Meta to Test Paid Plans for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Meta Platforms Inc. (META, Financials) plans to introduce paid subscription options across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, expanding its revenue model beyond advertising.

According to a TechCrunch report confirmed by Meta, the new plans will unlock advanced AI features and creative tools for paying users. The company said the subscriptions are designed to enhance productivity and creativity while giving users more control over their experience.

The initiative builds on Meta’s December acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup purchased for $2 billion. The company plans to scale Manus’s general AI agents as part of the subscription rollout.

Meta’s push into paid offerings could help recoup the heavy investments it made in AI development last year. While its Llama language models remain free and open source, competitors like OpenAI and Google already offer paid tiers for their AI products.

The subscription options will be separate from Meta Verified, which is a service for creators and corporations that started in 2023 and offers account verification, support, and security solutions. Meta said that it will listen to what users have to say as it tries the new model over the next few months.