Whether you like it or not, we have come to a point where our favorite social media app is offering paid subscription services–after all, these large platforms will need to find other sources of revenue beyond advertising.
We’re sure everyone is dismayed by this, but don’t get us wrong: some of these paid services do offer good value IF you use these social platforms heavily. Of course, there are paid services that are ridiculous, which is why we would like to break down all the perks you get for their paid services–and see if you are getting your money’s worth.
For this article, do note that all of the prices are indicated in Php unless their subscription service is not yet available in the Philippines. Our assessment of whether the added perks are worth it or not is also based on the needs of BOTH personal and professional use.
Telegram Premium: Php 215/month
What do you get?
Aside from making your Telegram ad-free, their subscription service allows you to upload files as large as 4GB, along with faster download speeds and higher limits: follow up to 1000 channels, 20 chat folders with 200 chats per folder, 10 pined chats in the main chat list, 20 public links, 4 accounts, and 400 saved GIFs.
Is it worth it?
It’s fairly priced especially if you are a power user that needs to send large files to your peers AND value its end-to-end encryption feature. The subscription does transform Telegram into a powerful communication platform that can be suitable for both personal and work use.
Reddit Premium: Php 330/month (Converted from US pricing)
What do you get?
An ad-free Reddit experience, 700 Reddit coins to give to other Redditors (valued at around Php 300), exclusive avatar gear and rewards, and access to r/lounge, which is described to be a distilled version of Reddit.
Is it worth it?
We give it a hard pass. You’re better off just buying Reddit coins if you want to give recognition to other Redditors, and there’s little benefit of having access to r/lounge. There might be an argument for the ads-free experience, but ads on a Reddit forum is not as annoying as you think.
Discord Nitro: Php 263.99/month
What do you get?
Up to 100mb uploads, up to 4K60 app and game streaming, video backgrounds for calls, longer messages, custom profiles, and activities. The latter allows you to do things with your friends like a watch party or playing casual games.
Is it worth it?
It’s a great subscription pack if you are a streamer that primarily uses Discord for streaming, and is a decent one for casual users who prefer to use Discord for video calls with their friends and colleagues. In fact, Discord Nitro can be a suitable alternative to the likes of Zoom if you are heavy with video calls.
Twitter Blue: Php 500/month (Converted from Indonesia pricing)
What do you get?
A blue checkmark in your profile, text 2FA, the ability to edit tweets, undo tweets, use NFTs as profile pictures, longer Tweets, longer video uploads, among other things.
Is it worth it?
Maybe if you are using Twitter to manage a business. Otherwise, forget about it. It’s infuriating to see why Twitter wants to charge users for basic things like text 2FA, undo Tweets, and the ability to edit Tweets–unless you want to flex that much-wanted (but not unique) blue checkmark or your NFT as your profile picture.
YouTube Premium: Php 159/month
What do you get?
Ad-free playback of YouTube videos and Music, the option to download videos and music on the go, and background play.
Is it worth it?
Absolutely! Aside from ad-free watching making YouTube binging much more fun, having access to music streaming and downloading makes YouTube Premium hit two birds with one stone if you want to streamline your subscription services for both videos and music. It may not have a library that’s as extensive as the likes of Netflix, but YouTube has a variety of content that you will still enjoy casually.
Meta Verified (Instagram and Facebook) Php 700/month (Converted from US pricing)
What do you get?
Both versions of Meta Verified give you extra protection from fake accounts, direct access to customer support, that much-wanted blue checkmark that Twitter Blue also offers, “increased visibility”, and 100 Facebook Stars (valued at Php 60) that you can give to creators.
Is it worth it?
We’re definitely rolling our eyes here even if the announcement is still fresh. We’re dumbfounded by the fact that you will need to pay extra for better security in the platform–isn’t it their job to protect their users from posers and make the platform a safe space in the first place? It’s even more infuriating that Meta is NOT offering Verified to businesses–who actually need them more in the first place.
That wraps up our breakdown of the current social media subscription services that people can avail of. Will you insist on not paying for any social media platform, or will you avail of one or two subscription services?
