Hajra Naz
This summer, the biggest social platforms are pushing harder on their premium subscription packages. Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat have each launched special seasonal discounts aimed at getting more people to sign up.
Meta’s Discount Push
Meta is offering a steep discount for first-time sign-ups to Meta Verified. The first month comes at a heavily reduced price before returning to normal rates. Screenshots shared online show Meta targeting new subscribers with limited-time sign-up offers. The goal is simple: grow the verified user base with a lower entry cost.
X Premium’s Summer Deal
X is also trying to boost its premium plans. The company is offering 30% off annual subscriptions for both Premium and Premium Plus tiers. While X Premium comes with perks like fewer ads and priority replies, the company is now leaning heavily on Grok AI access as a major selling point.
Snapchat+ Cuts Prices Too
Snapchat has joined the trend by offering 50% off the first two months of Snapchat+. This add-on gives users early access to experimental features and extra customization tools. With 15 million paying subscribers already, Snap has arguably had the most success with its subscription model compared to Meta and X.
Read More: Meta’s AI Chats Could Show Up on Google — Just Like ChatGPT Was
Will Discounts Drive Growth?
It’s unclear if these promotions will move the needle in a big way. Many users who were willing to pay for add-ons may have already signed up. And while perks like AI chatbots (X’s Grok) or exclusive features on Snap add some appeal, none of these offerings have become must-have tools.
The Numbers Behind Subscriptions
Despite limited hype, subscriptions still generate real money:
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Meta Verified has likely brought in around 9 million sign-ups, generating hundreds of millions in revenue. Still, this is tiny compared to Meta’s $31.5 billion in quarterly ad revenue.
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Snapchat+ is the leader in adoption, with 15 million subscribers adding roughly $150 million per quarter—a meaningful boost, though still small next to its overall $1.36 billion in Q1 revenue.
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X Premium has struggled the most. Current estimates suggest about 1.5 million paying users, or less than 0.5% of its user base. That’s a far cry from Elon Musk’s early vision of hundreds of millions of paying subscribers replacing ad dollars.
The Bigger Picture
For all three companies, subscriptions are proving to be useful side businesses, not replacements for ads. Advertising remains the dominant revenue stream for social media, and that’s unlikely to change soon.
Meta, X, and Snapchat may pick up extra paying users through these summer discounts, especially in emerging markets. But overall, subscriptions look set to remain secondary income streams, rather than the main driver of growth.
