Meta $META launched paid subscription tiers for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp on Wednesday, while beginning tests of new AI-focused plans as the company looks to diversify revenue beyond advertising.
The social media giant is also testing AI subscription tiers under a new brand, Meta One, priced at $7.99 and $19.99 per month
Photo by Laurent Hou/Hans Lucas /AFP via Getty Images
Meta $META launched paid subscription tiers for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp on Wednesday, while beginning tests of new AI-focused plans as the company looks to diversify revenue beyond advertising.
Pricing for the new plans sets Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus at $3.99 per month, with WhatsApp Plus coming in at $2.99 per month, the company said. Subscribers to the app-specific plans gain access to additional features not available to free users. Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus include tools such as detailed Story viewer statistics, the ability to extend a Story beyond 24 hours, and animated reactions. For WhatsApp users, the Plus plan unlocks customization options including exclusive themes, personalized ringtones, premium sticker packs, and the ability to pin more chats, among other additions.
Meta said users will also be able to purchase the app subscriptions as a bundle, according to Bloomberg.
Alongside the app-tier rollout, Meta said it will begin testing two AI subscription plans next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia. The lower tier, Meta One Plus, is priced at $7.99 per month, while Meta One Premium costs $19.99 per month. Subscribers at either tier can access extended reasoning capabilities alongside image and video generation tools, though the Premium plan raises the ceiling on how heavily those features can be used. The company said Meta AI will stay free, but users who rely heavily on certain features will at some point encounter usage caps, the company said.
Meta is grouping all of its subscription offerings under a new brand called Meta One. The company is also testing two plans aimed at creators and businesses — Meta One Essential at $14.99 per month and Meta One Advanced at $49.99 per month — in markets including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Among the perks reserved for Advanced subscribers are a higher ranking in Facebook and Instagram search, in-depth competitive analytics, and direct access to human support agents for managing Instagram and Facebook pages, the company said.
The existing Meta Verified offering, which focuses on account verification and impersonation protection, will remain available alongside the new plans for now, the company said.
Naomi Gleit, Meta's head of product, said in a statement that the company aims to bring all subscription offerings together under Meta One over time, with plans to add more benefits for users of Meta AI glasses in the weeks ahead.
Meta's subscription business remains a fraction of its overall revenue. Against that backdrop, subscriptions remain a marginal contributor: Meta's first-quarter non-advertising revenue — a category that bundles hardware like AI glasses and VR headsets alongside subscription fees — totaled $1.29 billion, while its ad business generated upward of $55 billion over the same three months, according to Bloomberg. Meta stock rose more than 3% on Wednesday.
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