Start now
←  Fourthwall Blog
·
Jul 19, 2023
·
3
min read

Finding the Best Membership Platform for Your Community

A guide to picking the best home for your community now that Fanhouse is shutting down
A thought bubble with the logos for Passes, Kofi, Patreon, Fourthwall, and Fanfix

Table of Contents

Fanhouse recently announced that they were acquired by Passes. As part of that change, you have the option to migrate to Passes, or look for a new platform. While change can be scary (especially when that change impacts your livelihood), it’s important to remember that you have time to do what’s best for you and your community. Our team has worked with some Fanhouse creators to prepare this blog post about the options for you and your community. 

Fanhouse is not shutting down immediately, so you can continue to post your content there until you decide on a transition plan. This will not only remind your superfans about why they’re a part of your community, but it will also give you time to decide your next move. It’s important to remember to be transparent and communicative with your fanbase. Some supporters might not know of the news that Fanhouse is closing its doors. Consider keeping them in the loop, letting them know how you feel, and giving them an early heads-up on your next steps.

If you’re not sure where to start, we recommend following this 3-step guide:

  1. Decide the right platform for you and your fans.
  2. Migrate your content. 
  3. Transition your members to your new platform.   

If you’re a Fanhouse creator and aren’t sure what this change means for you and your community, we recommend that you read the Passes x Fanhouse Q&A. 

Step 1: Picking a platform

The right platform for you likely depends on the features that you rely on for income:

  • If you make the majority of your income from paid DMs or locked content. You’ll likely have the most immediate success on a SFW platform like Passes or Fanfix. You can also use a NSFW platform like OnlyFans or Fansly. While Fourthwall doesn’t currently support paid DMs, we will be launching them in the next few months. Click here to learn more about the differences between the Fourthwall, Passes, and Fanfix
  • If you make the majority of your income from subscriptions. You’ll likely have the most success on a platform like Fourthwall, Patreon, or Ko-fi. Click here to learn more about the differences between Fourthwall, Patreon, and Ko-fi
  • This is also a great time to diversify your streams of income. You can take this time to try out different monetization methods and see what works best for you. With Fourthwall you can combine your homepage, shop, donations, and members-only hub into a seamless, fully-branded experience for your supporters.

Step 2: Migrating your content

This mostly depends on which platform you chose in step one:

  • Passes. Your content will be moved once you claim your page on passes.
  • Other platforms. Other platforms will likely treat creators on a case-by-case basis or require you to move your content over manually.
  • Fourthwall. Fourthwall’s team can help you migrate your content over in under 48 hours. Hop into #🏠moving-over in our Discord or email us at hello@fourthwall.com for help making the switch.

Step 3: Transitioning existing members

As a final step, you’ll have to migrate your members to a new platform. We recommend that you do the following:

  1. Post content on both platforms. Fanhouse likely won’t shut down until the end of August, so you can post content to both platforms. 
  2. Set up an introductory discount. We recommend setting up a “1-month free” membership discount/promotion and sharing it with your existing Fanhouse members, so they don’t have to double-pay during the transition process. You can alternatively offer a refund to your fans, but we think that providing this discount gives your fans the most time to subscribe to your new platform. 
  3. Promote your new home base. Your supporters need to know where to find you. Once you’ve launched, be sure to promote your new home base by updating things like your link in bio, channel descriptions, etc.

By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to transition members. If you’re curious about examples of creators that have done this in the past, we’ve linked to two case studies about creators that have seamlessly migrated their audience from one platform to another:

While these strategies were specific to creators that moved to Fourthwall, you can follow the same approaches to any platform that you choose. 

What’s the timeframe?

If you’re a creator that’s thinking of switching to a platform that isn’t Passes, you should try to make this decision before the end of July 2023 to give your community enough time to move over.

We know that this may be a hard time for you, and if you’re a creator that’s looking for tips on how to best manage the transition, our team is always happy to help (regardless of the platform you choose). Join our Discord community, and we’ll help support you in finding the best place for your community! We’ll also be dropping advice and loads of other content over on our Twitter

If you decide that Fourthwall is a platform you’d like to explore, you can sign up and get your shop set up immediately - all for free. Click here to join us and start exploring.

Design & sell custom products

Multiple designs being placed onto a sweatshirt/jumper/crewneck and then being shown as a mockup image
4.6
(766+ seller reviews)
Fourthwall is the best way to create your own premium quality products to sell to your online audience
Premium quality. Fast shipping. No minimums.
Multiple designs being placed onto a sweatshirt/jumper/crewneck and then being shown as a mockup image

Build your brand. On your terms

Browse our product catalog

Choose from hundreds of premium products you can design and sell instantly
Cotton Heritage M2580
Cotton Heritage Unisex Premium Hoodie
71
Printed
Embroidered
From $25.45
|
No minimums
+11
Allcolor 5493
Kiss Cut Stickers
46
Sticker
From $2.20
|
No minimums
+0
Mugz WGM78
White Glossy Mug
43
Sublimation
From $5.95
|
No minimums
+0
Mugz WGM79B
Black Glossy Mug
42
Sublimation
From $8.95
|
No minimums
+0
Gildan 5000
Gildan Heavyweight T-Shirt
42
Printed
Embroidered
From $9.25
|
No minimums
+31
Mugz WGM79C
Ceramic Mug with Color Inside
40
Sublimation
From $8.95
|
No minimums
+6
Gildan 64000
Gildan Unisex Softstyle T-Shirt
34
Printed
From $9.25
|
No minimums
+3

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to use Fourthwall?

There are no monthly fees, no upfront costs, and no contracts to use Fourthwall. You set your prices and choose your own margins. Here is how our pricing and splits work when you sell:

  • Products from our product catalog. All products in our product catalog have a publicly listed flat fee, which gets deducted from the selling price you set. There are no extra percentages/margins. You keep 100% of profits.
  • Products you ship yourself. No fee (0% fee)
  • Digital products. 3% flat fee
  • Subscription memberships. 5% flat fee

Additionally, all US-based credit card transactions have an added 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee (same as Shopify). Fees vary for PayPal and other providers. Learn more.

How much money do I make on sales from the Fourthwall catalog?

Product costs are listed directly in our product catalog.

If a t-shirt is listed in our catalog at a $10 cost, we will automatically deduct that amount from your profits whenever you make a sale. You can sell products for any price you want.

For example, if you sell the shirt for $22, you'll make $12 in profit on each unit sold. If you sell it for $50, then you'll make $40 in profit on each unit sold.

Does Fourthwall ship worldwide?

Yes! Fourthwall works with manufacturing & fulfillment partners around the globe in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.

Shipping rates are dynamically determined by the size of package and destination. We work with most major carriers and pass through the true cost of shipping. That means that you can offer low-cost, fast shipping to your fans. Most items have a delivery window of 5-8 days.

Be sure to browse our product catalog to find products that are fulfilled out of your target regions to provide the fastest & cheapest shipping for your community.

Does Fourthwall handle sales tax?

Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record", which means that we're responsible for handling all sales taxes. This includes nexus registration, collecting sales tax, and remitting this to US states & other countries.

That way you can focus on designing products and promoting your shop, not taxes.

Can I connect a custom domain to Fourthwall?

Yes. You can connect a custom domain or subdomain on Fourthwall. Learn More.

Does Fourthwall offer artwork & design support?

If you need help finding an artist or designer, check out our design community.

This is a vetted network of exceptional designers that can help you make great quality designs for your audience. We also recommend tools like Canva or Kittl.

Does Fourthwall provide customer support for my orders?

Yes. For any product from our product catalog, we'll handle all customer support for you.

From answering general order questions to making address changes, our team is there to ensure that your buyers are treated with the same level of care that you would personally give them. We have a 12-hour or less average reply time, including nights and weekends.

For any items that you source on your own and ship from home, however, you'll need to do customer support.

Can you show me examples of storefronts on Fourthwall?

Yes! Over 200,000 sellers use Fourthwall to power their storefronts. This includes creators, podcasters, artists, musicians, startups, non-profits, and more.

Get inspired and browse all examples sites.

What integrations does Fourthwall have?

Fourthwall supports many free integrations, including:

  • YouTube Product Shelf (Merch Shelf)
  • TikTok Shop
  • Facebook and Instagram Shopping
  • Twitch Product Gifting
  • StreamElements and Streamlabs stream alerts
  • Zapier
  • Klaviyo
  • Mailchimp
  • And many, many more

See all apps & integrations.

Are there any requirements to join Fourthwall?

There are no requirements to join Fourthwall! Sign up now.