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Talk about a Grinch move: Just in time for the holidays, a Premium+ X subscription will now cost $22 per month, a huge jump from the previous $16.
The changes, announced via blog post, are effective immediately for new subscribers and after January 20, 2025 (Inauguration Day in the US), for existing subscribers.
The revised fee varies by region and plan length. In the US, the monthly fee spikes by 37.5%, and the annual fee rises by 36.3%. The latter now costs $229 yearly, a significant leap from the previous $168. In Canada, the monthly Premium+ subscription is now CAD 29, and in the European Union, it will cost €21.00.
Premium+ is the most expensive plan in X’s subscription model. It offers an ad-free experience, the ability to publish articles, full use of Grok AI, and the highest priority for comments, among other perks. (Limited access to GrokAI is currently free for all users.)
X, formerly Twitter, has cited three major reasons for jacking up the price:
The first is about keeping the top tier completely ad-free. X considers the uninterrupted browsing experience a significant enhancement that drives up costs.
Next is the addition of newer features, such as trend-spotting tool Radar, and increased limits for Grok AI.
The final reason is the shift in the revenue-sharing model. In October, X announced it wanted creators to earn a living on the platform and said that up to 25% of its earnings from Premium subscriptions would be paid out to them. The monetization model is heavily based on content quality and engagement.
Notably, the hike comes just months after it was reported that X's valuation had dropped by 80% after Musk's takeover. X also lost a record number of users after Election Day.