Meta has introduced new paid subscription plans with exclusive features for users globally, including in India. The company is rolling out “Plus” versions of its apps, giving paying users access to tools and customisation options that regular users will not get.
The company will begin testing new paid subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp in the coming months, according to media reports. These subscriptions are expected to unlock advanced creative, productivity and artificial intelligence tools, while the core user experience will remain free.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus are priced at $3.99 (around Rs 387) per month, while WhatsApp Plus costs $2.99 (around Rs 290) per month. However, Meta has not yet revealed the price for India.
Meta says this will not be a single, uniform subscription. Instead, the company plans a trial-and-error approach, with each app offering a different set of paid features. Meta is still testing what will actually convince users to pay.
While casual users will still be able to use Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp for free, the company is focusing on building a premium layer aimed at users who want more control, visibility and personalisation.
For Instagram and Facebook users, the Plus subscription reportedly brings features like advanced analytics, story rewatch insights, profile customisation options and wider audience reach tools - something content creators and influencers will probably be watching closely.
WhatsApp Plus is leaning more towards personalisation. Users will reportedly get access to premium stickers, custom app themes and personalised ringtones to make the messaging app feel a little less basic.
Alongside these subscriptions, Meta is also beginning tests for premium AI plans called Meta One Plus and Meta One Premium, priced at $7.99 (Rs 767) and $19.99 (Rs 1,919) per month respectively.
These AI-focused tiers are expected to offer better image and video generation tools, deeper reasoning capabilities and higher compute access for more demanding AI tasks.
Meta reportedly plans to expand these plans further, especially for users of its AI-powered smart glasses.
The move comes at a time when Meta is under increasing pressure over its massive spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Meta’s stock reportedly jumped nearly three percent after the subscription news became public, suggesting investors are optimistic about the company finally exploring alternative income streams.