Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has rolled out a subscription-based premium tier for its users, offering advanced features not available on the free versions of the platforms.
The launch follows many weeks of quiet testing and team confirmation, and comes a few days after Meta quietly launched a new group chat app called Forum. Behind the paywall on the premium tiers of the three platforms lie new features such as the ability to view detailed stats on Instagram or Facebook Stories, extend vanishing posts beyond 24 hours, and access custom themes and reactions.
The decision is a foundational shift for the platforms that have remained free since their launch decades ago. The three platforms have all crossed the billion-user mark, and the introduction of a premium version is a significant development that will have a meaningful impact on Meta’s financials and stock price.
Meta becomes the second major social media company to adopt a paid subscription model, following X’s launch of Premium tiers a few months after Elon Musk bought the platform.
Pricing and features
The Instagram and Facebook plus cost N5,500 ($3.99), while WhatsApp plus costs N4,200 ($2.99). Meta is also working towards introducing a paid subscription for its AI product, Business, and creator accounts, all on a single platform called Meta One.
Despite the official launch coming in May, Meta has been testing the premium versions since March. Features on it, as attested by the test group, include a super heart emoji not available in the free version, the ability to create spotlight stories, view who watched a story, watch another user’s story without appearing as a viewer, and extend stories beyond the 24-hour mark.
For WhatsApp, the case is similar. Premium users will enjoy app themes, exclusive ringtones, customization features, upgraded stickers, additional pinned chats, and other bonuses. The entire Premium versions will be housed under the Meta One brand alongside Meta’s AI products.
Meta Ai is also considered for a freemium business model, where the larger platform remains free while users are required to pay to access advanced features on the platform. Meta is the parent company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with WhatsApp and Instagram having been acquired by Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder.
Zuckerberg remains the sixth richest man on the planet with a net worth of $225 billion. He is the only core Social Media Founder on the top-ten list of the world’s richest people.
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ExploreLast updated: May 28, 2026
