Meta Launches AI Chatbot Subscriptions
Meta is charging for its AI chatbot for the first time, starting at $7.99 a month with Meta One Plus and $19.99 a month with Meta One Premium. The company, which recently cut 8,000 jobs to fund AI infrastructure, is rolling out these subscriptions in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia initially.
The Pricing Strategy
The pricing strategy is deliberate:
- Meta One Premium at $19.99 matches the price of ChatGPT Plus and Google AI Pro.
- Meta One Plus at $7.99 undercuts both by more than half, making it an attractive entry point for users already engaged with Meta’s apps.
Subscription Rollout
This launch is part of a broader subscription rollout across Meta’s product family:
- Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus: $3.99 per month.
- WhatsApp Plus: $2.99 per month.
- Meta One Essential for businesses and creators: $14.99 per month.
- Meta One Advanced: $49.99 per month, including access to human support for business pages.
Why Now?
Meta reported $56.3 billion in revenue for Q1 2026, primarily from advertising. The company aims to diversify its income streams by focusing on non-advertising revenue, including subscriptions and hardware.