The existence of WhatsApp Plus hasn’t really been a secret, but it’s officially here. Worse, it’ll be going global. Even worse than that? The subscription offering will also encompass Facebook and Instagram. But at least it can’t get any worse, right?
Actually… the company says that it’s also developing other subscriptions, for Meta creators, businesses, and folks who use Meta AI. That’s a problem for the future, though. In the meantime, you’ll wind up paying at least R65/m for Facebook Plus or Instagram Plus. WhatsApp Plus is set to be cheaper, at around R50 a month.
WhatsApp with all these subscriptions
Only American pricing is known for the moment, with Meta’s social media platforms charging $4/m for the Plus version. The messaging app scales it back to $3/m. There’s massive earning potential for Meta here, assuming the company can convince all 3.3 billion users to play along. Three dollars a month translates to $10 billion in monthly revenue for the company. There’s no way Meta will get that, of course, unless they’re willing to nerf the hell out of its platform. Still, it’s extra money.
What are the end users getting for their monthly payment? Each app will differ, with more Story stats and insights available to Instagram subscribers. WhatsApp users will have more personalisation options to fiddle with, while Facebook users will have a combined setup including themes, stickers, and customisation at their disposal.
The addition of subscription tiers to Meta’s social media platforms could go several ways — but it’ll definitely take one of those roads now, thanks to the rollout. It could net Meta some additional monthly income. The new stats-based insights could prompt better content… or it could crush spirits and lead to fewer posts. Meta probably knows what it is doing, and this is just a practise run for what really needs to be paid for: Meta AI.
Speaking of, there are three paid versions of Meta AI planned. Meta One Plus should cost users R135/m, and Meta One Premium will run subscribers R330/m. Meta One Essential will demand about R250/m. As with the company’s other apps, access to Meta AI will remain free… if rate-limited. How long that state of affairs will remain that way across Facebook, Insta, WhatsApp, and the company’s AI offering remains to be seen.
