Meta is preparing to test paid subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, as it seeks to earn revenue beyond advertising while keeping its core services free.
The company says the planned subscriptions will come with extra tools for everyday users, creators and businesses, including new ways to work, create and share content.
These paid options will sit outside Meta Verified and will be tested in different forms across each app rather than launched as a single package.
From what Meta has outlined, there is no fixed model yet. Instead, the company intends to experiment with different bundles and features, adjusting its approach based on user response.
The goal is to avoid forcing one paid experience across platforms that serve very different audiences.
An important part of the plan involves Manus, the autonomous agent company Meta acquired in December for a reported $2 billion. Meta plans to weave Manus into its consumer apps while continuing to sell it as a standalone product to businesses.
The company previously described the technology as a way to deliver tools that can complete complex tasks with minimal input.
“Manus’s exceptional talent will join Meta’s team to deliver general-purpose agents across our consumer and business products, including Meta AI,” the company said at the time of the acquisition.
Signs of early integration are already appearing. Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, known for spotting features still in development, has shared evidence suggesting Meta is working on a Manus shortcut inside Instagram.
Video creation will also become part of Meta’s subscription tests. The company plans to introduce paid tiers for Vibes, its short-form video creation feature inside the Meta AI app.
Vibes, launched last year, allows users to generate and remix videos. While it has been free until now, Meta intends to move it to a freemium model, where subscribers can unlock additional video creation limits each month.
Some of the most concrete details so far relate to Instagram. According to Paluzzi, a subscription could allow users to create unlimited audience lists, see which followers do not follow them back, and view Stories anonymously. What paid features might look like on WhatsApp and Facebook has not yet been disclosed.
Meta says the new subscriptions are informed by lessons learned from Meta Verified, its paid verification service introduced in 2023. Meta Verified is largely aimed at creators and businesses, offering a verified badge, direct support, impersonation protection and other tools. The new subscriptions, by contrast, are designed for a wider audience.
Across the social media industry, advertising growth has slowed, competition from platforms like TikTok has increased, and paid features are becoming more common.
Snap’s Snapchat+ service, priced from $3.99 a month, has passed 16 million subscribers and continues to grow, showing that users will pay if they see value.
But still, looking at the risk of subscription fatigue. With users already paying for streaming, cloud storage and productivity tools, convincing them to add another monthly fee will not be easy.
Meta says it plans to roll out the tests gradually and gather feedback before deciding how far to push its subscription plans.
