Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is launching a paid subscription service for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Meta AI. By also starting paid subscriptions for its flagship social media (SNS) platforms Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, it is accelerating its monetization strategy.
According to Bloomberg and other major foreign media, on the 27th (local time) Meta will pilot two AI subscription services starting next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia. The plans are Meta One Plus at $7.99 per month (about 11,000 won) and Meta One Premium at $19.99 per month (about 30,000 won). Both products share the basic ability to generate images and videos and use reasoning features, but the premium plan offers higher usage limits.
In the current consumer AI subscription market, OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus, Google's Gemini Advanced, and Anthropic's Claude Pro all cost $20 per month. As a latecomer, Meta appears to be trying to compete with a $7.99 monthly plan.
Along with this, Meta will also roll out dedicated subscription products for its flagship apps Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp to markets worldwide in stages. The plans are Instagram Plus ($3.99 per month), Facebook Plus ($3.99 per month), and WhatsApp Plus ($2.99 per month), or about 4,500 won to 6,000 won per month. Subscribers will be able to use a variety of personalized features not available to free users.
Earlier, Meta Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg said the company would invest $600 billion (about 833 trillion won) over the next few years in AI infrastructure and more, and Meta's move is seen as an effort to secure a new revenue source beyond advertising through paid services.
Meta plans to expand its AI and SNS subscription services to other countries later.
Meta Chief Product Officer (CPO) Naomi Gleit said, "We are currently continuing to experiment with AI and professional plans," and added, "Over the long term, we plan to integrate them all under the Meta One brand and continuously expand capabilities."