Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp for a fee: what are Meta's new Plus subscriptions all about?

Meta has launched Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus and WhatsApp Plus subscriptions worldwide. At the same time, tests are underway for Meta One, the global package that will bring together offers for creators, businesses and Meta AI users.

On May 27, 2026, following several months of rumors and leaks, Meta made the global launch of its paid offers for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp official. This was not the umpteenth experiment, limited to a few pilot markets to gauge public reaction, but a truly global rollout (even if Meta AI is not yet a major player). This marks a turning point in the Menlo Park group's monetization strategy.

The news was not released via a press release published on the official website, but through a video posted directly on Instagram by Naomi Gleit, product manager at Meta and the company's longest-serving employee after Mark Zuckerberg, who joined Meta in July 2005. The choice was far from insignificant: for years, Ms. Gleit has been the face chosen by the group to present new products directly, without the institutional filter of about.fb.com. In the video, she explains that the new formulas offer "new ways of expressing ourselves and creating links through our apps, with more fun features to come".

What Plus subscriptions offer

Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus cost $3.99 a month each, while WhatsApp Plus is priced at $2.99. The three formulas differ in their functionalities, adapted to the nature of each application.

Instagram Plus focuses on visibility and audience management tools: subscribers will be able to see how many people in total have reviewed their Stories, they will be able to create unlimited audience lists beyond the classic "Close Friends" list, highlight a Story for an entire week (extending its duration beyond the standard 24-hour limit), and view someone else's Story anonymously. Added to this are exclusive animated reactions, such as the "Super Heart", personalized icons for the Facebook and Instagram apps, alternative fonts for the biography, as well as the ability to pin more items to one's profile. Facebook Plus will offer a similar set of features, while WhatsApp Plus will take a different direction, focusing on messaging personalization: graphic themes, personalized ringtones, more pinned discussions, premium stickers and advanced list management. Meta specifies that these new formulas will not replace Meta Verified, the existing offer focused on identity verification and protection against impersonation, which will remain active in parallel for the time being.

Meta One: the all-in-one package that also includes AI

The most interesting part of the announcement, however, concerns Meta One, the brand under which Meta will group all its subscription offers over time. Alongside the consumer formulas already launched, two additional categories are currently being tested.

For creators and businesses, Meta One Essential ($14.99/month), which includes the verified badge and an expanded links page, and Meta One Advanced ($49.99/month), which guarantees greater visibility in the Facebook News Feed, priority positioning in the news feed, priority positioning in search results on Facebook and Instagram, automatic profile follow invitations for people who interact with content, and advanced analytics tools. These offerings are already being tested in markets such as Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand and Bangladesh.

On the artificial intelligence front, next month Meta will launch tests of Meta One Plus ($7.99/month) and Meta One Premium ($19.99/month), initially in Singapore, Guatemala and Bolivia. The difference between the two lies in computing power: the Premium package will unlock "thinking mode" for more complex reasoning, as well as increased image and video generation capacity. Meta AI will remain free for occasional use.