A creator storefront platform is a single account that turns a creator's audience into recurring revenue through subscriptions, paid posts, tips, drops, and merch, all under one roof and one set of payout rules. Fanvault and Fourthwall both pitch that promise in 2026, but they target opposite ends of the creator economy. Fourthwall is a merch-first storefront with a 0% fee on physical goods; Fanvault is an 8% all-in monetization stack with auctions and authenticated memorabilia.
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Fanvault charges a flat 8% across subs, posts, DMs, tips, and the storefront. Fourthwall charges 0% on physical merch, 5% on digital products, and 5% on memberships.
- Fourthwall powers 200,000+ creator storefronts since 2019, including MrBeast. Fanvault launched in 2025 as an AI-native creator monetization platform.
- Fourthwall bans nudity, explicit content, and adult live chat. Fanvault is an 18+ verified platform built for mature-content creators.
- Fanvault's storefront runs authenticated memorabilia auctions (proxy bidding, reserve, anti-snipe) and buy-it-now drops. Fourthwall's storefront is print-on-demand merch and digital downloads.
- Fourthwall pays once per month, by the 3rd business day, with a $25 minimum. Fanvault uses Stripe Connect's standard rolling payout cadence.
- Pick Fourthwall if you are a PG YouTuber selling merch. Pick Fanvault if you are an adult-friendly creator running auctions, paid DMs, and memberships in one account.
What does each platform actually do?
Fourthwall, founded in 2019 in Los Angeles, powers over 200,000 creator storefronts including MrBeast, per Fourthwall. The product is a Shopify-style merch shop plus digital downloads and tiered memberships, with native integrations into:
- YouTube Merch Shelf
- TikTok Shop
- Twitch product gifting
- Discord role syncing
Fanvault, founded in 2025, is an AI-native creator monetization platform with a marketplace storefront sitting on top of a full revenue stack:
- Tiered memberships and subscriptions
- Paywalled posts (photos, videos, gifs)
- Paid DMs and custom requests
- Tips and wishlists
- Auctions and buy-it-now drops for authenticated memorabilia
The headline differentiator is a chat-based automation layer, in-app and on Telegram, that lets creators list items, schedule content, triage fan DMs, and manage orders by sending messages. A sister platform, Content Capital, publishes across Instagram, TikTok, and X and plugs straight into the Fanvault storefront for monetization.
How do the fees compare at $1K and $10K per month?
Fourthwall charges 0% on physical products fulfilled from its catalog, 5% on digital products (dropping to 0% on the $19/month Pro plan), and a flat 5% on memberships that stays even on Pro, per the Fourthwall Help Center. Payment processing is passed through at 2.9% + $0.30 domestic and 3.9% + $0.30 international.
Fanvault charges a flat 8% across the entire stack. Creators keep 92% of every dollar, whether it came from a subscription, a paid DM, a tip, or an auctioned signed jersey.
| Monthly gross | Fanvault keeps (92%) | Fourthwall memberships keep (~92% after 5% + processing) | Fourthwall physical merch keeps (after ~3% processing only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $920 | ~$920 | ~$970 |
| $10,000 | $9,200 | ~$9,200 | ~$9,700 |
The honest read: if you are selling PG t-shirts and hoodies, Fourthwall's 0% physical-product fee beats Fanvault. If you are selling subscriptions, paid DMs, custom requests, and one-of-one memorabilia in the same checkout, Fanvault's flat 8% bundles all of it without ever pushing you onto a $19/month plan to get there.
Which platform allows what kinds of content?
Fourthwall's Acceptable Use Policy is explicit: no "pornography or other mature audience content that depicts nudity or explicit sexual acts," no adult live chat features, and its payment processors will not process payments for adult goods or services, per Fourthwall. For combat-sports athletes, dance creators, fitness personalities, and AI influencers whose monetization touches anything risqué, Fourthwall is a non-starter the moment a single post crosses the line.
Fanvault is an 18+ verified platform with age-verified onboarding at signup, Sightengine AI moderation on content, and a two-strike brand-safety policy on the storefront side. Mature creators are first-class citizens with provenance metadata, verified profiles, and Stripe Connect identity checks behind every payout.
How fast do creators actually get paid?
Fourthwall pays out once per month, by the 3rd business day of the following month, with a $25 minimum balance, per the Fourthwall Help Center. A US bank transfer then takes 1-3 business days. A sale on November 4 lands in the bank around December 5.
Fanvault runs Stripe Connect with regulated identity verification at onboarding, which positions it for Stripe's standard rolling payout cadence rather than a single monthly batch. For creators living off the storefront month-to-month, that timing gap is real money.
Who is the storefront actually built for?
Fourthwall's storefront is a print-on-demand merch shop. A YouTuber drops a tee, a hoodie, a mug; the catalog handles fulfillment; the YouTube Merch Shelf surfaces it under the video. Fourthwall also acts as the Merchant of Record and handles US sales tax and international VAT on the creator's behalf, per Fourthwall, which is a real win for solo creators who don't want to file in 40 states.
Fanvault's storefront is a marketplace for authenticated memorabilia. Auctions ship with proxy bidding, reserve prices, and anti-snipe extended bidding. Buy-it-now drops cover limited and multi-quantity releases. Each listing carries provenance metadata (signed, worn, condition), bringing the $30B+ sports-memorabilia model to creators whose fans already treat them the way fans treat athletes and musicians.
Which platform should you pick in 2026?
| Creator type | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube merch creator (PG content) | Fourthwall | 0% physical fee plus native YouTube Merch Shelf integration |
| Twitch / Kick streamer with adult-friendly community | Fanvault | Mature content allowed, paid DMs, custom requests, auctions of stream-worn gear |
| Combat-sports athlete or fitness creator | Fanvault | Authenticated memorabilia auctions for fight-worn and signed apparel |
| Podcaster or artist selling merch and memberships | Fourthwall | Lower membership fee, Merchant of Record covers tax and VAT |
| AI or virtual creator | Fanvault | Native AI creator support plus Content Capital sister platform |
| Creator who wants to run everything from chat | Fanvault | In-app and Telegram automation for listing, scheduling, DMs, orders |
If your business is PG merch and you publish heavily on YouTube, Fourthwall's 0% physical-product fee plus its merch-shelf integration will beat Fanvault on raw economics. If your business spans paid DMs, subscriptions, auctioned memorabilia, and an audience that skews adult, Fanvault's 8% bundle and verified 18+ infrastructure are the better foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the actual fee difference between Fanvault and Fourthwall?
Fanvault charges a flat
Fourthwall charges
Can adult creators use Fourthwall?
No. Fourthwall's Acceptable Use Policy bans "pornography or other mature audience content that depicts nudity or explicit sexual acts," any adult live chat features, and notes that its payment processors will not process payments for adult goods or services, per Fourthwall.
Fanvault is an 18+ verified platform with age-verified onboarding, Sightengine AI moderation, and a two-strike brand-safety policy. Combat-sports athletes, fitness creators, dance creators, and AI influencers whose monetization touches mature content are first-class users on Fanvault.
Does Fourthwall handle taxes for creators?
Yes. Fourthwall acts as the Merchant of Record and handles tax registration, collection, and remittance, including US sales tax and international VAT, per Fourthwall. That is a meaningful operational win for solo creators who do not want to file sales tax across 40 US states.
Fanvault uses Stripe Connect for payments. Standard Stripe identity verification and reporting apply, and Fanvault creators should consult their own tax setup, especially if they cross state or country borders with their storefront.
How fast do creators get paid on each platform?
Fourthwall pays out once per month, by the 3rd business day of the following month, with a
Fanvault runs Stripe Connect with regulated identity verification at onboarding, which positions it for Stripe's standard rolling payout cadence rather than a single monthly batch. For creators who live off their storefront month-to-month, that gap matters.
Which platform is better for selling signed memorabilia?
Fanvault, by a wide margin. The storefront is purpose-built for authenticated memorabilia:
Fourthwall's storefront is a print-on-demand merch shop with digital downloads. It is excellent at high-volume t-shirts and hoodies. It is not built around one-of-one auctions, fight-worn gear, or provenance metadata, so creators monetizing scarcity rather than volume will find Fanvault a better fit.