In the worst case...

Dear supporters,

Just recently, Steam has changed their policy to remove legal adult games from its store—not because of any legal issue or violation of regulation, but because the payment processors decided it was “unacceptable.” Under pressure from activist groups, payment processors are quietly reshaping the internet by deciding what content should exist—and what should disappear (here is erotic content).

It’s a troubling echo of what many of us have already experienced before—when Fanbox, once a haven for creators of all kinds, stopped accepting PayPal for R-18 content after a massive crackdown on NSFW artists. It wasn’t the platform itself. It was the payment processor, stepping in to dictate what kind of art people could buy and sell.

And now, I am wondering: what if the same thing happens to Patreon or Fanbox entirely?

That’s why I’ve made the decision to diversify and expand to three additional platforms: Ko-fi, SubscribeStar, and UniFan.

https://linktr.ee/starila

Platform Comparison: Payment method and NSFW Policies

Pixiv Fanbox

Payment Methods:

* Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, JCB)

* Pixivcoban – Pixiv’s currency (Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Bank Account) \[Japan only]

* PayPal (limited, not available for new NSFW users since March 2024)

* V-Preca Card (non-Japan users)

R18 Content Policy: 🚫 Restricted – R18 allowed but under increasing limitations

Best Region: Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia

Patreon

Payment Methods:

* Credit/Debit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)

* PayPal

* Apple Pay (select regions)

* Google Pay (select regions)

R18 Content Policy:🚫 Restricted – R18 allowed but tightly moderated

Best Region: Western users (U.S. and Europe)

SubscribeStar

Payment Methods:

* Credit/Debit Card (Visa, MasterCard)

R18 Content Policy:✅ Permissive – Allows most adult and fetish content

Best Region: Western users (U.S., Canada, Europe)

Unifan

Payment Methods:

* Credit/Debit Card

* PayPal

* Alipay

* Cryptocurrency (USDT)

* Wise

R18 Content Policy:✅ Permissive – Allows most adult and fetish content

Best Region: Global

Ko-fi

Payment Methods:

* Credit/Debit Card (via Stripe)

* PayPal

* Apple Pay

* Google Pay

R18 Content Policy:🚫 Mostly SFW – NSFW discouraged and not promoted

Best Region: Global

My opinion about the platforms

Fanbox

Right now, Pixiv Fanbox remains the best platform for creators. It’s user-friendly, affordable for supporters, and well-connected to the Japanese creative scene.

But growing pressure from payment processors is forcing Fanbox to tighten its content policies — especially around R18 material. Reviews are becoming stricter to stay compliant and avoid being cut off.

There’s also political pressure. A far-right party in Japan called Sanseito is pushing to "clean up" anime in the name of "healthy development" — a dangerous path toward censorship. If you’re in Japan, you should consider not voting for them.

I’m not sure how long I can stay on Fanbox. But I’m hopeful that the FTC’s investigation into payment processor overreach and the creative community’s resistance will lead to real change.

Patreon

The Patreon fee matrix has become fucking complicate, even I struggle to fully understand it. Recently Patreon began applying the iOS App Store fee, which takes 30% of the transaction—not just from me, but from your support as well.

Patreon gave me a choice: either absorb the 30% loss myself or increase the price for you. I ate it! But now, Patreon has notified me that they may automatically increase prices anyway, claiming it’s to “protect creators.” But really, it just means you’ll be charged more for the exact same thing, for no good reason.

So my request is simple and sincere: If you use Patreon, please access it through the web or the Android app. Avoid the iOS app if possible. By doing so, you help us both avoid that meaningless 30% fee.

Kofi and Unifans

Unifans has a restrictive design, and Kofi's strict NSFW policies mean that thumbnails with images will be blurred to avoid being flagged.

Due to the platforms' unique designs, I can’t upload PDF files directly. Instead, I’ll provide a Mega link with a decryption key—just click the link and enter the key to access the file.

Neither platform allows tier upgrades or downgrades. If you cancel a tier to switch to a higher one, you’ll need to pay the full amount without any credit for the previous tier. So, it’s best to choose one tier from the start or wait until the next month to change tiers.

Conclusion

To keep things clear and avoid confusion, here’s my suggestion: if you’re already comfortable using platforms like Fanbox or Patreon without any issues, there’s no need to switch. However, if you encounter restrictions, such as PayPal limitations on Fanbox, you might want to explore other options. These three new platforms are also set up as backups in case I’m ever removed from Fanbox or Patreon.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!