Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are set to receive paid Plus versions. Meta is not only testing new features, but also a second revenue logic alongside advertising.
Meta is introducing new paid Plus offerings for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The programmes are set to roll out worldwide and will add extra functions without replacing the existing free versions. The models were announced by Meta’s chief product officer Naomi Gleit.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus are aimed primarily at users who want greater control over reach, profile impact and interaction. Features mentioned include improved analytics, statistics on repeated Story views and additional profile customisation options. WhatsApp Plus, by contrast, focuses more strongly on personalisation, including premium stickers and custom ringtones.
Meta has not yet announced specific prices. According to media reports, Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus could cost 3.99 dollars per month, while WhatsApp Plus could cost 2.99 dollars. In the longer term, the offerings are apparently to be bundled under a shared brand called “Meta One”.
The move shows how strongly Meta wants to broaden its business model. Until now, the group has depended above all on advertising and the commercial exploitation of social attention. With the Plus models, an additional layer emerges: users are not paying for access, but for visibility, analysis and the symbolic upgrading of their profiles.
In Europe, Meta has already offered paid, ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram since 2023. The new Plus models follow a different logic, however. They are not designed to defuse regulatory conflicts, but to create additional willingness to pay within the platforms themselves.
