Pornhub is an ad-supported video site with an optional paid tier, widely reported to be run by Aylo in Montreal. OnlyFans is a creator-subscription platform based in the UK where fans pay creators directly and the company takes a share. In the September 2026 Semrush list, Pornhub shows about 3.40 billion visits and OnlyFans about 395 million.
Two different kinds of company
People often put Pornhub and OnlyFans in the same sentence, but the businesses work differently. Pornhub grew as a free video site paid for by advertising. OnlyFans launched in 2016 as a membership platform where fans subscribe to individual creators.
This comparison looks only at the company model, traffic estimates and safety systems, not at content.
How each one makes money
Pornhub's main income is advertising, with a paid Premium tier and creator programmes as other streams described by the company. Visitors do not need to pay, which is why audience numbers are so large.
OnlyFans earns by keeping a percentage of what fans pay creators, commonly reported as about one fifth, so its revenue depends on a smaller group of paying users rather than on vast numbers of free visits.
What the traffic estimates say
In the September 2026 Semrush worldwide adult-site list used on this site, Pornhub shows about 3.40 billion visits and OnlyFans about 395 million. XVideos shows about 2.27 billion.
| Measure | Pornhub | OnlyFans |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Ads plus Premium | Creator subscriptions |
| Free access | Broad | Limited |
| Sept 2026 visits (Semrush) | About 3.40B | About 395M |
| Operator, as reported | Aylo, Canada | UK-based company |
Visits are not users, and not revenue. A paying platform with fewer visits can earn a lot per visitor.
Why traffic numbers differ
Third-party tools estimate traffic from panels and models, so Semrush, Similarweb and others rarely agree. Country domains, regional blocking, age checks and app use all change what is counted. The company itself has published yearly statistics, but these are company-reported and not independently audited.
Use traffic for rough ranking, not for exact claims.
Trust and safety: two approaches
Pornhub's approach centres on verified uploaders, content matching, moderators and published transparency reports, shaped by the December 2020 reset and a 2025 US settlement. OnlyFans relies on creator verification and its own moderation, and, as a UK company, on the UK's online safety regime.
Both face the same underlying challenge: proving that everyone in content is an adult and consented. Direct creator-to-fan models and open tube models have different weak points, so neither is automatically safer.
Which should you read more about?
- For a corporate and regulatory story: Pornhub, which has the longer public record.
- For creator economy questions: OnlyFans, which pays creators directly.
- For safety: treat both the same, with separate emails, unique passwords and caution about look-alike sites.
Always check current terms, because both companies change policies often.
How to read a Semrush-style ranking
When a ranking says a site had a certain number of visits, ask four questions. Which tool produced it, and for which month? Does it combine country domains and the main address? Does it count app usage, or only browsers? And is the site free, so that many visits are brief, or paid, so that fewer visits carry more value? Without answers, a headline number is only a rough guide.
The September 2026 list used on this site puts Pornhub at about 3.40 billion visits, XVideos at about 2.27 billion and OnlyFans at about 395 million. Several other well-known adult brands did not appear in the top twenty at all. That does not mean they are small or unsafe, only that they were outside that particular chart.
For business questions such as advertising value or creator earnings, traffic is only the first step. Revenue, retention and payment data are rarely public, and claims about them from informal sources should be treated with caution.
A final caution concerns comparisons across business types. A free tube site, a subscription platform and a dating service count visits differently, because users of a paid platform often stay logged in on an app rather than loading pages. Ranking them side by side is a convenience for readers, not a precise measure.
If you cite any figure in your own work, name the tool, the month and the fact that it is an estimate. That small habit protects you from repeating numbers that later turn out to be wrong or out of date.
Think of traffic estimates as a map drawn from a distance. They show where the big shapes are, but they cannot show the streets. Pair them with company statements, regulator notices and independent reporting before drawing any conclusion about size, influence or safety.
It also helps to compare the same tool across several months, because a single month can be distorted by news events, holidays, blocking orders or changes in how a country enforces age checks. A steady pattern across months is far more reliable than one headline figure.
Key takeaways
- Pornhub is mainly ad-supported, with an optional paid tier.
- OnlyFans earns by taking a share of creator subscriptions.
- September 2026 Semrush visits were about 3.40 billion versus about 395 million.
- Traffic estimates are rough and differ between tools.
- Neither model removes the need for consent checks and outside oversight.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Details about third-party services are based on public information and may change.