Meta rolls out paid subscriptions across its apps

Meta Launches Paid AI Chatbot Subscriptions Starting at $7.99

Meta Platforms on Wednesday began rolling out its first consumer subscriptions for the Meta AI chatbot, introducing a two-tier pricing model as the company seeks new revenue streams to offset its massive artificial intelligence infrastructure spending.

Two Tiers Under the Meta One Brand

The basic tier, called Meta One Plus, costs $7.99 per month and is designed for users who frequently rely on Meta AI for image and video generation or extended reasoning tasks, according to Bloomberg Law. A more advanced option, Meta One Premium, is priced at $19.99 per month and offers greater capacity for complex queries, deeper reasoning, and enhanced video and image generation capabilities across Meta’s platforms.yahoo

Meta AI will remain free for casual users, but the paid tiers align with a broader industry trend in which AI service providers charge for advanced computational capabilities and heavier usage. Testing for the AI plans is set to begin in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.yahoo

Part of a Broader Subscription Push

The AI subscriptions are part of a wider launch announced Wednesday that includes app-specific paid tiers for Instagram Plus ($3.99 per month), Facebook Plus ($3.99 per month), and WhatsApp Plus ($2.99 per month), each offering features like profile customization, enhanced reactions, and story insights. All tiers fall under a new unified brand called “Meta One.”yahoo

Separately, Meta plans to trial professional subscriptions for creators and businesses in markets including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh. The Meta One Essential plan ($14.99 per month) will offer verification badges and impersonation protection, while the Meta One Advanced plan ($49.99 per month) adds visibility features in feeds and search rankings.yahoo

Monetizing Billions in AI Spending

The subscription push comes as Meta has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure. The company first signaled plans for a paid Meta AI tier in early 2025, when Reuters reported that testing would begin that year with meaningful revenue not expected until 2026. In January 2026, Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it would test premium subscriptions across its apps with expanded AI capabilities.reuters

Naomi Gleit, a Meta executive, acknowledged the company is still in an experimental phase with its AI and professional plans but said the goal is to unify them under the Meta One brand with ongoing updates planned over time.yahoo