- Code within the TikTok app indicates that TikTok is testing an ad-free monthly subscription plan.
- The plan currently costs $4.99 per month in the US in this testing phase, though pricing could change when the feature rolls out widely.
- TikTok has confirmed a test of this plan, albeit disputing a full product launch.
Update, October 3, 2023 (03:16 AM ET): TikTok has confirmed to TechCrunch that it is indeed testing this ad-free monthly subscription. However, the service mentions that the testing is limited to a single English-speaking market outside the USA. The service disputes our report that the test is coming to the USA, as “small-scale tests don’t indicate a product launch is inevitable.”
Original article, October 2, 2023 (08:47 AM ET): TikTok gets much credit for popularizing short-format video content on social media. The threat from TikTok is so real that other social media apps had to incorporate short format videos into their apps, alongside video editing tools for creators. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to call TikTok a trendsetter. But now TikTok seems to be the one aping a trend from a few other social media apps, as it has started offering users an ad-free monthly subscription option.