Snapchat Offers Ad-Free Subscription Package

It seems that Snapchat has quietly released a new version of its Snapchat+ subscription offering that enables users to completely opt out of ads in the app, for a price.

As you can see in this image, posted by Jonah Manzano, Snapchat is now offering a “Platinum” version of Snapchat+ in the app, for more than double the price of the regular Snapchat+ plan (note: example prices are in AUD).

So what do you get for that extra cost?

As per Snap:

“The Platinum Monthly Plan for Snapchat+ lets you enjoy Snapchat+ with no Sponsored Snaps, and no Story or Lens ads!”

That seems to be the only major upgrade, with Snap also noting that users may still see ads via sponsored places and within My AI responses.

But in general, no more ads.

Snapchat looks to have added the Platinum plan last month, though I haven’t seen any direct promotional pushes for ad-free Snap.

But then again, that could be because Meta’s still facing legal challenges in Europe over its own ad-free subscription package.

Back in 2023, Meta launched an ad-free subscription package for European users, in order to meet new EU rules around providing an opt-out from targeted ads. Meta’s solution was to offer this subscription, which would ensure that Meta still makes money from its users, even if they do choose to opt out of ads. But EU advisory groups claim that Meta’s subscription plan undermines the focus of the GDPR, and its protections against “data capitalism.”

As a result, Meta’s still trying to revise its package to meet EU requirements, while it also potentially faces fines as a result of the offering.

Maybe, that could be why Snap’s following Meta’s lead, but not promoting it just yet, as it waits to see how Meta deals with these additional complications.

But it is available in the app, in some regions at least, enabling you to pay a premium to avoid ads interrupting your Snap experience.

I’m not sure many people will pay up, given it’s more than double the price of the regular Snapchat+ subscription (in USD). But at the same time, that charge should more than cover the loss Snap might take, per user, when removing ads, based on its average revenue per user data.

As you can see, $US10 per month is actually well higher than the average revenue per user that Snap currently generates in most regions. So it could actually end up being a money maker for the app, if a lot of people did choose to opt out of Snap ads. Though that would conversely impact its ad reach, and reduce the value of its ad offerings, so while it might cover the cost per user, it would also, eventually, cost Snap significantly, if a heap of people upgraded to the Platinum package.

Again, I doubt that’ll happen, as I don’t imagine there’ll be a heap of demand to pay so much for an ad-free Snap experience. But it’s an interesting experiment, and with 12 million Snapchatters already paying for a Snapchat+ subscription, it could be another way for Snap to further supplement its revenue stream.

UPDATE (2/4): Snapchat says that it’s offered an ad-free subscription tier since 2023, which it expanded to more markets last year. Snapchat recently updated the name of this to “Snapchat Platinum,” but the option itself is not new.