Learn Hardcore Croatian: Pretplata na taj kanal je besplatna, ali ipak dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti. - The subscription to that channel is free, but I still get quality notifications.

It is a noun, feminine gender.
In this sentence it is in nominative singular (the subject of the sentence).
That’s why it ends in -a and the adjective later (besplatna) must agree with it in gender (feminine) and number (singular).

So pretplata = a subscription (to something).

Why is it na taj kanal and not something like za taj kanal or na tom kanalu?

Croatian often uses na + accusative after nouns like pretplata to mean subscription to X.

na taj kanal
- na
  - accusative (taj kanal)
- literally: onto/for that channel → idiomatically: to that channel (as in “subscription to that channel”).

You might also sometimes see pretplata za taj kanal, but pretplata na (neki) kanal is the most natural and common phrase.

na tom kanalu (locative) would mean on that channel (location), not to that channel (target of subscription), so it would change the meaning.

Why is it je besplatna and not je besplatan or just besplatno?

The adjective must agree with the noun pretplata:

pretplata → feminine, singular, nominative.
So the adjective must be feminine, singular, nominative: besplatna.

Other forms:

besplatan – masculine singular (e.g. taj časopis je besplatan – that magazine is free).
besplatno – neuter singular, or an adverb (e.g. to je besplatno – that is free / for free).

Here we say Pretplata … je besplatna because besplatna describes pretplata.

What is the difference between besplatan and slobodan? Both translate as “free”, right?

Both can be translated as free, but they mean different things:

besplatan – free of charge, no money:
- Pretplata je besplatna. – The subscription is free (costs nothing).
- Ulaz je besplatan. – Entry is free.
slobodan – free in the sense of not occupied / free to do something / having freedom:
- Imam slobodno vrijeme. – I have free time.
- Stol je slobodan. – The table is free (not taken).
- Slobodan čovjek. – A free person (not imprisoned / has freedom).

In this sentence it’s about price, so besplatna is correct.

Why do we need je here? Could we say Pretplata na taj kanal besplatna?

Je is the present tense of biti (to be) and acts as a linking verb (copula):

Pretplata na taj kanal je besplatna.
= The subscription to that channel *is free.*

In standard Croatian, you should include je.
Leaving it out (Pretplata na taj kanal besplatna) can appear in very informal speech or headlines, but it sounds incomplete or “telegraphic” in normal sentences.

Why are both ali and ipak used? Doesn’t ali already mean “but”?

Yes:

ali = but (a conjunction).
ipak = nevertheless / still / nonetheless (an adverb).

Together ali ipak means something like “but still / but nevertheless”, adding a stronger feeling of surprise or contrast:

Pretplata je besplatna, ali dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti.
– The subscription is free, but I get quality notifications. (simple contrast)
Pretplata je besplatna, ali ipak dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti.
– The subscription is free, but I still / nevertheless get quality notifications. (it’s somewhat unexpected that the notifications are good even though it’s free)

What exactly does ipak mean here, and where can it be placed in the sentence?

Ipak roughly means “still / nevertheless / all the same”.

It emphasizes that something happens despite what we might expect from the first part of the sentence.

Common positions:

Ali ipak dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti.
Ali dobivam ipak kvalitetne obavijesti. (less common, sounds more marked)
Ali dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti ipak. (possible, but usually adds end-focus/emphasis)

The usual and most natural in neutral speech is the one in the original: ali ipak dobivam…

Could we use još uvijek instead of ipak? What’s the difference?

You can use još uvijek, but the nuance changes:

ipak – nevertheless / nonetheless, stresses contrast or a slightly surprising result.
još uvijek – still (up to now), stresses continuation over time.

Compare:

Pretplata je besplatna, ali ipak dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti.
– It’s somewhat surprising: even though it’s free, I get quality notifications.
Pretplata je besplatna, ali još uvijek dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti.
– Emphasizes that you continue to receive quality notifications (they haven’t stopped yet).

Both are grammatical, but they don’t highlight the same thing.

Why is it dobivam and not dobijem?

This is about aspect (imperfective vs perfective):

dobivati → imperfective (ongoing, repeated, habitual)
- dobivam – I receive / I (usually) get.
dobiti → perfective (one-time, completed action)
- dobijem – I get / I will get (once, as a result).

In this sentence you talk about regularly receiving notifications, so you need the imperfective form:
dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti = I (keep) getting quality notifications / I receive them regularly.

If you said:

… ali ipak dobijem kvalitetne obavijesti,
it would sound more like “but (eventually) I do get quality notifications (at least once / in the end)”, not an ongoing habit.

I’ve seen dobijam instead of dobivam. Are both correct?

Both forms exist, but they are regional and standard-language variants:

In standard Croatian (as used in Croatia), the normal form is dobivam.
dobijam is more typical for Serbian and Bosnian (and is also heard in some Croatian dialects).

If you are learning Croatian as used in Croatia, stick with:

dobivati → dobivam, dobivaš, dobiva, dobivamo, dobivate, dobivaju.

Why is it kvalitetne obavijesti and not kvalitetna obavijest?

Because we are talking about more than one notification:

obavijest – singular, feminine:
- kvalitetna obavijest – a quality notification.
obavijesti – plural:
- Nominative plural: obavijesti
- Accusative plural: obavijesti (same form)

In dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti:

obavijesti is feminine plural accusative (direct object, “notifications”).
kvalitetne must agree, so it is also feminine plural accusative.

So the phrase means “(I) receive quality notifications” (plural).

How does the adjective kvalitetne agree with obavijesti?

Agreement rules:

obavijesti – feminine, plural, accusative (direct object).
Adjective must match gender, number, and case:
- Feminine plural accusative of kvalitetan is kvalitetne.

Some key forms of kvalitetan:

Masculine sg nom: kvalitetan
Feminine sg nom: kvalitetna
Neuter sg nom: kvalitetno
Feminine pl nom/acc: kvalitetne

So kvalitetne obavijesti literally = quality notifications.

Can I change the word order in the second part, like … ali ipak kvalitetne obavijesti dobivam?

Yes, Croatian word order is relatively flexible, and changing it usually changes emphasis, not basic meaning.

… ali ipak dobivam kvalitetne obavijesti.
– Neutral: focus on the action of receiving them.
… ali ipak kvalitetne obavijesti dobivam.
– Emphasis on kvalitetne obavijesti: it’s quality notifications that I (do) get.
… ali kvalitetne obavijesti ipak dobivam.
– Again, more emphasis on kvalitetne obavijesti, with ipak a bit later.

All are grammatical; the original has the most neutral, typical ordering.