What should you charge when you are starting out?
When you are starting out, set your subscription near the lower to middle of your platform range, often around five to ten dollars a month, then adjust based on demand. A lower launch price lowers the barrier to your first subscribers and reviews. You can raise it later, run promotions, and earn more through tips and pay per view content.
Your first price is a hypothesis, not a tattoo. Pick a sensible number, then let your numbers tell you where to go.
The real price ranges you can set
Platforms set hard limits on what you can charge. On OnlyFans, monthly subscriptions range from $4.99 to $49.99. On Fansly, subscriptions can run from $5 up to $499 per month, and the platform supports multiple tiers. These ranges are set by the platforms, so always check current limits in their help pages before you set yours.
| Platform | Subscription range | Platform fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnlyFans | $4.99 to $49.99 per month | 20 percent | Flat fee on all earnings, free page option available |
| Fansly | $5 to $499 per month | 20 percent | Supports multiple subscription tiers |
This guide is the beginner, starting out angle. Once you have data and want to optimize price across tiers, bundles, and upsells, move on to the deeper practical pricing guide in the Monetization path.
The starting price decision framework
- Audience size: small or new audience leans lower to convert first fans, established audience can start higher.
- Niche norms: price in line with comparable creators in your niche, not the whole platform.
- Content volume: the more you post, the more a mid range price is justified.
- Revenue mix: if you plan to lean on tips and pay per view, a lower subscription can act as a front door.
What you actually keep after fees
Price with the platform fee in mind. Both OnlyFans and Fansly take twenty percent of everything, so your take home is eighty percent before your own taxes and expenses. Remember you are self employed, so set aside money for tax from the start. Our guide to setting up payments and getting paid covers payout methods and the tax basics.
- $5 sub, 50 fans: $250 gross, you keep about $200 after the fee.
- $8 sub, 50 fans: $400 gross, you keep about $320 after the fee.
- $10 sub, 50 fans: $500 gross, you keep about $400 after the fee.
Free page or paid page first?
A free page with paid pay per view content can grow faster and lower the entry barrier, while a paid subscription gives predictable recurring income. Many beginners start free to build numbers, then convert. Weigh both in free page vs paid page: which to start with.
How to test and adjust without annoying fans
Never raise the price on existing subscribers without warning. Instead, lock current fans at their rate, raise the price for new subscribers, and use limited time promotions to test demand. Track conversion rate from your free traffic and watch churn after any change. Learn what to measure in measuring what actually drives growth.
Pricing mistakes beginners make
- Pricing at the maximum with no audience or proof yet.
- Racing to the bottom and training fans to expect everything cheap.
- Forgetting the twenty percent fee and their own taxes when setting goals.
- Raising prices on existing fans with no notice, which spikes churn.
- Start near the lower to middle of your platform range, then adjust.
- OnlyFans allows $4.99 to $49.99, Fansly allows $5 to $499 per month.
- You keep about eighty percent after the platform fee, before tax.
- Test with promotions and grandfather existing fans when you raise prices.
Sources
- OnlyFans Terms of Service, subscription price range and twenty percent fee.
- Fansly Help Center, subscription range and revenue split.