Half he’s doing somethingTO THE one of the new drivers of its subscription strategy. With Meta Onein fact, the company expands the plans already introduced on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp and focuses many of the innovations on generative tools.
The novelty therefore does not consist in making access to the three platforms paid. The basic experience continues to be freebut the group is introducing an increasingly clear distinction between those who occasionally use AI-based functions and those who want to exploit them more frequently, offering the latter higher limits and additional options through paid formulas.
What is Meta One and what changes on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp
To understand how Meta One works we need to distinguish two groups of plans. On the one hand there are Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus and WhatsApp Plus, each dedicated to a single platform and designed in particular to offer customization tools and other specific advantages. On the other we find Core and Premiumwhich combine the benefits of the three Plus formulas and are the two levels most oriented towards artificial intelligence.
Overall, Meta One includes more than 50 features spread across different apps and, according to the company, has already registered 15 million subscriptions and trial periods. Core and Premium, on the other hand, allow wider use of some operations that require greater computing resources. Among the examples indicated by Meta are the generation and editing of images, the creation of videos with Muse templates and other creative functions integrated into the group’s apps.
Also Meta AI follows the same logic. The assistant continues to be available for free for everyday tasks, while higher tiers allow you to create and edit more content.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all threshold. Half did not communicate a precise number of available uses and explained that these values may change based on country, context of use and system conditions. For this reason it is not possible to establish in advance how many images, videos or modifications are always available without incurring the established limit.
The service is also set to expand. The company has already anticipated that it will also arrive on Editson AI glasses and in other experiences of the group.
Because on Instagram some AI effects already have a free limit
On Instagram it is already possible to concretely see how this system works. During a test with AI effects to edit photographs, after several processing a message appeared indicating the reaching the free limit. To continue immediately, the switch to Meta One Core was proposed, otherwise we had to wait until the next day.
Simply speaking of “paid AI effects” would then be imprecise. The tools remain accessible for free within a certain threshold, while the paid plan allows you to continue using them once the available quota has been exhausted. The operation resembles that of many artificial intelligence services, in which free access coexists with formulas designed for those who generate a greater quantity of content.
Among the Instagram functions involved is Restylewhich allows you to transform the appearance of a Story with AI. In initial tests of the combined packages, more than half of enrollees used both AI-powered tools and customization options. Meta also indicated Restyle and vocal effects among the features that contributed most to pushing users towards subscribing.
How much do paid plans cost and why Meta focuses on subscriptions
Meta notes that pricing, availability and benefits may vary by region, app and account. In the European versions of the official announcement, Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus are listed at 2.99 euros per month, while WhatsApp Plus starts at 2.49 euros. The two plans most focused on AI, however, cost money 6.99 euros per month for Core and 20.99 euros for Premium.
The offer doesn’t stop at ordinary users. There are also packages for creators and businesses, starting from Essentialindicated on the European pages from 16.99 euros per monthwith subsequent levels designed for more advanced professional needs. Tools available include deeper audience analysis, Story scheduling, links in posts and Reels, employee access management, and increased use of Meta Business Agent.
The expansion of subscriptions comes as the group invests significant resources in artificial intelligence and looks for new sources of revenue beyond advertising. According to estimates by Apptopia, a company specialized in analyzing the app market, in the week of September 9th Instagram generated on average 1.2 million dollars a day through in-app purchases, while Facebook has achieved $528,000. Compared to the previous week, the estimated increases were 475% and 143%, respectively.
Meta One is therefore part of a strategy that aims to turn some of the interest in AI into recurring revenuecombining advertising with additional revenue linked to subscriptions.
