• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, December 3, 2024

The Verge, the technology oriented site owned by Vox Media, has launched its first site-wide subscription product. 

Subscribers will pay $7 per month or $50 a year. For this, they will receive fewer and better ads, get support for full-text RSS feeds and gain access to scoops behind a dynamic metered paywall, The Verge says. 

Subscribers will also receive the Command Line and Notepad premium newsletters. And those who sign up for an annual subscription will get a new limited-edition print magazine. The subject? The people who ruined the internet. This builds on The Verge’s "Homeland" anthology. 

Of course, that’s not the whole story—readers will still have free access to The Verge’s core news service, its homepage, podcasts, short-form news and the Storystream Newsfeed. But the fact remains: another fine product is placing itself behind a paywall. 

Why?

“As we continue to accelerate our subscription footprint at Vox Media, The Verge stood out as the obvious choice for our next major launch,” says Priyanka Arya, SVP of consumer revenue at Vox Media. “Our consumer revenue strategy focuses on converting loyal audiences into paying subscribers, and The Verge has a unique asset in its direct homepage audience.” 

“The Verge has spent years covering the seismic shifts in tech and media that make this so essential, and subscriptions will ensure that we can continue to invest in a great website and award-winning journalism,” adds Helen Havlak, publisher. “I am also delighted that our premium ad experience will mean that advertisers have to work with Vox Media directly to reach The Verge’s most valuable readers.” 

We suppose it’s worth $7 a month. But readers will have to choose carefully when coughing up money for content.