Wattpad is giving users a new option to read the platform’s online stories without advertising\u2014for a price.<\/p>\n
The new premium version of the storytelling app will cost users $5.99 per month or $60 a year for an uninterrupted ad-free reading experience.\u00a0The subscription plan is rolling out to Canada and the U.S. at the same price.<\/p>\n
Wattpad’s CEO Allen Lau said the subscription plan is a response to a frequent request from Wattpad readers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Wattpad community is the most important thing to us, and we want them to have the best possible experience across all our platforms,\u201d said Lau\u00a0in a release.<\/p>\n
“An ad-free option has been one of the most requested features from our users. Wattpad Premium gives people more control over their Wattpad experience, and allows us to continue to offer Wattpad as a free platform that anyone can enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The release of\u00a0Wattpad Premium marks is the first time the Toronto-based company\u00a0has introduced a paid tier. Publishing and reading Wattpad\u00a0stories\u00a0will continue to be free for writers and users unless they buy into the subscription service.<\/p>\n
Upgrading to the premium version\u00a0will remove advertisements\u00a0from the web browser and mobile app, in addition to the ads that appear between chapters.<\/p>\n
Wattpad has seen tremendous growth since its start a decade ago. The storytelling app boasts 60 million monthly global users who spend roughly 15 billion minutes a month engaging in original stories. It’s estimated that 24 hours of reading material is posted to Wattpad every minute, joining the 400 million uploads currently\u00a0hosted on the platform.<\/p>\n
The option to\u00a0upgrade to\u00a0the ad-free Wattpad\u00a0rolls out today. Members tap a\u00a0\u201cGo Premium\u201d button in the app to access the\u00a0subscriber-paid version.<\/p>\n