Meta is preparing a new phase of monetization: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp would remain free, but advanced features, less advertising, and AI tools could become subscription-based. For creators, brands, and heavy users, the stakes are becoming strategic.
Between promises of "free" services and the rise of premium options, the Meta ecosystem is moving towards a more pronounced freemium model. The signs are multiplying: tools forgenerative artificial intelligenceoffers no advertisingand features reserved for intensive use.
This evolution also reshuffles the cards for influence, media performance and audience relations: what gains, what costs, and what concrete trade-offs on a daily basis?
Towards premium subscriptions on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
The dominant model for the past fifteen years is based on a simple principle: mass access, financed by advertising and the exploitation of behavioral signals. This framework is evolving, as infrastructure and research costs are exploding with theGenerative AIvideo capabilities and large-scale moderation.
Meta has let slip a clear strategy: maintain a free, "standard" foundation, then offer paid layers for advanced uses. The announced investments in AI—with an order of magnitude that has been circulating— $72.2 billion in 2025 — make the shift towards recurring revenue more coherent. Why rely solely on CPM when subscriptions offer visibility and predictability?
On Instagram and Facebook, the idea of access no advertising This is already part of a dynamic underway in Europe, with prices varying according to markets and regulatory contexts. Alongside this, "power user" modules enhance the perceived value: more management options, greater control, and time-saving features.
For WhatsApp, the cultural shift is more pronounced, as the app is associated with private messaging. However, its tab geared towards sharing information and content (statuses, channels, news) naturally opens the door to advertising… and therefore to the opposite option: paying to remove it. This separation between the conversational space and the discovery space allows Meta to avoid the feeling of intrusion into the heart of the conversations.
A common thread emerges: the user no longer simply "pays" for a service, they pay for a experience (Less friction, more tools, more control). And for brands, this shift towards premium signals a change in distribution, where some of the attention becomes more targeted, because it is intentionally funded. Final insight: When the subscription appears, its value is measured in time saved and irritants eliminated..
To understand what this model changes in practice, we need to examine the features that actually justify a payment, particularly in terms of creation and AI.
Paid features: Generative AI, video creation, and "power user" tools
Partially paid offerings only make sense if they unlock a tangible benefit. One of the most compelling levers remains AI-assisted content creation: script generation, creative variations, accelerated editing, and multi-format adaptations. Meta is progressively pushing products capable of transforming an idea into a publishable product, and this is precisely where pricing can be introduced.
A telling example: video generation features such as Vibe (mentioned in the leaks and announcements) could remain freely accessible in limited quantities, then become more intensive via subscription. The mechanism is classic: free trial, cap, then unlimited access. For a creator who publishes daily, the difference lies in productivity and consistency. One more video per week, over a three-month period, can be enough to change the trajectory of an account.
Another area of focus: intelligent assistants integrated into applications. The integration of a conversational agent such as Manus AI within the ecosystem can support "invisible" but costly tasks: planningThis includes preparing an editorial calendar, formatting a sales proposal, or creating a brief for a collaboration. Here, the subscription is considered an operational expense, comparable to a SaaS tool.
Instagram also caters to "power user" expectations: closely monitoring interactions, better understanding subscription reciprocity, and viewing certain content more discreetly. This type of feature, sometimes described as the ability to view a story without leaving a trace, targets intensive use where the platform becomes a competitive intelligence tool as much as a social network.
To illustrate, a fictional cosmetics brand, "Atelier Alba," collaborates with a micro-influencer who is testing a premium offering. With the help of an AI assistant, the creator prepares Reels scripts more quickly and develops three different hooks depending on the target audience. The result: a more iterative campaign, faster feedback, and accelerated learning. Final insight: The most adopted paid options will be those that transform a creative effort into an industrialized routine without losing authenticity..
The following question then becomes unavoidable: if we pay to remove advertising and limit tracking, how does marketing performance reorganize itself?
Impact on users, creators and brands: pricing, advertising and arbitrage in Europe
The heart of the debate lies in the arbitration between personal dataEase of use and monthly cost. In several European countries, meta platforms have already accustomed users to a binary choice: accept personalized ads or pay for a more neutral experience. This framework is becoming a standard, and it is extending to WhatsApp through its public content space (statuses, channels, news) rather than through the messaging service itself.
Technical clues found in the application's code even suggested a symbolic price of approximately $1 per month to remove ads in certain locations. At this level, impulse buying becomes possible: the payment is no longer perceived as a heavy subscription, but as a monthly "tip" to regain peace and quiet.
For brands, this context produces two simultaneous effects. On the one hand, a portion of the audience becomes less monetizable through advertising, which can reduce inventory. On the other hand, users who choose premium options can be more engaged, more loyal, and more inclined to support creators through direct formats (subscriptions, exclusive content, live streams). Influencer marketing thus gains importance, as it partially circumvents dependence on ad impressions.
To make the trade-offs more objective, a table helps to compare the scenarios on the Meta side:
| Platform | Partially paid option | User benefit | Likely effect on brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offer no advertising + advanced functions | Fewer interruptions, better feed readability | Fewer print jobs, increased need for native content and partnerships | |
| Power user pack + tools IA creation | Time savings, better interaction management | More productive creators, faster iteration of campaigns | |
| Removing ads in Statutes and Chains | Comfort in the discovery tab, less interruptions | Shifting budgets towards influencer marketing and branded content across channels |
Finally, deployment typically occurs in waves: localized testing, price adjustments, then expansion. In this type of rollout, creators and companies that implement early monitoring (tracking effects, comparing performance, adapting formats) gain a significant advantage. Final insight: In a partially paid world, performance depends less on the volume purchased than on the quality of the relationship built..
To amplify this relational quality, execution and selection of the right profiles become decisive, which directly relates to the expertise of specialized partners.
ValueYourNetwork accompanies these transitions precisely: since 2016The team optimizes influencer marketing strategies adapted to platform evolutions, with hundreds of campaigns conducted on social media. The key advantage lies in the ability to connecting influencers and brands methodically, taking into account new signals (premium audiences, native formats, advertising constraints) and business objectives. To build or adjust a strategy on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in the era of partially paid services, simply contact us.