Meta to test premium subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp

Meta Platforms will test new subscription models across its apps, including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, in the coming months, according to a report from TechCrunch on Tuesday.

The report, confirmed by a Meta spokesperson, said subscriptions are expected to “unlock greater productivity and creativity” by giving paid users access to more features and expanded AI capabilities.

The overall suite of AI agents that Meta recently acquired under Manus will also scale as part of its subscription plans. Meta Platforms acquired Manus, a Singapore-based developer of artificial intelligence agents founded in China, for $2 billion in December.

With its new subscription plans, Meta may be looking for a return on investment from the big spend it made on AI capabilities and acquisitions last year, even before acquiring Manus.

While Meta develops large language models under the Lama umbrella, they are open source. This means that public access to Lama remains free, unlike paid plans from AI leaders like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

Other features available as part of Meta’s paid plans may include full access to Vibes, an AI-powered short-form video experience that allows users to create and remix AI-generated videos.

While Vibes has been free since its launch in 2025, the new subscription model will provide free access to its base version with the option to pay for additional features.

Subscriptions will be separate from Meta Verified, a paid product launched by the company in 2023 that provides creators and businesses with a verified badge, 24/7 direct support, identity protection, search optimization, and more.

Meta told TechCrunch it plans to listen to its user community and gather feedback as it rolls out subscriptions in the coming months.