PornHub has been on a downward trend for many years for a multitude of reasons (the piracy being a big one but there’s others as well). Sex workers with the freedom of the internet would much rather set their own rates, schedules, etc., and be able to charge through websites like OnlyFans or Fansly to cater to their audiences. Also, to be frank, PornHub is some of the “bottom of the barrel” when it comes to porn sites. We have sites like Kink.com that make an explicit point to show the behind-the-scenes with the actors on top of aftercare scenes in their videos to essentially show the point “hey, these are real people, that video you watch is only fantasy”. We also have free live streaming sites like Chaturbate where clients can see sex workers live but have the option of tipping if they like what they see.

People are overall preferring sites like OnlyFans and Fansly because they can feel a more genuine connection with the performer as well as have content created that is tailored more for their personal interests (be it commissioning them to call them by name during a private show for them, catering to specific fetishes and kinks, etc.). To them, it’s a lot more worth it to pay a small monthly subscription or one commission price than watching an actual stranger on some random porn site (like PornHub).

Not to mention, with the flat out predatory contracts that are often seen with porn studios, it’s no wonder these actors are preferring to utilize sites like Fansly, Chaturbate, and OnlyFans. Many of these freelance adult actors left studios due to the unhealthy working conditions (be it the social relationships between actors and behind-the-scenes people, unsustainable body expectations, etc.).