The Wall Street Journal said it plans to charge US$17.99 for a monthly subscription on the iPad, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported.

It "seems an awful lot considering it doesn't need to be printed or delivered," according to the British Web site Unbeatable.

However, "it's at least 10 bucks cheaper than a monthly subscription to the dead trees version, so WSJ readers will see it as a bargain I'm sure," an article on the Web site Gizmodo stated.

Compared to other publications offering the same services, Esquire Magazine's first iPad issue will charge $2 less than its printed version, while Men's Health Magazine will ask for the same price ($4.99) as its physical issue.