Meta jumps after announcing paid subscriptions for Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and AI

Meta shares rose nearly 3% Wednesday after the company announced Meta One, a suite of paid subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, priced at $3.99 and $2.99 per month respectively, alongside two AI tiers at $7.99 and $19.99. The move marks Meta’s first large-scale push to monetize its flagship apps through subscriptions rather than advertising alone, as the company seeks to reassure investors about its massive AI spending.

Meta jumps after announcing paid subscriptions for Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and AI On Wednesday, Meta https://robinhood.com/us/en/stocks/META/?source=sherwood announced that it’s rolling out Meta One, a suite of paid versions of its most popular apps that offer extras like profile customization, super reactions, and story insights. Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will cost $3.99 a month, while WhatsApp Plus is going for $2.99, according to TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/meta-officially-launches-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp-subscriptions-with-more-to-come-including-ai-plans/ . The company is also launching https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/meta-officially-launches-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp-subscriptions-with-more-to-come-including-ai-plans/ two AI subscription tiers — one for $7.99 and another for $19.99 for more advanced users. People can continue using the Meta AI chatbot for free but will now run into limits. Together, these represent Meta’s first large-scale attempt to monetize everyday consumer use of its flagship apps through subscriptions rather than relying solely on advertising. The stock is up nearly 3% on the news. Meta’s head of product Naomi Gleit said in an Instagram post that the company has “more plans on the way for creators, businesses, and Meta AI power users.” Meta has struggled to justify https://sherwood.news/tech/why-investors-are-responding-google-meta-capex-earnings-differently/ its enormous AI capital expenditures to investors since it lacks the recurring cloud revenue of its peers. New subscription revenue streams could help reassure investors that Meta has additional ways to monetize its AI investments beyond advertising. TechCrunch reported https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/meta-to-test-premium-subscriptions-on-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp earlier this year that Meta had been testing premium subscriptions. Together, these represent Meta’s first large-scale attempt to monetize everyday consumer use of its flagship apps through subscriptions rather than relying solely on advertising. The stock is up nearly 3% on the news. Meta’s head of product Naomi Gleit said in an Instagram post that the company has “more plans on the way for creators, businesses, and Meta AI power users.” Meta has struggled to justify https://sherwood.news/tech/why-investors-are-responding-google-meta-capex-earnings-differently/ its enormous AI capital expenditures to investors since it lacks the recurring cloud revenue of its peers. New subscription revenue streams could help reassure investors that Meta has additional ways to monetize its AI investments beyond advertising. TechCrunch reported https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/meta-to-test-premium-subscriptions-on-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp earlier this year that Meta had been testing premium subscriptions.