Subscription time. 🛒
Meta just rolled out paid plans for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp globally. No more waiting. If you’re a consumer, you’re looking at prices that start low but add up fast.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus? That’s $3.99 a month. WhatsApp Plus is cheaper, sitting at $2.99.
You get a little extra sparkle. Profile customization. Super reactions. Story insights that let you see who’s rewatching your life updates.
“More fun features will be added in the future.”
That’s what Naomi Gleit, head of product at Meta, said. Fun features. Sounds like a trap but maybe it isn’t.
The old verification stuff? It stays. Meta Verified isn’t going away, despite what some might assume. The new Plus plans sit right next to it. One handles identity and protection, the other gives you toys.
What you actually get
Why do this? Ads aren’t enough anymore. Growth is flat. These apps have everyone who has a phone. Meta needs to squeeze more juice out the billions already on the platform. Diversify. Monetize the power users.
Instagram Plus lets you ghost into stories without showing up in viewer lists. You can extend a story’s life past 24 hours. Search for who’s watching. Post straight to highlights without clogging up followers’ feeds. There are unlimited audience lists too, so “Close Friends” becomes “Close Enough.”
Facebook Plus looks similar. Same tricks, different platform.
WhatsApp Plus goes darker. Custom themes. Ringtones for specific contacts. More pinned chats. It’s personalization for the paranoid. Or the organized. Depending on your mood.
But the real confusion starts now. 🌀
The AI tax
Meta isn’t just selling social filters. They are testing AI plans. Brand name: Meta One.
Two tiers here. Plus is $7.99. Premium is $19.99.
What’s the difference? Compute power. The Premium plan unlocks “thinking mode” for complex tasks. Better video and image generation across the apps.
Casual users? The AI stays free for now. Probably won’t stay free. This is how it always works. The premium tier is for when the models get heavy and expensive to run.
Testing starts next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia weird places to test high-end AI first but whatever.
For the grifters
Then there’s the plans for businesses and creators. Launching later this week in places like Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Thailand.
The Meta One Essential plan costs $14.99. It’s basically Meta Verified with an enhanced linksheet. A shiny badge. Protection from imposters.
The Meta One Advanced plan? That’s $49.99.
Half a grand a year minimum. Maybe more if you renew. You get the essentials, plus algorithmic favor. Appear higher in search results. Get featured in the feed. A bold “Follow” button. Invites sent to people who interact with you.
It’s a pay-to-play engine.
Better analytics too. Competitor insights. Tools to hand out moderation keys without giving away your password. Alerts when someone steals your reel so you can demand credit.
It feels transactional. It is transactional.
Gleit says they’re experimenting. Meta One is supposed to be the home for all this. Updated over time. Expanded.
So you can lock yourself in. Subscribe to the feed. Subscribe to the bot. Subscribe to being seen.
Not much left to keep for free, really.
What happens when everyone pays to be heard? 🤷
