TikTok is putting a price on an ad-free scroll: £3.99 a month.
The social media giant is rolling out a new UK subscription for adults who want to use the app without ads, while keeping the free, ad-supported version in place. The move gives users more control over advertising while preserving TikTok’s main revenue engine.
TikTok is adding a paid lane for ad-averse users, while keeping its main business rooted in the free feed.
What changes for UK users
The option will roll out gradually over the coming months to UK accounts held by users aged 18 or over.
Subscribers can manage the plan in Settings, while free users will keep personalized ads and controls to adjust their ad preferences. The paid tier also includes a privacy-related change: user data from Ad-Free subscribers will not be used for advertising purposes.
Paying removes ads, not access. The same creators, features, and content remain available whether someone subscribes or stays on the free version.
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The business case for keeping ads
Ads still play a big role in TikTok’s value for small businesses trying to find customers.
Welsh bakery Ridiculously Rich and beauty brands Wonderskin and P Louise are among the UK advertisers TikTok says can keep reaching audiences through the free app. Ad investments help small and medium-sized businesses reach the right audiences at the right time, with UK SMEs generating an estimated £1.2 billion in revenue from TikTok advertising investments in 2022.
Activity from those businesses on the platform also contributed £1.6 billion to UK GDP and supported 32,000 jobs, according to Oxford Economics. TikTok said the food and beverage sector saw the most significant impact.
Kris Boger, TikTok’s UK managing director, called it a balance between “choice for our community and growth for UK businesses,” adding that advertising helps British companies “reach new customers, increase sales and create jobs” while the ad-free option gives users more control over the app.
Control for users, confidence for advertisers
Advertisers will be watching adoption. A small subscriber base changes little, while stronger uptake could raise practical questions about campaign reach, targeting, and how much attention remains available in the free feed.
TikTok has not detailed how adoption of the ad-free tier could affect advertiser reach or campaign performance. The business impact will become clearer once advertisers can see whether the new ad-free option changes the audience they are paying to reach.
The latest UK AI plans show the government trying to build both the infrastructure and rules for wider adoption.
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