Tumblr discontinues Post+ subscription feature amid revenue struggles and downsizing plans

Tumblr has announced that it will discontinue its Post Plus feature, which allowed creators to earn income through user subscriptions, effective from December 1, 2023. The decision comes in light of a leaked memo outlining the company's downsizing plans due to difficulties in meeting usage and revenue targets.

Automattic CEO, Matt Mullenweg, stated that the company will now focus on enhancing Tumblr's core functionality. The Post Plus feature, launched in 2021, was intended to support creators but didn't meet expectations or resonate with users as anticipated.

Existing Post Plus content will remain available until the end of 2023, but will be set to private from January 2024. Creators will be unable to create new Post Plus content, and subscribers will not be billed. Meanwhile, Tumblr's tipping feature will continue, but the future of the Blaze sponsored post tool remains uncertain due to potential infrastructure challenges, so perhaps you may want to take a look at some similar features on Substack if you are a Tumblr Post+ user.