Getting started

This page is written for someone who has nothing yet: no audience, no budget, not a single published piece. Everything below is the conditions named by the platforms and tools themselves, with a link to the document.

There is no advice here on which platform to choose. We do not know your subject, your country or your time, and without those «the best platform» is not an answer but a guess. We show the conditions; the choice remains yours. And we promise no income: not a single row of the catalogue says how much you will earn.

The order in which it is worth reading

Glossary — if an unfamiliar word turns up along the way. payout, KYC, оффер, посадочная are explained there, and the first occurrence of each of them on any page is a link to the explanation. 2. How to read the cards** — как устроена card и откуда берётся каждая её строка.
This page — the conditions of entry.
Barrier to entry — the same thing, but for each entry of the catalogue separately. 5. The first ninety days — the timings: how long to wait for the application, the threshold and the first payout.

What you will have to learn before your first post

These are not pieces of advice but obligations: they are set by platforms and by law, not by us.

Material requirements — sizes, durations, formats. Material that does not pass the format is not published at all. - Advertising disclosure — if you are paid for a mention, that has to be stated. In eight legal systems this is a requirement of law, not of courtesy. - AI content labelling — where the platform requires a label and where machine-made content is forbidden outright.
Frequency and limits ** — how much you may publish before the platform decides it is spam.

From what age an account is opened — 29

The first condition that nothing can get around. The age named by the platform, not a general one: it differs by country and by what exactly you intend to do.

Author.Today. in the general terms for selling finished books the requirement is written in one line: «Автор старше 18 лет» (our translation: the author is over 18) source, checked 2026-08-07

BiP. the minimum age is 13: «BiP'i kullanabilmek için en az 13 yaşında (veya ülkenizdeki kanunların, Hizmet'i ebeveyn veya vasinizin onayı olmaksızın kullanma yetkisini size tanıdığı yaşta) olmanız gerekir.» (our translation: to use BiP you… source, checked 2026-08-07

Bluesky. minimum age — 13 years, and no lower than the minimum age set by local law source, checked 2026-07-28

Boomplay. minimum age is 13; users under 18 need consent from a parent or legal guardian source, checked 2026-07-28

Buy Me a Coffee. to create an account you must be 18 or older, or old enough to enter into a contract where you live; the platform is entitled to request age verification source, checked 2026-07-28

Cara. the app store's age rating is 13+: the Apple listing shows «Age Rating 13+ Years», and the Google listing «Parental guidance» source, checked 2026-08-07

Chingari. the rules require an age of at least 13 (or representation by a parent or legal guardian) source, checked 2026-07-28

Dribbble. use of the site and the services by anyone under 13 is explicitly prohibited source, checked 2026-07-28

Filmweb. a user must be a person who has turned 16 source, checked 2026-07-28

Ghost. the site and services are available only to people aged 13 and over; a real full name and a valid email address are required, registration by bots is prohibited, and one login shared by several people is not allowed source, checked 2026-07-28

GoodGame. The agreement sets no direct lower age, but it does acknowledge users under 18 and obliges them to take a separate action: clause 3.5 — «Если Пользователю нет 18 лет, он обязан в своей учетной записи поставить галочку напротив графы… source, checked 2026-08-07

Grindr. «The Grindr Services are intended ONLY for legal adults. NO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS (OR THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN PLACES WHERE EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS IS NOT THE AGE OF MAJORITY) ARE AUTHORIZED TO ATTEMPT, DIRECTLY OR… source, checked 2026-08-07

Josh. the rules require a minimum age of 18: a minor must not register or gain access as a user source, checked 2026-07-28

Ko-fi. to use Ko-fi and create an account you must be 18 years old or older source, checked 2026-07-28

Krisha. The age condition is stated outright: a user may be «совершеннолетним и полностью дееспособным лицом, либо несовершеннолетним лицом, объявленным по решению уполномоченного органа полностью дееспособным (эмансипация) либо несовершеннолетним… source, checked 2026-08-07

Kwai. the figure of the minimum age is not named: the terms of the advertising programme require «Fulfilling the age limit for adults», but there is no age figure in that document source, checked 2026-08-07

Lazada. Eighteen years or a parent's consent: the terms for content require you to affirm — «You affirm that: (a) you are either older than 18 years of age and are fully able and competent to enter into these Terms; or (b) you are the parent or… source, checked 2026-08-07

Litnet. registration requires you to be 14; if you are 14 but have not reached the age of contractual capacity in your jurisdiction, you must read the agreement in the presence of a parent or guardian source, checked 2026-07-28

Mdundo. the minimum age for a user is 16, or lower if the law of the user's territory sets a lower age of digital consent source, checked 2026-07-28

Misskey. on Misskey.io use of the service is forbidden to those under 13 source, checked 2026-07-28

Plurk. there is no age threshold of the platform's own in the available sources; the stores apply their own ratings: 18+ at Apple, «parental guidance» at Google source, checked 2026-07-28

QQ空间 (Qzone). there is no figure for a minimum age in the agreement; instead of an age a condition of legal capacity is named: «如果您因年龄、智力等因素而不具有完全民事行为能力，请在法定监护人（以下简称“监护人”）的陪同下阅读和判断是否同意本协议。» (our translation: if by reason of age, mental capacity or other… source, checked 2026-08-07

Roblox. Thirteen is the boundary named by Roblox itself for withdrawing money: «Creators over the age of 13 with at least 30,000 in Earned Robux are eligible to turn their Earned Robux into real money.» The minimum age for the account itself has… source, checked 2026-08-07

Steam Community. «You may not become a Subscriber if you are under the age of 13. Steam is not intended for children under 13 and Valve will not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. Additional age restrictions may apply… source, checked 2026-08-07

Teletype. the service may be used by persons who have reached the age of 13 source, checked 2026-07-28

Tumblr. the minimum age is 13, 16 for users in the European Union and the United Kingdom, 18 for certain features source, checked 2026-07-28

Wykop. only natural persons who have reached the age of thirteen may register source, checked 2026-07-28

はてなブログ (Hatena Blog). no minimum age is given as a number; a minor must obtain the consent of their legal guardian, and completing registration is treated as such consent source, checked 2026-07-28

码云 (Gitee). minors need a guardian's consent: «若您是18周岁以下的未成年人，在使用本网站的服务前，应确保事先取得监护人的同意，如您在本网站上申请注册账号，本网站将默认为您已得到前述同意» (our translation: if you are a minor under 18 full years of age, before using the site's services you must ensure that you have… source, checked 2026-08-07

What a new account cannot do straight away — 23

An account opened today can do less than a year-old one: some capabilities open up with time, with a number of actions, or after a check. This is neither a fault nor a punishment — it is how protection against mass sign-ups works.

Aitu. The only condition the platform describes is the verification badge for a profile or a channel: it is granted on application to [email protected] or in @moderator_group, with documents confirming that the request comes from the real owner of the profile or an official representative of the… source, checked 2026-08-07

Boosty. A blog is switched on by hand: after signing in through a social network you must give a working email, confirm registration by letter and press «Стать автором» (Become an author), then set the blog's name and link. Then comes KYC: «Уровень KYC зависит от вашего дохода на платформе: всего… source, checked 2026-08-07

Gap. A compulsory check at registration: a mobile phone number and a 4-digit code. Verbatim from the FAQ: «Yes, for registering in Gap, you must enter your mobile/ cell number» and «After installing Gap, for activation, you should enter your mobile/cell number in the relevant box so that you get the… source, checked 2026-08-07

MAX. Three conditions are named. First, registration: a Russian phone number and a 6-digit code from an SMS, verbatim «Enter the 6-digit code from the SMS and tap Continue»; for foreign numbers a closed list of countries is published (Belarus +375, Kazakhstan +7, Turkey +90, India +91, China +86, Brazil… source, checked 2026-08-07

Minds. Confirming that a human is behind the channel — by phone number or through the mobile app human detector — plus the channel being «in good standing»; for withdrawing money — a Minds+ subscription, a linked bank account and 100 dollars accumulated; for the verification badge — an active Minds+ or Minds Pro and an application on the Minds+ site source, checked 2026-08-07

Misskey. On servers that ask for an email you have to follow the link in the letter — verbatim: «you will receive an confirmation email for servers that ask for a email address, so please click on the link in the email as soon as possible». On closed servers, an invitation code from the administrator.… source, checked 2026-08-07

RUTUBE. Confirmation of the mobile number — verbatim: «Запуск и проведение трансляций доступны для всех зарегистрированных пользователей с подтвержденным номером телефона (в настоящий момент принимаются только номера телефонов мобильных операторов РФ, иностранные телефонные номера не верифицируются)» (our… source, checked 2026-08-07

ShareChat. All at once: an account age of more than 7 days, activity at least once in 7 days, a confirmed phone number, a filled-in photo/name/@handle/bio, no signs of deception and no history of violations. After the subscription is taken out, the account is additionally reviewed by hand — verbatim: «Once a… source, checked 2026-08-07

Snapchat. Age 16+ and a date of birth set in the settings plus the absence of past breaches of the Community Guidelines — for a Public Profile; age 18+ and an existing Public Profile — for moving to a Professional Account; the phone is confirmed by a code at registration («Enter your phone number and verify… source, checked 2026-08-07

SOOP (AfreecaTV). The condition is identity verification by a method the platform itself provides. Verbatim, article 6 clause 5: «회원 또는 회원으로 가입하고자 하는 "이용신청고객"은 반드시 회사가 제공하는 본인확인 방법을 통하여 서비스를 이용할 수 있으며, 본인명의로 등록하지 않은 사용자는 일체의 권리를 주장할 수 없습니다» (our translation: the service may be used only after passing the identity… source, checked 2026-08-07

Soul. The condition is 实名认证, identity verification with an identity document. The agreement names no thresholds in subscribers, friends or posts, and describes no manual review of an application to lift restrictions source, checked 2026-08-07

SoundCloud. Confirming the email address by the letter that arrives at registration: «Confirmation emails are generally sent out instantly when you sign up» (verbatim); if the letter does not arrive, SoundCloud suggests checking spam, adding [email protected] to the address book and pressing «resend email»… source, checked 2026-08-07

Strava. There is no «maturing» condition at all: the default settings are changed by the user at any time — verbatim: «You can adjust your settings at any time to reflect your desired experience». The caveat concerns only minors: «These defaults do not apply if you are under 18». source, checked 2026-08-07

TwitCasting. For a キャスアカウント — following the link in the letter from [email protected], that is, completing email registration (the letter can be reissued in the account settings if needed). For a new X account — continuing to use that same account, verbatim: «継続してそのXアカウントを利用すると、コメントが書けるようになります» (our translation: if you keep using that X account, you will become able to write comments). source, checked 2026-08-07

Twitch. Confirming the phone number in the Security and Privacy settings — Twitch names this as a condition outright: «The user sending the whisper must have a verified phone number (see the Phone Number setting in your Security and Privacy settings)» source, checked 2026-08-07

Viber (Rakuten Viber). Entering a six-digit confirmation code from an SMS or the last four digits of the number of an incoming Flash Call — verbatim: «You'll receive an incoming call from a random number», «Look at the last four digits of the calling number - this is your activation code». If the spam restriction has… source, checked 2026-08-07

Zenn. By waiting: «上限に達した場合でも、一定時間が経過すれば再び投稿できるようになります» (verbatim; our translation: even if the ceiling is reached, after some time has passed you will be able to post again). Separately, the limit can be temporarily raised on request: «他ブログサービスなどからZennにコンテンツを移行する場合、一時的に上限を緩和できます。お問い合わせフォームより申請してください»… source, checked 2026-08-07

Dzen. The channel cover opens up by subscriber count — «не менее 500 подписчиков» (verbatim; our translation: at least 500 subscribers). The right to a first post is unlocked by confirming contact details: phone and email are confirmed in the VK ID or Yandex ID account to which the channel is linked.… source, checked 2026-08-07

Odnoklassniki. A compulsory check when creating a profile: you need a phone number not yet linked to another OK page, and you enter a code from an SMS. Verbatim from the help centre: «Для регистрации понадобится номер телефона, который ещё не указан на страницах в ОК» (our translation: registration requires a… source, checked 2026-08-07

优酷 (Youku). Identity verification: link a personal mobile number or a third-party account. Verbatim from the agreement: «如您已存在优酷账户，但尚未进行实名认证（如未提供手机号），请您尽快绑定个人手机号或其他第三方账号（如我方账号、支付宝账号、微信账号、QQ账号、微博账号等）» (our translation: if you already have a Youku account but have not passed identity verification — for example… source, checked 2026-08-07

微信 (WeChat). Three ways of passing the assistance verification and opening the account are named: 1) asking a friend nearby or another WeChat user to scan a QR code with their WeChat; 2) «Verify via Payment Card» — verification through a payment card; 3) «Verify and Activate WeChat Pay» — verification by… source, checked 2026-08-07

네이버 밴드 (Naver Band). By itself, by trying again: «If you see a message indicating a restriction, please try again the following day» (verbatim); if it has not cleared within 48 hours — «please contact the BAND Help Center with the account information you used when attempting to sign up or register» (verbatim) source, checked 2026-08-07

카카오톡 (KakaoTalk). Converting the channel to a 비즈니스 채널 (business channel) after submitting documents and passing the review: for a sole trader, a business card through your own KakaoTalk (전자증명서); for a legal entity, a 사업자등록증 plus confirmation of the director's identity by mobile; for an employee, a 사업자등록증 plus their… source, checked 2026-08-07

Where no audience is required — 2

Platforms that said it in plain words: no followers are needed to start. It is the most frequent beginner question and the rarest direct answer.

Nostr — platform
Zenn — platform

What can be used free of charge — 93 services

That many services in the catalogue have a free plan, and almost nowhere does that mean «everything free»: usually a number is named — of posts, of connected platforms or of people on the team. What exactly is given free is stated in the services' own words, with a link and a date on every row:free plans**.

When the first money arrives — 83 thresholds named

A payout threshold is the amount below which money is not transferred: earnings accumulate until it is reached. This number is more useful to know before you start than after. All the named thresholds, timings and payout methods are on the pageearnings, and the waiting times on the page the first ninety days**.

What this page does not say

Where it is easier to start. The conditions are laid out, the comparison is not made: «easier» depends on your topic, language and country, and those we do not know.
How much you will earn. No line of the catalogue answers that question, and we will not invent an answer.
How to get around a condition. Thresholds, reviews and limits are the platform's rules; we show them, we do not bypass them.

On method. All the numbers and conditions on this page are derived from the catalogue's facts: each carries a link to the platform's or service's document and the date on which we read that document. Nothing was collected specially for this page and nothing was retold from memory.