Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform and competitor to X, is actively developing a subscription service tentatively called Bluesky+. Mockups of the potential service, along with a list of possible features, have surfaced on Bluesky’s GitHub page, offering a glimpse into what a premium Bluesky experience might entail.
While Bluesky emphasizes that the mockups are preliminary and subject to change, the listed features provide valuable insight into the company’s direction. Some of the features under consideration include:
- Higher quality video uploads
- Profile customization options (colors and avatar frames)
- Custom app icons
- Bluesky+ profile badge
- Inline post translations
- Post analytics
- Bookmark folders
The inclusion of a “Bluesky+ profile badge” suggests that verification could be a paid feature, although Bluesky has previously discussed alternative verification approaches that leverage the decentralized nature of its network.
The mockups also indicate a potential price point of $8 per month or $72 per year, but this is also subject to change.
Bluesky engineer Dan Abramov cautioned users not to interpret the mockups as a definitive list of planned features, emphasizing that the company will officially announce the final feature set closer to launch.
In addition to subscriptions, Bluesky is exploring other revenue-generating avenues, such as domain name sales, an algorithm marketplace, and potentially even advertising.
The emergence of these mockups has sparked lively discussions among Bluesky users, with many expressing their opinions on the proposed features and suggesting alternatives. As Bluesky continues to evolve and refine its platform, the introduction of a subscription service could play a significant role in its growth and sustainability.
