X Premium (Twitter Blue) in 2025: Is It Worth It?

The platform once known as Twitter has undergone a seismic shift, and at the heart of this transformation is X Premium. What started as Twitter Blue has evolved into a multi-tiered subscription service that promises to enhance the user experience, offer new features, and even provide a path to monetization. But with three different levels and a range of benefits, many users are asking the same question: is paying for X actually worth it?

This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to inow about X Premium in 2025. We’ll dive deep into the features, explore the different pricing tiers, and help you determine if a subscription makes sense for you, whether you’re a casual user, a content creator, or a business.

What is X Premium? The Three Tiers Explained

X Premium is a paid subscription service that unlocks exclusive features on the platform. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, it’s divided into three distinct tiers: Basic, Premium, and Premium+. Each level builds upon the last, offering more functionality for a higher price point.

1. X Premium Basic: The Essential Upgrade

The Basic tier is the entry point into the world of paid X features. It’s designed for users who want to move beyond the limitations of a free account without committing to the full suite of creator tools.

Web Pricing: $3/month or $32/year

Key Features:

• Edit Post: This highly requested feature gives you a one-hour window to make changes to your original posts and quotes. You can fix typos, tag a user you forgot, or reorder media.
• Longer Posts: Break free from the 280-character limit. Basic subscribers can write posts up to 25,000 characters long, allowing for more detailed and nuanced content.
• Longer Video Uploads: Upload videos up to 3 hours long and 8GB in file size (1080p) directly from the web or iOS app.
• Text Formatting: Make your posts stand out by using bold and italic text.
• Bookmark Folders: Organize your saved posts into categorized folders for easier access.
• Custom App Icons & Themes: Personalize the look of your X app on mobile with different color themes and app icons.
• Reply Prioritization: Your replies receive a small ranking boost in conversations, making them slightly more visible than replies from free accounts.

2. X Premium: The Creator’s Choice

The mid-level Premium tier includes all the features of Basic and adds powerful tools geared toward content creators and power users. This is the tier that most closely resembles the original vision of a “verified” subscription.

Web Pricing: $8/month or $84/year

Additional Features:

• Blue Checkmark: The famous blue checkmark appears on your profile after a review process, signifying you have an active subscription and meet eligibility criteria. You also have the option to hide it.
• Reduced Ads: See approximately 50% fewer ads in your For You and Following timelines.
• Creator Revenue Sharing: Get a share of the ad revenue generated from the replies to your content. To be eligible, you need to meet certain follower and impression thresholds.
• Creator Subscriptions: Offer your followers a paid monthly subscription for exclusive content, creating a direct income stream.
• Access to Media Studio: Manage your uploaded images and videos, and analyze their performance.
• ID Verification: Add an extra layer of authenticity to your account by verifying your identity with a government-issued ID.

3. X Premium+: The All-In Experience

Premium+ is the top tier, designed for users who want the most complete and uninterrupted experience on X. It removes nearly all ads and provides access to the platform’s most advanced features.

Web Pricing: $40/month or $395/year

Additional Features:

• No Ads: Enjoy an ad-free experience in your For You and Following timelines. Promoted content may still occasionally appear elsewhere.
• Largest Reply Prioritization: Your replies receive the highest ranking boost, making them significantly more visible in large conversations.
• Write Articles: Publish long-form, formatted articles directly on X, complete with headlines, embedded media, and rich text.
• Access to Grok: Get full access to xAI’s conversational AI, Grok, for research and content generation.

Is X Premium Worth the Cost? A Breakdown by User Type

The value of an X Premium subscription depends entirely on how you use the platform.

For the Casual User

For someone who primarily uses X to follow news and friends, the Basic plan might be a worthwhile, low-cost upgrade. The ability to edit posts to fix embarrassing typos is a major quality-of-life improvement. Longer posts can also be useful for occasional in-depth thoughts without creating a long thread. However, many casual users will find the free version perfectly adequate.

For the Content Creator or Influencer

This is the group that stands to benefit the most. The standard Premium tier is almost essential for anyone serious about building an audience or brand on X.

• Visibility is Key: The algorithmic boost from reply prioritization and the blue checkmark (which signals an active user to the algorithm) can significantly increase the visibility of your content.
• Monetization: Creator Revenue Sharing and Subscriptions offer tangible financial returns. For accounts with high engagement, the subscription can pay for itself and become a meaningful source of income.
• Professional Tools: Media Studio and the ability to post longer videos provide the tools needed to create higher-quality, more engaging content.

For Businesses and Power Users

Businesses may opt for the Premium tier to gain visibility and build credibility with the checkmark. However, the Premium+ tier offers a more compelling proposition for brands, journalists, and researchers. The ad-free experience allows for more efficient monitoring and engagement, while the ability to write Articles turns an X profile into a fully-fledged content hub. Access to Grok can also streamline research and content creation.

The Controversy and the User Experience

The rollout of X Premium has not been without controversy. The shift from a verification system based on notability to a paid subscription model initially caused confusion and debate. Some users feel that paying for visibility undermines the platform’s meritocratic nature, while others see it as a necessary step for the platform’s financial health and a way to combat bots.

In practice, the experience is mixed. Creators with large, engaged followings have reported significant returns from ad revenue sharing. The edit button is universally praised. However, the true impact of “reply prioritization” is still debated, with some users noticing a clear difference and others seeing minimal change.

Ultimately, the decision to subscribe is a personal one. It requires weighing the cost against the features that you will actually use and the potential return on your investment, whether that return is financial or simply a better user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Do I lose my blue checkmark if I change my profile picture or name?
Yes. If you change your profile photo, display name, or username (@handle), you will temporarily lose the blue checkmark while your account is re-reviewed to ensure it still meets the eligibility criteria.

2. Can I get X Premium for free?
Yes, under certain conditions. X has a program where accounts with a large number of X Premium subscribers as followers can receive a complimentary subscription. Typically, accounts with over 2,500 premium followers get Premium for free, and those with over 5,000 get Premium+ for free.

3. Does X Premium work on all devices?
Most features are available across web, iOS, and Android, but some, like longer video uploads and access to Media Studio, are best utilized on the web. Pricing can also be higher when subscribing through the iOS App Store or Google Play Store due to their commission fees. It’s cheapest to subscribe on the web.

4. Can I get a refund if I cancel my subscription?
X subscriptions are generally non-refundable. If you cancel, your premium features will remain active until the end of your current billing cycle.

5. What’s the difference between the blue, gold, and grey checkmarks?
The blue checkmark indicates an individual or brand with an active X Premium subscription. The gold checkmark is for official business accounts under the “Verified Organizations” program, and the grey checkmark is for government and multilateral organizations.