Snap Tops 30 Million Paid Subscribers Across Snapchat Plans
Snap says subscriptions passed 30 million in the third quarter, even as advertising growth and daily user gains fell short of expectations.
Snap has surpassed 30 million paid subscribers across its Snapchat offerings, the company announced with its third-quarter 2026 results. The milestone highlights growing demand for paid features, particularly AI-powered creative tools, while the company faces slower-than-hoped-for advertising growth.
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What the subscriber milestone covers
The 30 million figure spans multiple paid products, not just the core Snapchat+ plan. Engadget reports that the total includes subscribers to Snapchat+ and other plans, including an ad-free Platinum tier. TechCrunch’s headline describes the milestone as 30 million Snapchat+ subscribers, but the investor letter it cites names Snapchat+, Memories Storage and Lens+ as contributors to the total. Snap did not provide a subscriber breakdown by plan, according to Engadget.
TechCrunch reports that the total is up by 5 million since February, when Snap said it had crossed 25 million paid subscribers. Engadget says Snap’s non-advertising “other” revenue rose 84% from a year earlier.
AI features and paid options
Snap launched Snapchat+ in 2022 with extra features, including the ability to see which friends rewatched a Story. TechCrunch lists its price at $3.99 a month. The company has since added Lens+, which TechCrunch says costs $8.99 a month and provides exclusive Lenses and augmented-reality experiences. Its $15.99-a-month Platinum tier removes ads.
Snap also offers paid Memories storage. According to TechCrunch, the company announced a limit on free Memories storage a year ago and told users they could pay $1.99 a month for additional space or subscribe to Snapchat+.
Lens+ has grown nearly 600% since January 2026, Engadget reports. CEO Evan Spiegel said AI-powered features helped the plan outperform the company’s expectations. Engadget points to AI Photoshoot, a photo-editing feature, as one example of Snap’s AI tools.
Subscriptions stand out in a mixed quarter
The paid-subscriber gains came alongside weaker results elsewhere in Snap’s business. TechCrunch reports that shares fell 12% after the company missed estimates for advertising revenue and user growth. Snap recorded 495 million daily active users, up from 493 million the previous quarter but below analysts’ expectation of 499 million, according to TechCrunch. Engadget puts Snapchat’s monthly audience at 977 million.
Spiegel said advertising revenue growth remained below Snap’s target. Engadget also reports that the company plans to emphasize monthly rather than daily active users in its reporting beginning in 2027. Snap warned that legal challenges and increased regulatory scrutiny of youth-related issues could affect its prospects, according to Engadget.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.