Meta is rolling out its Plus subscriptions worldwide across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, pricing Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus at $3.99 per month and WhatsApp Plus at $2.99 per month. Free versions remain, with the paid tiers focused on extra story co
On a normal day in Meta’s biggest apps, people post, scroll, message, and call without thinking about what might cost extra. Now Meta is betting some will pay a few dollars a month for finer-grained controls and a bit more visibility—and it’s starting to do that on a global scale.
Meta says its Plus subscriptions, first tested with limited groups of users, are expanding worldwide across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The company is pricing the plans separately: Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus cost $3.99 per month. while WhatsApp Plus is $2.99 per month. Crucially. the free versions of these apps aren’t going away. meaning regular posting. messaging. calling. and scrolling still work without a subscription.
Instagram Plus is built around creators who live on Stories. Paying users can see the total number of Story rewatches. create more audience lists beyond Close Friends. and keep Stories live for longer than 24 hours. The subscription also lets users spotlight one Story each week so it gets more visibility. plus it adds options that make the audience side feel more precise: users can search through Story viewers. watch someone else’s Story without showing up in the viewer list. and post to their profile or highlights without sending that post into followers’ feeds.
There are also lighter, more personal touches bundled in—custom app icons, profile bio fonts, animated Super Heart reactions, and profile pins.
Facebook Plus follows a similar theme, targeting people who want additional social and personalization tools, with the focus on controlling how they appear on the platform.
WhatsApp Plus, at $2.99 per month, looks different. It’s framed less like a new set of must-have utilities and more like a way to shape the app’s feel. Subscribers can send premium stickers with special effects. choose unique app themes and icons. pin up to 20 chats. and set premium ringtones for important contacts.
The most practical feature is the ability to customize message alerting through separate lists. Subscribers can create separate lists for work. family. friends. or groups. and assign each one its own alert tone. ringtone. and theme. The idea is simple: when your phone starts lighting up all day. those sounds can tell you whether an incoming message is work. family. or just someone you know.
Still, it doesn’t land with the same clarity as Instagram Plus. Instagram Plus maps its value to visible creator outcomes—rewatches, longer-lasting Stories, weekly spotlighting, and viewer search tools. WhatsApp Plus. for now. reads as easier to skip because much of what it adds is optional personalization rather than a new core capability.
For Meta, the strategy seems to be testing where users will pay: creators might feel the pull of expanded Story controls and visibility, while WhatsApp’s paid tier may appeal to people who truly want the extra customization—and to everyone else, the free app remains fully usable.
Meta Plus Instagram Plus Facebook Plus WhatsApp Plus subscription pricing Stories rewatches Close Friends Story viewers premium stickers pinned chats custom ringtones
So now it’s pay to see Stories? Cool.
I don’t get it, the free version is still there but they keep adding “Plus” like it’s totally different. $3.99 a month for extra story stuff sounds dumb to me but I guess people will do it.
Wait is this the one where WhatsApp Plus means you can message without ads?? Cuz the title makes it sound like WhatsApp Plus is “optional” like normal WhatsApp is gonna get shut off or something later.
Meta really said $2.99 for “more visibility” and longer Stories and then “free versions aren’t going away” like that fixes it. Next it’s gonna be paywalling who can see your views or whatever. Also the whole story viewer search thing feels creepy, like why would I want to peek without being seen? I’m just gonna ignore it until it somehow affects regular accounts.