X Premium is worth it if you post on X to build an audience or earn from it. The $8/month Premium tier in the US is the cheapest plan that includes the blue checkmark, larger reply prioritization and access to apply for Original Content Rewards. Basic at $3/month only suits people who want editing and longer posts.
Checked September 24, 2026 against X's Help Center pages on X Premium, the blue checkmark and Original Content Rewards. Prices are US web prices; X localizes them.
What do the X Premium tiers cost?
| Tier | US price (web) | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $3/month or $32/year | Edit post, longer posts, longer video uploads, reply prioritization, text formatting, bookmark folders |
| Premium | $8/month or $84/year | Everything in Basic plus the blue checkmark, about 50% fewer ads, access to apply for Original Content Rewards and Creator Subscriptions, larger reply prioritization, ID verification, Media Studio, higher Grok limits |
| Premium+ | $40/month or $395/year | Everything in Premium plus SuperGrok, no ads in most places, the largest reply prioritization, Radar Search and X Pro |
Prices are before tax and payment fees. X says it does not offer free trials of Premium, and subscriptions are non-refundable unless the law requires otherwise. That includes subscriptions on accounts that later get suspended.
Which 5 Premium features are worth paying for?
1. Access to Original Content Rewards
This is the one feature that can pay for the subscription. X's payout program requires an active Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business subscription, so Basic does not qualify.
You also need 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home timeline impressions from verified users in 90 days, and X reviews each application. What payouts actually look like is covered in how much X pays for 1 million views.
2. Reply prioritization
Every tier gets some reply prioritization, and it grows with the tier. X describes it modestly: people "will see a slight preference for replies from verified accounts over other replies," and X is still testing the levels. For accounts that grow by replying in their niche, that small edge applies to every reply you write.
3. Edit post
You get a one-hour window to make a limited number of changes to a published post or quote. Fixing a typo without deleting the post keeps its replies and early engagement intact. What readers see after an edit, and which posts cannot be edited at all, is in can you edit a tweet on X.
4. Longer posts and longer videos
Premium lets you post up to 25,000 characters instead of 280, and upload videos up to about 3 hours and 8GB at 1080p on x.com and iOS. Useful if you publish tutorials, breakdowns or long demos natively. Details on counting are in our Twitter character limit guide.
5. Fewer ads and Media Studio
On the Premium tier, X says you see approximately 50% fewer ads in the For You and Following timelines, though ads elsewhere, such as in replies and on profiles, are unchanged. Media Studio lets you manage uploaded images and videos at studio.x.com. Neither is a growth feature, but both matter if you spend hours a day on X.
What does the blue checkmark actually mean now?
X says the blue checkmark means an account "has an active subscription to X Premium and meets our eligibility requirements." It does not mean the account is ID verified, and X no longer reviews accounts for being notable.
The checkmark is also not instant. It appears after a review, and X lists requirements: a display name and profile photo, activity in the past 30 days, a confirmed phone number, no recent changes to your photo, name or handle, and no signs of being misleading or of spam. Changing your photo, name or handle later removes the checkmark until the account is reviewed again.
Gold and grey checkmarks are separate products for organizations and governments. Our guide to getting a gold checkmark on X explains who qualifies.
What is not worth paying for?
- A reach guarantee. X does not promise any reach, follower or revenue outcome from Premium. Reply prioritization is a slight preference, not a boost to every post.
- Basic, if monetization is the goal. Basic has no checkmark and is not eligible for Original Content Rewards.
- Premium+, for most creators. The extra $32/month mainly buys SuperGrok, an ad-free feed and X Pro. Buy it if you use those, not for growth.
- Articles, without checking first. X's help page lists Articles under Premium+ in its tier summary but also in the Premium feature list. Confirm on the signup page before paying for that feature.
Who should pay for X Premium?
| You are... | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Posting daily to grow in a niche | Premium, for reply prioritization and the checkmark |
| Close to 500 verified followers and building impressions | Premium, since Basic cannot apply for payouts |
| Mostly reading, occasionally posting | Free, or Basic if you want edits |
| Heavy Grok user or want an ad-free feed | Premium+ |
| A company wanting an official badge | Premium Business, not Premium |
Premium does not replace the work. Our founder went from 0 to 6,900 followers in 81 days and earned a first X payout of $828.77, and the posts and replies did that, not the badge. The full numbers are in 81 days to my first X payout.
Frequently asked questions
How much is X Premium per month?
In the US on the web, Basic is $3/month, Premium is $8/month and Premium+ is $40/month, before tax. Prices differ by country and platform.
Does X Premium include a free trial?
No. X says it is not offering free trials of Premium at this time.
Do I need Premium to earn money on X?
For Original Content Rewards, yes: you need Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business. Basic does not qualify.
Does Premium get my posts more reach?
X only describes a slight preference for replies from verified accounts in conversation ranking. It does not promise more reach for regular posts.
Can I get a refund on X Premium?
Subscriptions are non-refundable unless the law requires it. Cancel at least 24 hours before renewal to avoid the next charge.
Official sources
Try the loop on your own cohort.
Pick three accounts you would like to be at in 12 months. ClimbX pulls their recent outliers, tags them, and drafts in your voice off what is currently working. Edit, ship, watch the loop tighten.
Read next
- Is It Worth Upgrading From Premium to Premium+ on X? - I have used X Premium+ for two months. What the extra $32 a month buys, what happened to my reach, why X Pro did not stick, and who should upgrade.
- AI Content Quality: How to Improve AI Social Media Posts - A practical quality-control workflow for better AI social media content: improve the prompt, ground the draft, edit for voice, and learn from real audience response.
- X Original Content Rewards: what changed and how to qualify in 2026. - X shut down Creator Revenue Sharing on September 7 and replaced it with Original Content Rewards. The new 500,000-impression threshold, qualified-view rules, final payout dates, and what existing creators need to do next.