isn't the fee — it's the audience and distribution. Fanfix markets itself to mainstream creators and has a built-in discovery feed that OnlyFans lacks.

If you're a mainstream creator who doesn't produce adult content, Fanfix's $250M+ paid to creators and 50 millionaires statistic is a compelling proof point at the same price point. Full Fanfix breakdown →

Quick Comparison: OnlyFans vs. Alternatives

Platform	Fee	Min Price	Content Type	Payout Hold
OnlyFans	20%	$4.99/mo	All	7 days
Ko-fi Gold	0% ($6/mo plan)	Any	All	Fast
beehiiv	0% subscriptions	Any	Newsletters	Standard
Fanvue	20% → 15%	$4.99/mo	All	Rolling
Patreon	10%	$1/mo	All	Monthly
Fanfix	20%	$5/mo	SFW only	Weekly

For general fan-support and digital content — especially at high earnings volumes — Patreon (10%) and Ko-fi Gold (0%) offer lower fees than OnlyFans. If you specifically need adult content hosting, Fanvue's graduated structure gives you a path to a better rate as you grow.

TLDR

OnlyFans takes a flat 20% of all earnings. That means you keep 80% — no matter whether you're earning $500/month or $50,000/month. The hold is 7 days; the minimum withdrawal is $20; the rate has never changed.

Platforms with lower fees exist — Ko-fi Gold at 0%, Patreon at 10%, beehiiv at 0% for newsletters. The right choice depends on whether you need adult content hosting, the size of your existing audience, and which monetization formats you rely on.