01
What each way to earn needs
Here's the bar for each way to get paid, from each platform's own pages, read on 9 Nov 2026.
We make Hotly, so weigh that. Every other platform's details are from its own pages.
| Way to earn | Followers needed | Also needed | What you get |
|---|
| Instagram Gifts on reels | 500 | Professional account, 18+, a payout account, a listed country | $0.01 for every Star fans send |
|---|
| Instagram Subscriptions | 10,000 | Professional account, 18+, a listed country | About 70% of what fans pay |
|---|
| A link in your bio | None | Up to five links, on any profile | Whatever the link charges |
|---|
| Fanfix | None stated | An invite or an approved application, with active social handles | 80%, at prices Fanfix sets |
|---|
| Passes | None stated | An application with at least one active social account | Up to 80%, after processing fees |
|---|
| Hotly | None | No application | 80% on Hosted, 90% on Hosted Plus, after the monthly price |
|---|
Instagram, Fanfix and Passes details checked November 2026: Instagram Gifts, Instagram Subscriptions eligibility, Instagram Subscriptions pricing, Add a website to your profile, Badges, Fanfix FAQ, Fanfix creator terms, Passes creator signup, Passes Creators+ plan. Terms change - check them before you decide.
02
What Instagram's own tools need
Gifts: 500 followers. Fans buy Stars and send them on your reels, and Instagram pays you "USD 0.01 for every Star received from fans". To earn, you need "at least 500 followers", a professional account, to be 18 or older, and a payout account.
Subscriptions: 10,000 followers. You need "a professional account on Instagram with at least 10,000 followers" and to be 18 or older. Apple and Google take 30% of what subscribers pay. More in Instagram Subscriptions: what creators keep.
Badges: no number we could confirm. Badges let fans pay during your Lives, but Instagram's badge pages we read don't state a creator follower count, and older posts elsewhere disagree.
Both live in one country list. Gifts and Subscriptions are open in 50 countries, including the US and UK. Accounts that mainly post content for children can't use either.
03
Paying fans matter more than followers
A link in your bio has no follower bar. "You can add up to five websites to your Instagram profile", and "anyone, on or off Instagram, can see your websites." Whatever the link sells, what counts is how many people pay, not how many follow.
Here's how many it takes to keep $500 a month on Hotly, at a weekly price:
- $5 a week. 30 fans on Hosted, 27 on Hosted Plus.
- $10 a week. 15 on Hosted, 14 on Hosted Plus.
- $20 a week. 8 on Hosted, 7 on Hosted Plus.
- $50 a week. 3 on either plan.
So a small following can be enough. If a few people already message you for advice, a reply or a chat, they're the ones to start with.
04
What other platforms ask for
Fanfix doesn't state a number. It's invite-only, and "applicants must include valid and active social media handles." Every application is reviewed. More in how Fanfix works.
Neither does Passes. You need "at least one active social media account connected to your creator brand", plus ID and a review.
05
Starting with a small following
Start where people already ask. If followers DM you, a paid link gives them a way to reach you that you can keep up with. Our guide to charging for DMs on Instagram walks through the three ways to do it.
Pick a price you can say out loud. A weekly price you can explain in one line is easier to share in a story or a pinned post than a menu.
Count fans, not followers. Followers tell you who might pay. Paying fans tell you what you'll keep.
06
Where Hotly fits
Hotly is premium conversations. Fans pay your price to write to you, one note at a time or every week, and you reply when it suits you. There's no follower minimum and no application.
What it costs. On Hosted you pay $5.99 a month and keep 80% of what fans pay. On Hosted Plus you pay $9.99 a month and keep 90%. That covers Stripe's card fees, hosting and upkeep, and fans pay your price with nothing added. The commission halves for every 5 creators you invite who join and pay, down to 5%. Your share is paid out once a month through Stripe to your bank, with no payout fee, from $1.
Where Instagram wins. Gifts and Subscriptions have no monthly fee, and fans never leave the app. With 500 followers, Gifts cost you nothing to try. Hotly gives you 30 days free.