Short answer: start on OnlyFans if you are bringing your own audience from Reddit, X or elsewhere, because it has by far the largest pool of paying fans. Start on Fansly if you have no audience and want a platform with an internal discovery feed and tiered subscriptions. Consider Fanvue if you want built-in AI tools or you are running an AI-generated persona, which Fansly no longer allows. All three keep roughly 20% of what you earn, so the fee is not the deciding factor.
Here is the comparison in detail.
The three at a glance
| OnlyFans | Fansly | Fanvue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 20% | 20% | 15% for an introductory period, then 20% |
| Audience | Largest by a wide margin | Second largest, growing | Smallest, growing fast |
| Discovery inside the platform | Minimal | Yes, a feed and search | Yes, with AI-assisted recommendations |
| Subscription tiers | One price per page (free or paid) | Multiple tiers per page | Multiple tiers |
| AI-generated creators | Allowed within rules, must be labelled | Banned photorealistic AI content from mid-2025 | Actively supported, with dedicated tools |
| Built-in creator AI tools | Limited | Limited | Messaging assistant, analytics, voice and image tools |
| Payout minimum | Around $20 | Around $20 | Around $20 |
| Brand recognition with fans | Universal | Good | Growing |
Figures are from each platform's public pages and from industry reporting in 2026, and change over time. Check each platform's current creator terms before deciding.
Fees: close to a draw
All three take about 20%. Fanvue advertises a lower introductory rate, reported as 15%, for a period after joining, though published descriptions of how long that lasts vary. On a $1,000 month the difference between 15% and 20% is $50, which matters less than where the $1,000 came from.
Do not pick a platform on fees. Pick it on where the fans are and how you will reach them.
Audience: OnlyFans wins, by a lot
OnlyFans has hundreds of millions of registered fan accounts and the brand recognition that comes with being the platform everyone has heard of. Fansly is the clear second, with reported registered users in the low hundreds of millions and a steady rise since 2021. Fanvue reports tens of millions of monthly active users and several hundred thousand creators, with revenue growing quickly.
For a creator, audience size matters in one specific way: when you post a link on Reddit or X, a fan who already has an account on that platform converts far more easily than one who has to sign up and add a card. Most fans have an OnlyFans account. Fewer have Fansly. Fewer still have Fanvue.
Discovery: Fansly and Fanvue win
OnlyFans does not surface creators to fans in any meaningful way. Fans find you from outside. That is why every guide to growing on OnlyFans is really a guide to Reddit and X. See how to get your first 100 subscribers.
Fansly has an internal feed and search that genuinely sends fans to creators. Industry surveys suggest a meaningful share of new Fansly subscriptions come from inside the platform rather than from external links. Fanvue has discovery features too, with AI-assisted recommendations.
For a creator starting with zero audience, this is the strongest argument for Fansly: you can grow without being good at Reddit. For a creator with an audience, it matters less.
Subscription tiers: Fansly and Fanvue win
OnlyFans gives you one subscription price per page, so creators who want a cheap entry level and a premium level run two pages. Fansly lets you set several tiers on one page, from free up to high prices, each unlocking different content. Fanvue offers tiers as well.
Tiers are a real advantage if you want to serve both lurkers and big spenders without managing two inboxes. Our subscription price guide covers the free-plus-paid approach on OnlyFans.
AI content rules: the deciding factor for some creators
This is where the platforms have diverged most.
- Fansly banned photorealistic AI-generated content in mid-2025. If you are an AI persona, you are not welcome. If you are a human creator, this is a feature: fans know everyone on the platform is real.
- Fanvue has gone the other way, with onboarding and tools built for AI creators, and a substantial share of its revenue reported to come from AI personas.
- OnlyFans allows AI content within its rules, with labelling requirements, and requires a verified human behind every account.
For human creators, the practical question is a different one: does the platform allow you to use AI help with your own messages and captions? All three allow assistance; what they restrict is automation, account sharing and misrepresentation. We covered the OnlyFans rules in can you get banned for using AI, and the same principles apply elsewhere: draft with help, send it yourself, never pretend an automated message is you.
Built-in AI tools: Fanvue wins, with a caveat
Fanvue has leaned into native creator tools: a messaging assistant, analytics, voice and image generation. Reported adoption among its creators is very high. OnlyFans and Fansly offer much less natively, and creators use third-party tools instead.
The caveat is that native tools are built to keep you on that platform and to maximise its revenue, which is not always the same as yours. A tool you control, that works across platforms and never auto-sends, keeps the decisions with you. Our AI tools comparison looks at the third-party options on the risks that matter.
Payouts, privacy and the rest
All three verify identity with government ID, hold earnings for a period before withdrawal, and pay out to bank accounts with a minimum around $20. All three allow geoblocking of your own region. OnlyFans' processes are the most documented simply because there are more creators writing about them; see how long OnlyFans payouts take.
Chargebacks, leaks and takedowns work the same way everywhere, and are your problem on every platform. See chargebacks explained and what to do when content leaks.
Our recommendation
You have an audience somewhere, or you are willing to build one on Reddit and X: start on OnlyFans. The fan pool is largest and the brand does the explaining for you.
You have no audience and do not want to live on Reddit: start on Fansly. The discovery feed and tiers are built for exactly your situation, and the human-only rule is a selling point to fans.
You are running an AI persona, or you want everything in one dashboard: Fanvue, with eyes open about how much of your business then depends on one platform's tools.
Once you are established: many creators run OnlyFans plus one other, posting the same content to both and letting fans pick. It doubles the admin and the inboxes, so wait until the first page is comfortably under control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fansly better than OnlyFans? For a creator with no audience, often yes, because of its discovery feed and tiers. For a creator with an audience, OnlyFans' larger fan pool usually wins. Fees are the same.
Which platform pays creators the most? All three take about 20%, with Fanvue offering a lower introductory rate. Earnings depend on your audience and your messaging, not on the platform's cut.
Can I be on OnlyFans and Fansly at the same time? Yes. Neither requires exclusivity for your content. Many established creators run both. It does double the work.
Does Fansly allow AI content? Fansly banned photorealistic AI-generated content in 2025. Human creators can still use AI tools to help with their own messages and captions; what is banned is AI-generated personas and imagery.
Is Fanvue legit? Yes. It is a growing platform with significant reported revenue and a large creator base, with a particular focus on AI tooling and AI creators.
Which platform is safest for privacy? Broadly equivalent. All three verify identity, allow geoblocking and have takedown processes. Your own habits matter more than the platform; see the faceless creator guide.
Where Naughtii fits
Whichever platform you choose, the inbox is where the income is and where the hours go. Naughtii drafts replies in your own voice, with your prices and limits built in, and you send them yourself. It is not tied to any platform's native tools or rules on automation, because it never logs in or auto-sends. The first month is free.
The bottom line
Fees are a draw. OnlyFans has the fans, Fansly has the discovery and tiers, Fanvue has the AI tools and the AI creators. Pick by where your audience is going to come from, start on one, and add a second only when the first is running smoothly.
Platform figures, fees and policies reflect each platform's public pages and industry reporting as of 13 October 2026, and change frequently. Check each platform's current creator terms before deciding. Naughtii is not affiliated with OnlyFans, Fansly or Fanvue.