Patreon competitor Fanfix launches ‘SuperLink,’ a link-in-bio platform aimed at Gen Z creators

Fanfix, the Patreon-style platform focused on Gen Z, announced today the launch of SuperLink, a standalone monetization-focused link-in-bio platform that displays a creator’s Fanfix page.

Fanfix previously partnered with various link-in-bio companies, including Koji, Beacons and Hoo.bee. However, the company says many of its creators requested Fanfix build its own version of the feature. It adds that 90% of its referrals come from link-in-bio links or swipe-ups from Instagram and Snapchat. More creators are looking for a way to connect audiences across all their social media platforms and, of course, promote their paywalled content.

SuperLink is free to use, and 46% of ad revenue goes to creators. For comparison, YouTube Shorts reportedly plans to give its creators 45%.

“Fanfix has grown to 10 million users so quickly by focusing on monetization and putting creators first. Fanfix has helped thousands of creators monetize their passions and turn content creation into a sustainable career. We are taking these same philosophies to our new products,” said co-founder Harry Gestetner in a statement. “By launching these new features, we will be further shifting the balance of power back to the creator, and subscribers will have even more benefits to joining their favorite creators’ membership clubs. Platforms have taken advantage of creators for so many years, so we are thrilled to launch the most monetization-centric, creator-first link-in-bio on the internet.”

Major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are often criticized for dismissing the wants and needs of influencers. Founder and CEO of Patreon, Jack Conte, has been open about his disdain for Facebook and Instagram, Meta-owned platforms that mitigate “the relationship between the creator and the subscriber,” he said.

In August, Meta got a lot of flak for making changes to emphasize algorithmic curation on its two platforms. While rival TikTok’s algorithmic approach helps creators gain followers quickly, the money-earning part isn’t so easy.

The launch of SuperLink comes as Linktree, a behemoth in the link-in-bio space, announced its “Payment Lock” (currently in beta) feature yesterday, which lets visitors access a purchased document. The company has other monetization solution tools like Linktree Marketplace, a tipping feature, as well as a “Request Link” for visitors to pay for requests like personalized videos.

Linktree currently has over 30 million users, but Fanfix tells TechCrunch, “We plan to eclipse Linktree within 12 months.”

Fanfix is Gen Z-focused and is for clean content only. It targets audiences around the ages of 13 to 24 years old. Some notable influencers on Fanfix include social media influencers Cameron Dallas, Madi Monroe, Brooke Monk, Anna Shumate and more. It currently has over 9.6 million registered users (including two million monthly active users and 2,000 creators) — impressive growth for a one-year-old company. Founded in 2013, rival Patreon had a total of only 100,000 registered users within a year of launching, which included 50,000 fans (aka patrons) and 15,000 creators.

Fanfix says that it has processed hundreds of thousands of transactions to date and individual creators are earning millions of dollars on the service. The platform is very selective about which creators it accepts — they must have 10,000 followers across their social media accounts and fit with Fanfix’s “brand image.” Creators won’t get accepted if Fanfix doesn’t think they’ll convert.

Creators can charge fans whatever they want for membership, but the minimum monthly subscription cost is $5. One downside is that Fanfix takes a 20% commission fee, letting creators keep 80% of earnings. For comparison, Patreon charges a monthly fee that ranges from 5% to 12%, depending on the subscription plan.

The platform launched in August 2021 and was co-founded by Harry Gestetner (22) and Simon Pompan (23). Shortly after the launch, they brought Dallas — a 28-year-old creator with millions of followers — on board.

SuperOrdinary, a growth partner and marketing expert, recently acquired Fanfix for eight figures, marking its first investment in the creator space. Fanfix notes that its creators will benefit from SuperOrdinary as the company provides access to a portfolio of over 140 consumer brands, including Farmacy, OLAPLEX, The Honest Company and more. Soon, Fanfix creators will be able to collaborate with SuperOrdinary and sell products in their online storefronts.

Fanfix has launched multiple monetization features. In March, Fanfix rolled out a pay-to-message feature, “Tip-to-DM,” letting fans chat with creators by paying anywhere between $3 to $500. According to Fanfix, the top few hundred creators earn thousands of dollars in messages. In general, the feature has generated around seven figures, which accounts for half of the company’s revenue.

Plus, Fanfix plans to keep adding new monetization features to the growing platform, such as one-to-one calls and personalized videos, as well as venturing into podcasting and gaming.

In December, Fanfix will launch a livestreaming capability for creators to put a paywall on their streams and offer additional perks to followers, like live podcast episodes, Q&As and more. Fans will be able to watch livestreams of their favorite creators, chat in real time and tip creators any amount. Earlier this month, Patreon finally launched a native video feature; however, it has yet to launch livestreaming.

Updated 11/28/22 at 2:30 p.m. with correction to sentence that writes, “Linktree has 23 million users.” The service now has over 30 million users.