Meta is officially moving beyond an ad-only revenue model, rolling out paid subscription plans for its core apps—Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—across the globe. The social media giant is also beginning to test a new suite of premium plans for businesses, creators, and AI power users, selecting Saudi Arabia and Morocco as key initial markets for its professional-tier offerings.
Quick Facts
- Consumer plans start from $2.99 per month.
- Saudi Arabia & Morocco are test markets for new creator plans.
- Separate AI-focused subscriptions are also being tested.
What’s Inside the New ‘Plus’ Plans?
For a monthly fee, users can now subscribe to Instagram Plus ($3.99), Facebook Plus ($3.99), or WhatsApp Plus ($2.99) to unlock a range of exclusive features. These “Plus” plans are designed to give heavy users more control and insight.
Instagram Plus subscribers, for instance, gain access to features like seeing aggregate rewatch counts on Stories, creating unlimited audience lists beyond “Close Friends,” and the ability to spotlight a story weekly for extra views. Other perks include custom app icons and fonts for profile bios.
Facebook Plus mirrors many of the features offered on Instagram, focusing on social expression. WhatsApp Plus, meanwhile, centers on personalization, offering app themes, custom ringtones, additional pinned chats, and premium stickers.
Meta has clarified that these new plans will not replace its existing Meta Verified offering, which focuses on account verification and impersonation protection.
Saudi Arabia and Morocco: Testbeds for Pro Tiers
In a significant move for the region, Meta is launching tests for two new professional plans this week in select markets, including Saudi Arabia and Morocco. These subscriptions, branded under the “Meta One” umbrella, are built for creators and businesses looking to amplify their reach.
The Meta One Essential plan ($14.99/mo) includes the Verified badge, impersonation protection, and an enhanced linksheet to consolidate a user’s online presence.
The more comprehensive Meta One Advanced plan ($49.99/mo) adds powerful growth tools. Subscribers will get featured placements in the Facebook feed, higher ranking in Facebook and Instagram search results, and a more prominent “Follow” button on their Reels. The plan also enables direct links to websites from Instagram posts and Reels and provides access to deeper analytics and competitive insights.
Meta Bets on AI Subscriptions
Alongside its social and professional tiers, Meta is testing two subscription plans for its AI assistant. These are aimed at users who require more from the generative AI tools integrated across its apps.
The Meta One Plus plan ($7.99/mo) and Meta One Premium ($19.99/mo) will offer the same features, but the Premium tier unlocks more capacity for high-compute queries, enabling deeper reasoning for complex tasks and more video and image generation.
While the core Meta AI experience will remain free, these plans follow an industry trend of monetizing heavier AI usage. Initial tests for the AI plans will begin next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.
About Meta
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.
Source: TechCrunch
