Snap Inc. to roll out paid subscriptions as competition for creators intensifies

Snap is introducing a paid subscription feature that will allow creators to earn recurring income directly from their most engaged fans, as it seeks to grow revenue beyond advertising.

The photo-sharing platform will begin alpha testing “Creator Subscriptions” next week with a small group of US-based creators, with plans to expand to Canada, the UK and France in the coming weeks.

It is the latest platform to formalise direct creator payments, and comes amid a broader shift across social media, with companies increasingly emphasising creator payouts and subscription tools as competition for talent intensifies. As previously reported by The Daily Influence, both Instagram and X have signalled that retaining creators – and paying them more consistently – will be central to their strategy in 2026.

Under the feature, fans will be able to subscribe to creators in exchange for exclusive content, including subscriber-only Stories and direct Snaps, priority replies, and an ad-free experience within that creator’s Stories. Subscriptions will initially be available to iOS users in supported markets.

Creators will be able to set their own monthly price within a range of $4.99 to $19.99, and will receive around 60% of subscription revenue after platform fees, according to the company.

Jim Shepherd, senior director of global content partnerships at Snap, said “sustainable businesses are built on real relationships”.

“The next phase of monetization … [is] about connection, community and predictability,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Earlier this month the company reported 24 million subscribers across its existing paid products, including Snapchat+, up 71% year on year. Daily active users reached 474 million in the fourth quarter, down three million from the previous quarter.

Chief executive Evan Spiegel has told investors that subscriber growth will be a key metric in the year ahead.

The market for direct-to-fan payments is increasingly competitive, with platforms including Patreon, Substack and OnlyFans early adopters of a model now being embraced by major social platforms.

Snap said the feature will expand to more creators and devices as testing progresses.