Summary of Key Points
DouBao, with a monthly active user base of 350 million, recently launched paid subscription options ranging from 68 yuan to 5088 yuan. However, users have shown strong resistance (over 80% are opposed), resulting in a decrease of 6.1 million monthly active users. The main issue for users is that the prices are comparable to those of overseas products, but the quality and functionality do not match: there is little difference between the paid and free versions, and the user experience is poor (for example, long waiting times and unreliable responses from the AI). ByteDance is eager to start charging for DouBao because the high investment in AI computing power and research and development has led to a decline in net profits, and they need to find new ways to generate revenue. In addition to subscriptions, DouBao has also tried other monetization methods such as e-commerce and group buying, but with limited success. Compared to overseas competitors like OpenAI and domestic players like ZhiPu, DouBao still lags behind in specialized areas (such as programming and office tasks), and it needs to find a balance between commercialization and user experience in the future.
Detailed Analysis
Why Do Users Resist DouBao’s Charging?
The pricing of DouBao is quite high, and the quality does not match the price. The subscription options are as follows: Standard Edition at 68 yuan/month, Enhanced Edition at 200 yuan/month, and Professional Edition at 500 yuan/month. In contrast, ChatGPT Plus costs around 135 yuan/month, and Claude Max around 676 yuan/month, yet DouBao’s features are significantly inferior. Users are most dissatisfied with the fact that they do not get value for their money:
- Lack of significant difference between paid and free versions: The Professional Edition lacks personalized features such as dedicated servers and longer conversation memory.
- Poor user experience: The Enhanced Edition requires a 2-minute wait in the “task mode” to generate a report, and the plugins are of poor quality.
- Unreliable responses: The AI often provides irrelevant or nonsensical answers, forcing users to verify the information with other AI services.
A poll on Weibo showed that 88,000 out of 91,000 respondents were against the charging, and many users stated they would uninstall the app if it became paid—this reflects a perceived lack of value for the money spent.
Why Is ByteDance Urgent to Generate Revenue from DouBao?
AI operations are extremely costly, especially due to the high cost of computing power (GPU chips). ByteDance’s net profit decreased by 70% in 2025. While official explanations include accounting factors, the main reason is the substantial increase in AI-related expenses, such as purchasing more computing power and developing new models in the third and fourth quarters of last year. ByteDance has traditionally relied on free services to attract users and then generated profits through advertising. However, with AI, the more free users there are, the more computing power is consumed, leading to higher costs. Charging for DouBao is a necessary move to cover these expenses; moreover, subscription models are becoming a trend in the industry (with ChatGPT and Anthropic also charging).
Does DouBao Have Enough Competitiveness in Terms of Pricing?
DouBao’s competitive edge lies in its large user base, but its core capabilities fall short of its competitors:
- Programming: ZhiPu’s GLM5.1 can work independently for 8 hours and deliver engineering-level results, with packages often selling out quickly. DouBao’s Coding model was only launched in November 2025 and has not been updated since.
- Office tasks: Tencent WorkBuddy offers 24/7 expert digital assistance, while ZhiPu’s models are stable and reliable. DouBao frequently encounters errors and performs poorly on complex tasks.
- International comparison: ChatGPT is evolving into a “super application” that can handle coding and scheduling tasks, while DouBao remains focused on basic chat and companionship functions.
Without unique or indispensable features, users see little reason to pay for DouBao’s services.
Are There Other Monetization Strategies?
In addition to subscriptions, DouBao has explored other methods:
- E-commerce: They launched a “Ask DouBao Before Buying” feature in conjunction with Douyin’s shopping platform, but the functionality has dropped in popularity (reaching only the 9th position on the search rankings after three screens of navigation).
- Group buying: Users can directly place orders for local services without leaving the DouBao app.
- PC-based features: DouBao includes a built-in browser and cloud storage, aiming to expand its use cases.
These efforts are still in the testing phase, with no clear success yet.
ByteDance’s Long-Term Plans
ByteDance’s goals go beyond just making money from DouBao; they also aim to drive an “efficiency revolution”:
- Improving computing power utilization and developing custom CPUs: Rising chip prices and supply shortages mean that self-developed chips can help control costs.
- Optimizing efficiency: The success of the Volcano engine (with Seedance 2.0) highlights the need to improve efficiency, as large companies spend billions on capital expenditure each year, and inefficiency represents a significant waste.
DouBao’s charging strategy is a test of user acceptance and whether ByteDance can find new ways to profit in the AI era. The challenge lies in balancing commercialization with maintaining a positive user experience, which will require clever planning from ByteDance.