Why the comparison is different for agencies
A single creator picks a platform on gut feeling. An agency has to do the math: where does the most net remain, where does traffic come in predictably, and where can you actually scale with a team?
Both platforms run in the same tool, the 4Based CRM, which also manages OnlyFans accounts.
That's exactly why the comparison often turns out differently for agencies than for solo creators. What's negligible for a single person decides between profit and loss across ten accounts. Let's look at the criteria that really matter for agencies.
Fees: what reaches the creator
Let's be honest here: on the pure platform fee, OnlyFans comes out ahead. OnlyFans takes around 20% of earnings, 4Based around 30%. On the base commission, more stays with the creator on OnlyFans.
4Based, on the other hand, has a lever OnlyFans doesn't, and it matters especially for agencies: a referral model. Invite a creator to the platform and you earn 5% of their earnings, on an ongoing basis. An agency that onboards many creators builds an additional, recurring income stream this way, one that partly offsets the higher base fee.
On the base commission, OnlyFans is cheaper (around 20% vs. 30%). 4Based counters with a 5% referral commission per invited creator, and, as you'll see next, with what decides your profit far more: the traffic.
Traffic: who brings you new users?
This is the biggest difference, and it's often underestimated. On OnlyFans, virtually no discovery happens on the platform: you have to bring new fans from outside, via Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and funnels. Without that external machinery the account stays empty.
On 4Based it's different. The users are on the platform and directly reachable, through posting or targeted outreach. For agencies that's a huge advantage: traffic becomes predictable, without every creator having to run a social media machine on top.
OnlyFans forces you to buy reach from outside. 4Based lets you work the users who are already there. For an agency, that's the difference between hoping and planning.
To be fair: OnlyFans, through its size, has a massive user base and international reach. Whoever works globally and in English finds a huge audience there. 4Based plays its strength in the German-speaking market, not as a global mass market.
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The bot reaches out to new users directly on the platform, the CRM holds it all together. Get started now.
Audience and competition
The two platforms serve different worlds, and that often decides more than any fee.
Audience
4Based is German-speaking and built for the DACH region: high-spending fans who expect a personal, German approach. OnlyFans is global and English-dominated, huge, but also more anonymous and more heavily fought over.
Competition and maturity
OnlyFans is a mature, saturated market: established, but hard-fought. 4Based is younger, the competition more manageable. For agencies entering now, that means an early-mover advantage that no longer exists on OnlyFans.
The direct comparison & verdict
Side by side, from an agency perspective:
OnlyFans strong at
Global reach, international audience, brand recognition and sheer user numbers. The first choice if you scale worldwide and in English.
4Based strong at
Direct traffic on the platform, a high-spending DACH audience, less competition and a 5% referral commission per invited creator. The more predictable choice for agencies with German-speaking creators, even though the base fee is higher than on OnlyFans.
Global and English-speaking? OnlyFans stays strong. German-speaking creators and an agency that wants to scale predictably? Then there's hardly a way around 4Based, or you run both in parallel.
Many agencies don't go for an either-or, they play their creators where they make the most sense. The only thing that matters is that on each platform you have a system that shows you where your revenue actually comes from.
Ready to put this to work in your agency?
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FAQ
Is 4Based better than OnlyFans?
It depends on the agency. For German-speaking creators, 4Based scores with direct traffic on the platform, a high-spending DACH audience and a 5% referral commission per invited creator. On the pure base commission, OnlyFans is cheaper (around 20% vs. 30%), and for global, English-speaking reach it stays strong.
What's the biggest difference for agencies?
Traffic. On OnlyFans you have to bring fans in from outside via external funnels. On 4Based you reach new users directly on the platform, which makes reach predictable.
Can I run both platforms in parallel?
Yes, and many agencies do exactly that. They play creators where they make the most sense. What matters is a system that gives you the overview of revenue and chatters on each platform.
How do I start strong on 4Based?
With a system: the bot brings new users directly on the platform, the CRM holds fans and revenue together, and the translator lets you deploy chatters of any language. UserFlow combines all three in one tool.
