How Do Porn Sites Make Money?

With the UK’s new age verification laws now in full force, a lot of creators and entrepreneurs are asking the same thing: is it still worth launching a porn site in 2025?

Between government crackdowns, AI-generated content, and rumours that free porn is perhaps too saturated to make a profit, it’s easy to feel like the window of opportunity has closed. But that couldn’t be further from the truth—if you know how the money is made.

Join us here at Adult Creative as we break down exactly how modern adult websites generate revenue—from high-converting ad placements to premium upsells and affiliate traffic. We’ll also explain how laws like the UK Online Safety Act are changing the business model, and what you need to factor in before launching your own platform.

Already planning your own platform? Explore our adult web design services to see how we build scalable, fully monetised porn sites from the ground up.

Contents:

• Why “Free Porn” Still Makes Millions
• How Ads Work on Porn Sites
• Subscription, Pay-Per-View & Premium Content Models
• Is Affiliate Marketing Still a Thing?
• What the UK Online Safety Act Means for Revenue
• How Much Do Porn Sites Make?

Why “Free Porn” Still Makes Millions

Let’s start with the obvious contradiction: most porn online is free, yet the industry earns $15 billion annually, especially with rising VR and AI content. Why, you ask? Well, in the world of porn, traffic is currency, and adult traffic converts at some of the highest rates across all verticals.

Here’s how it works:

• Tube sites attract huge volumes of global visitors—millions of daily sessions across mobile and desktop. That traffic is then monetised through paid ads, premium upsells, affiliate referrals, and in some cases, direct creator revenue.
• Users don’t need to spend money directly on a site to earn a profit. Each click, page view, or visit increases the site’s ability to sell ad space or push conversion-focused offers.
• Margins improve with automation and volume. Once content is hosted and monetisation tools are in place, costs are relatively fixed while revenue scales with traffic.

It’s a lot like YouTube: not every user pays, but advertisers will if you bring the right audience.

Want to understand how design impacts your revenue? Check out the top 10 high-converting features every adult website needs.

How Ads Work on Porn Sites

Most mainstream publishers rely on cost-per-impression (CPM) models, and get paid for every thousand views, whether the user clicks or not. In the adult space, that model rarely works. Here’s why:

Porn sites tend to monetise via pay-per-click (PPC) banners, which means:

• Ads are only profitable if they generate clicks or conversions.
• If a banner doesn’t perform, it’s pulled immediately.
• Platforms use real-time ad optimisation, showing only creatives with a proven ROI (return on investment).

Networks like TrafficJunky, ExoClick, and JuicyAds dominate the adult PPC space. They allow adult sites to display rotating, geo-targeted banners—usually for cams, dating offers, pills, or other porn sites.

Top-earning pages include: homepage takeovers, category pages, and video watch pages—anywhere with high dwell time or search intent. These are your goldmines.

Now, this doesn’t exactly mean your site needs millions of views to make ad money. It does, however, need high-converting user flows. That means fast mobile UX, clear ad placement, and compliance.

Looking to add PPC to your monetisation stack? Learn how our adult PPC team can set up and optimise ad placements for you.

Subscription, Pay-Per-View & Premium Content Models

While ad revenue is still dominant on high-traffic tube sites, many adult platforms are shifting to hybrid models—mixing free content with exclusive, premium access. These strategies work especially well for creators, agencies, or brands building a loyal audience.

Common monetisation models include:

• Monthly subscriptions: Users pay a flat rate for unlimited access to exclusive content, often in HD or 4K. This works well for storyline porn, fetish platforms, and solo creators with a strong brand identity.
• Pay-per-view (PPV): Ideal for short clips, limited-time scenes, or themed drops. Users pay per scene or bundle—usually ranging from £2.99 to £9.99, depending on length and rarity.
• Freemium upsells: Tube-style sites offer free teasers and upsell full versions behind a paywall. Many include bonuses like BTS content, higher resolution, or performer interaction.

To succeed here, you need more than just good videos—you need a reason for users to pull out their wallets when free porn is just a click away.

Take a look at XVideos’ exclusive page below—XVideos Red—as an example:

XVideos’ page for exclusive content

Notice how the offer is built around a clear value proposition: removing the annoyances of the free experience (no ads), upgrading the quality (full HD), adding perks (exclusive content, early releases), and allowing subscribers to support their favourite studios and performers directly.

Planning to launch or upgrade your porn business? We’ll take you behind the scenes and explain how we can design a bespoke site for you. 

Is Affiliate Marketing Still a Thing?

Affiliate marketing has come a long way since the days of plastering generic banner ads everywhere. While banners still work for ad monetisation on your own platform, affiliate traffic today is all about blending offers into relevant, high-intent content.

The most profitable partnerships now include:

• Live cam sites like Stripchat or Chaturbate, which pay recurring rev-share on returning customers.
• Sex toy and adult wellness brands, often with 30–50% commission on sales.
• Clip stores and PPV platforms offering lifetime earnings for referred subscribers.

Affiliate traffic today is focused more on intent-driven marketing than mass clicks. Top sites publish targeted blogs, reviews, and category pages where affiliate links feel natural—e.g., a “Top 10 Femdom Fantasies” post linking to PPV content, or a toy guide linking to a trusted eCommerce partner.

Technology has also moved on: smartlinks now geo-target offers based on a user’s location, AI can generate creatives and A/B test landing pages automatically, and tracking platforms give detailed insights into which content drives sales.

Commission structures vary—one-off payouts for sales, revenue shares on subscriptions, or hybrids—but today’s biggest earners are using data to refine, personalise, and automate their affiliate funnels. No more slapping links on a page—you now need to deliver the right offer to the right user at the right time.

Want to turn your site’s traffic into commission? Our adult SEO team can build a content and link strategy designed to convert.

What the UK Online Safety Act Means for Revenue

If you’re operating (or targeting users) in the UK, the Online Safety Act 2023 has major implications for how you earn. As of 2025, any adult platform accessible to UK users must implement “highly effective” age verification. That means:

• ID scanning or document uploads (e.g. passport, driver’s licence)
• Facial age estimation via AI tools
• Verified credit card or banking information

Failure to comply can lead to fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover, plus domain blocks by UK ISPs. Ofcom now has enforcement power, and several porn sites—including fan-favourite fetish and rule34 platforms—have already geo-blocked the UK entirely to avoid the burden.

So what’s the financial impact? For sites with UK traffic, compliance adds cost and friction. Many users drop off at the age gate, meaning fewer impressions, fewer conversions, and lower ad revenue. Others turn to VPNs, which affect analytics and affiliate attribution.

Sites that want to retain UK revenue will need to invest in third-party verification tools and find creative ways to build user trust without sacrificing privacy. That might mean:

• Offering free content previews (non-explicit) before asking for age checks
• Partnering with privacy-first verification tools that don’t store user data
• Incentivising registration with loyalty perks or teaser content

Want a breakdown of your legal responsibilities? Read our guide on how to comply with the Online Safety Act.

So… How Much Do Porn Sites Make?

This depends on traffic, monetisation model, and scale—but here are ballpark figures based on industry averages and client data:

Monthly Revenue Estimates (2025):

• Small creator site (5,000 monthly visits): £300–£1,000/month from PPV, tips, and affiliate sales
• Niche tube site (100,000–300,000 visits): £2,000–£7,000/month from ads, affiliate links, premium upsells
• Established tube platform (1M+ visits): £20,000+/month from PPC ads, subscription upgrades, and direct partnerships

Profitability improves dramatically when content is licensed or user-submitted, as overhead is lower. Sites using strong SEO and retention funnels (e.g. watch history, recommendations, teaser emails) see 20–30% higher conversion rates compared to generic tubes.

On the creator side, performers or producers running their own storefronts can earn more, but only if they master traffic generation, pricing strategy, and audience retention.

Up for the Challenge?

Affiliate offers, premium subscriptions, and ad revenue are still powerful income streams. However, in the wake of the new laws, success now depends on how you deliver them: with compliance built in, user journeys optimised, and a niche that sets you apart from a crowded market.

If you’re serious about launching or relaunching an adult platform this year, think beyond just launching a nice-looking website. Think about building a system that’s profitable, legally watertight, and built to scale.

Want to create a porn site that actually makes money?
Book a demo with Adult Creative and let’s design a platform that’s ready for today’s market and tomorrow’s challenges.

Still in the planning phase? Explore our top 5 adult business ideas for inspiration and next steps.