Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions, with more to come, including AI plans

Meta is doubling down on its subscription offerings. On Wednesday, the social networking giant announced it’s now rolling out its consumer subscription plans globally for its flagship apps, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and beginning tests of new subscriptions for businesses, creators, and Meta AI users.

For a few dollars per month, consumers subscribing to Instagram Plus ($3.99/mo), Facebook Plus ($3.99/mo), or WhatsApp Plus ($2.99/mo) will gain access to extra features, like profile customization, super reactions, and story insights, among other things.

In an announcement, Meta’s head of product, Naomi Gleit, noted that “more fun features” will be added in the future.

Meanwhile, Meta will begin testing other offerings, including professional plans for creators and businesses, and AI-focused plans for all users. These new tests will be branded as “Meta One,” which will serve as the company’s home for its subscription offerings going forward.

Meta confirmed it was planning a subscription offering earlier this year, with its initial tests rolling out in the spring. The idea behind the plans aimed at consumers is to provide additional features for power users who want more from their social apps. It also allows Meta to diversify its revenue streams beyond advertising by extracting more value from its existing audience of billions, given the limited growth opportunities for these apps, which have already achieved global saturation.

The new “Plus” plans are tailored to each individual app, with Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus focused more on social expression, while WhatsApp Plus focuses on personalization and messaging.

However, the company tells us the new plans don’t replace its existing offering, Meta Verified, which is focused on verification, impersonation protection, and extra support. (This could change in time, but for now, Meta is not winding down the older plans.)

For starters, the new Instagram Plus plan gives subscribers access to extra features, like the ability to see how many people have rewatched your Story in aggregate, as well as the ability to create unlimited audience lists for Stories, beyond the “Close Friends” option. Users will also be able to spotlight a story once a week for additional views, extend a story beyond 24 hours, preview a story without showing up as a viewer, search their story viewer list to see who is watching, and more. Users will also be able to post straight to their profile and highlight without showing up on their followers’ feeds.

There are also other features like Super Heart animated reactions for Stories, custom app icons, customizable fonts for profile bios, and access to additional pins for your profile.

These features are designed to better serve creators and those looking to grow their following and understand their audience, but they could also appeal to heavy users.

Facebook Plus offers a similar set of features to Instagram Plus. WhatsApp Plus, however, offers other features, like app themes, custom ringtones, additional pinned chats, list customization, premium stickers, and more.

AI plans and more, including those for creators and businesses

Alongside the launch, Meta says it will begin testing even more subscription plans, which is where things start to get confusing.

For Meta AI users, it will test two plans — Meta One Plus ($7.99/mo) and Meta One Premium ($19.99/mo) with the same features, but the Premium plan unlocks more capacity on higher compute queries. That means the Premium plan would offer deeper reasoning for complex tasks (i.e., more of “thinking mode” in the Meta AI app or on the web). It would also offer more video and image-generation capabilities across Meta’s apps.

Meta AI will remain free for more casual users, but these plans follow the same path as those put forth by other AI model providers that charge for additional compute and heavier usage. The plans will later expand in the weeks to come with more benefits for those who use AI glasses, Meta says.

The AI plans will start testing next month, initially in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.

Two other plans for creators and businesses will begin tests later this week, in markets including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

The Meta One Essential plan ($14.99/mo) will offer the Verified badge, impersonation protection, and an enhanced linksheet where users can link out to their online presence across social channels and the web, similar to Meta Verified.

The more expensive Meta One Advanced plan ($49.99/mo) will include the Essential plan benefits, as well as the ability to be featured in the Facebook feed, appear higher in Facebook and Instagram search results, gain attention with a bold “Follow” button on Reels, and automatically send “follow” invitations to people who engage with your content.

It can also help creators and businesses drive people to their website or shop through links in Instagram posts and Instagram Reels, and through enhanced Facebook and Instagram profiles with their expanded linksheets. These plans, not surprisingly, include better analytics, including deeper, competitive insights on Instagram and custom audience insights on Facebook.

Advanced plan subscribers will have access to optimized scheduling tools, tools to share access with other account moderators (without sharing a password), and notifications that alert you when others on Facebook or Instagram reuse your content so you can request a label crediting your original reel.

Gleit acknowledged that Meta is still experimenting with these AI and professional plans for the time being, but aims to bring them all together under Meta One, where they will then continue to be updated and expanded over time.