Social network BeReal doesn’t consider ads, but subscriptions for users

BeReal is a social network that tries to do things a little differently than Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Twitter. Founded more than two years ago, the French-born app doesn’t display ads to its users, and is operated entirely on the back of investments it previously received, which totaled $30 million. Having reached a certain maturity, however, the BeReal network is now looking for ways to monetize its millions of users, and the company is looking at extra features for a fee rather than ad adoption.

BeReal users will be able to pay for extra features

No wonder BeReal is now being copied by most competitors in the market. This is a much simpler social network that requires interaction only once a day at a random time. When you get a notification, you have a few minutes to take a single photo with both your main and front-facing cameras at the same time to show your friends what you’re doing at that moment. The idea is to “be as authentic” as possible, showing even the “mundane” side of life, not just the special, carefully photographed moments.

Instagram and TikTok are already copying BeReal’s features through TikTok Now and Candid Challenges, and if they gain traction, the French company’s plans could be in jeopardy, especially if they’re asking for money directly from users.

The Financial Times has published an article suggesting that BeReal is to launch a subscription of sorts, which will allow users access to a few extra features. Such initiatives have been met with varying degrees of success on other social networks. Snapchat fans, for example, have been quick to adopt Snapchat+, as it gives them access to new features before other users. At the same time, Twitter Blue does not seem to be as popular among users.

It seems, however, that BeReal would have to solve other problems before it starts asking for money, as its servers don’t seem to be able to support its 15 million active users when they all get notified at the same time. Thus, the app often shuts down before users can take their daily photo.