Snapchat+ Review: Is Snapchat’s Paid Upgrade Actually Worth It in 2026?

You know that feeling when you open Snapchat for the hundredth time today and realize… it hasn’t really changed for you in years? Same icons, same limits, same quiet frustration when your best friend suddenly disappears from your Best Friends list and you have zero clue why. You’re loyal to the app, but it doesn’t always feel loyal back.

That’s exactly the itch Snapchat+ is trying to scratch.

Snapchat+ (often written as Snapchat Plus) is Snapchat’s optional paid subscription tier designed for the people who use the app the most. Instead of reinventing Snapchat, it layers on extra controls, customization, analytics-style insights, and early access features that the free crowd doesn’t get yet.

So, is this just a cosmetic flex, or does it actually change the way you use Snapchat?

Snapchat+ as the Solution: What It Actually Is

Snapchat+ is a monthly (or yearly) subscription inside the normal Snapchat app that unlocks a growing bundle of premium features. According to Snap Inc.’s official information, Snapchat+ is available in many countries and gives you access to experimental and exclusive features before anyone else, along with a set of personalization and insight tools built on top of the regular experience.

You still get the full Snapchat app for free. But with Snapchat+, you get add?ons like custom app icons, profile badges, more ways to customize and organize your friendships, priority placement for your replies to creators, and access to experimental features that rotate over time.

Why this specific model?

The value of Snapchat+ comes down to one question: do you actually live on Snapchat, or do you just check it?

If you’re in the first camp, this subscription starts to make sense. Based on Snap’s official feature lists and community discussions, here are the core benefits in real?world terms:

• Early access to new features: Snapchat+ subscribers often get experimental features first. That means you become the friend who has the new stuff before everyone else — whether it’s new ways to customize your profile, tweak your map presence, or test emerging tools in the app.
• Extra customization: With Snapchat+, you can customize things like your app icon from a gallery of designs and add special visual flair to your account, making your Snapchat feel more “you.”
• Profile and friendship controls: Snapchat+ layers on extra ways to manage how you appear to others and how you organize your closest people, going beyond what’s possible in the free version.
• Priority features around creators and content: Some Snapchat+ perks are focused on giving your interactions – like replies to Snap Stars (Snap’s verified creators) – a higher chance of being seen.
• Ongoing evolution: The feature set isn’t static. Snap frequently adds, removes, or adjusts what’s in the Snapchat+ bundle, which makes it feel more like a living service than a one?time upgrade.

Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat (publicly listed under ISIN: US83304A1060), is clearly using Snapchat+ as a testbed: a space where it can reward its most engaged users and experiment with what the future of the app could look like.

At a Glance: The Facts

Feature	User Benefit
Premium subscription tier inside the Snapchat app	Keep everything you already use for free, but layer on extra tools and perks without switching apps or accounts.
Early and experimental features	Try upcoming Snapchat features before the general public and be the first in your group to use them.
Additional customization options	Change visual elements like your app icon and enhance how your account looks and feels.
Enhanced profile and friendship controls	Get more control over how you present yourself and organize or highlight your closest relationships.
Priority features around replies to creators	Increase the chance that your interactions with Snap Stars stand out and get noticed.
Regularly updated feature bundle	Benefit from new and evolving perks over time instead of a fixed, never?changing set.
Optional, paid monthly or yearly subscription	Try it for a short period, cancel anytime, or commit annually if it becomes part of your daily routine.

What Users Are Saying

Look at Reddit threads and Snapchat?focused forums, and a clear pattern emerges: Snapchat+ sparks strong opinions on both sides.

The positive camp tends to say things like:

• They like getting experimental or exclusive features before their friends.
• The extra customization gives them a sense that their account feels more personal and premium.
• For heavy users who open Snapchat dozens of times per day, the small quality?of?life perks add up.

The skeptical camp raises a different set of points:

• Some feel that too many perks are purely cosmetic or “nice to have” rather than essential.
• Others argue that features available in Snapchat+ should be part of the core free app.
• A few users only subscribe briefly to test one or two features, then cancel if those don’t dramatically change their experience.

Overall sentiment: if Snapchat is your main social platform, Snapchat+ is often described as “fun and worth trying.” If you’re only a casual user, many say the value feels limited.

Alternatives vs. Snapchat+

There isn’t a one?to?one equivalent of Snapchat+ across all social apps, but there are similar ideas:

• Instagram, TikTok, and others: These platforms don’t yet offer the same kind of general user subscription that unlocks experimental features across the app in the same way Snapchat does. Instead, subscriptions usually focus on supporting individual creators or removing ads in specific contexts.
• Creator?focused subscriptions: On several social platforms, you can pay to subscribe to creators for exclusive content. Snapchat+ is different: it’s about upgrading your core app experience, not following one person more closely.

Within Snapchat’s own universe, the real “alternative” to Snapchat+ is simply staying on the free tier. The free version still offers messaging, Stories, Spotlight, filters, lenses, the Snap Map, and most of what made Snapchat a cultural staple in the first place.

The question is less "Which product is better?" and more "Do you personally care enough about early access, extra customization, and added controls to pay for them?"

Who Snapchat+ Is (and Isn’t) For

Snapchat+ is a strong fit if you:

• Use Snapchat as your primary social app and open it many times a day.
• Love being ahead of the curve with new features and tools.
• Care about how your profile looks and feels and enjoy personalization.
• Want to feel more in control of certain aspects of your Snapchat presence and interactions.

You might want to skip it (for now) if you:

• Use Snapchat only occasionally to maintain a few streaks or check in with friends.
• Don’t particularly care about having early or experimental features.
• Are mainly interested in core messaging, Stories, and casual viewing – all fully available for free.

How to Get Snapchat+

You don’t need a separate app or account. Snapchat+ is offered directly within the regular Snapchat app interface, where you can sign up as a monthly or yearly subscriber if it’s available in your country. The official Snapchat+ page, accessible from Snapchat’s own site, acts as a landing page and explainer, but all real action takes place inside the app you already use.

Final Verdict

Snapchat+ won’t transform a casual user into a die?hard fan. But that’s not who it’s built for.

If Snapchat is already your daily social home base, Snapchat+ feels like upgrading from economy to premium economy on a flight you take every single day. The basics are the same, but the little extras – early features, visual customization, and added controls – make the ride feel smoother, more personal, and more fun.

It’s not essential, and Snapchat stays fully usable without it. Yet for power users, creators, and anyone who loves being first to new features, Snapchat+ earns a serious look. Try it for a month through the app; if you find yourself missing the extras when it’s gone, you’ve got your answer.