The real cost of adult subscriptions.

What we found.

• Recurring is the default. 26 of 42 platforms bill on a recurring basis — the meter runs until you remember to cancel.
• You never own anything. Across all 42, not one lets you keep the content you paid for; stop paying and access ends.
• The advertised price is rarely the real price. Pay-per-view, tips, trials that convert and token top-ups routinely push real spend above the sticker figure.
• Editorial verdicts: 13 worth it, 18 situational, 11 skip.

The full data.

Every platform analysed, ranked by editorial score (billing transparency, cost predictability, lock-in and cancellation ease — editorial, not lab tests).

The takeaway.

The honest conclusion across 42 platforms: the model is the problem, not any single site. Recurring billing, paid extras and zero ownership are the norm. The only structural way out is to stop renting — pay once, own the library, cancel nothing.