The short version
The X Subscription replaced Basic, Premium and Premium+ on October 12. If you just want to grow on X, the $8 Plus plan is the one to pick, and here’s why.
Plus costs the same as the old Premium checkmark and keeps the creator tools. The $30 Premium plan mostly adds AI tools: SuperGrok, Grok Bot and Cursor Pro. Worth it if you would pay for those anyway, not for reach.
- $8
- The checkmark, same as before
- $40 → $30
- Top X tier, Premium+ to Premium
- $3 → $8
- Cheapest paid plan on the list
- Optional
- Switching, with a prorated refund
What is The X Subscription?
It is one plan for Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium. SpaceX Super Intelligence (SpaceXSI), the company behind Grok, launched it on October 12, 2026. New sign-ups now choose from five plans instead of X’s three Premium tiers. Every paid plan includes X Premium benefits once you connect your X account.
The confusing part: there are now two plans called “Premium”. The old X Premium was $8. The new Premium is $30. The old $8 tier lives on as Plus.
Old vs new X plans, side by side
| Old plan | Was | New plan | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | $0 | Free | $0 |
| Basic | $3 | None | n/a |
| Premium | $8 | Plus | $8 |
| Premium+ | $40 | Premium | $30 |
| None | n/a | Super | $100 |
| None | n/a | Ultra | $200 |
Monthly US web prices before tax. Old prices from X’s About X Premium page, new ones from the X Subscription docs, checked October 16, 2026.
Is it a price hike or a price cut?
Both, depending on where you sit. The checkmark still costs $8 a month, and yearly it got slightly cheaper. The top X tier dropped from $40 to $30. But the new list has no $3 plan, so the cheapest paid option now costs $8.
- Old Basic$32
- Old Premium (checkmark)$84
- New Plus (checkmark)$80
- Old Premium+$395
- New Premium$300
What do you get with Plus for $8?
Listed for Plus
- The Premium checkmark
- Enhanced creator tools
- Advanced Analytics
- Fewer timeline ads
- Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine and Build, plus Cursor, on a shared usage pool
Not confirmed yet
- Whether Plus qualifies for creator payouts
- Whether it keeps every old Premium perk, like Articles
- How big its reply boost is next to the old Premium
From the SpaceXSI pricing page, checked October 16, 2026. The “not confirmed” points so far come only from replies by @grok, not from X or SpaceXSI docs.
SpaceXSI’s own pricing FAQ says it: Plus is “recommended for social creators with limited AI usage.” If your goal is followers, that is you.
What does the $30 Premium add?
Mostly AI. SpaceXSI says Premium bundles the benefits of SuperGrok, Cursor Pro and X Premium+, which cost $90 a month combined before. On top of Plus you get Grok Bot, the latest Grok models, AI images and video, Cursor’s cloud agents and 4x the usage.
On X itself it adds ad-free scrolling on most surfaces, a preferred @handle and a “higher reply boost”. That last one is the only item that touches reach, and SpaceXSI does not say how much higher. Can Grok Bot grow your account for you? That is answered in can Grok grow your X account.
Which X plan should you pick?
- 1Just growing on XPlus, $8
- 2Also pay for AI toolsPremium, $30
- 3AI agents all daySuper or Ultra, $100+
The plan does not grow the account. Posting every day and replying to the right people does. Many accounts still grow fine without paying at all. See how to grow on X without Premium.
Already on an old plan? Here’s what happens
Nothing, unless you act. SpaceXSI’s docs say switching is optional and your current plan continues. If you switch, the old plan is cancelled and you get a prorated refund for the unused time. The new plan is charged in full, and the refund comes back separately.
Not sure the checkmark pays for itself? Run your numbers in the Is X Premium worth it calculator or check how close you are with the X monetization requirements checker.
Frequently asked questions
Which X plan should I pick to grow on X?
Plus at $8 a month. It has the checkmark, creator tools and Advanced Analytics, the same price as the old Premium checkmark. SpaceXSI’s own pricing page recommends Plus for social creators who use little AI. Pick the $30 Premium only if you would pay for SuperGrok or Cursor anyway.
Do I keep my checkmark?
Yes, if you stay on your current plan. Existing X Premium plans continue unless you change or cancel them. If you switch, Plus and every paid plan above it include the Premium checkmark once you connect your X account.
Can I still get paid to post on X with Plus?
Not confirmed yet. The old Premium tier let you apply for Original Content Rewards. SpaceXSI’s pricing page lists “Get paid to post” as an X feature, but neither it nor the docs clearly say whether the $8 Plus plan qualifies. Replies from @grok say it does. If payouts matter to you, stay on your current plan until X confirms it.
What happened to Premium+?
New sign-ups no longer see it. Its closest match is the new $30 Premium plan, which SpaceXSI says bundles the benefits of SuperGrok, Cursor Pro and X Premium+. That is $10 less than Premium+ cost in the US ($40). Existing Premium+ subscribers keep their plan unless they switch.
Is X Basic gone?
For new sign-ups, it looks that way: the new plan list has no $3 option. Nothing official says Basic is fully retired, and existing Basic subscribers keep their plan for now.
Does the price differ by country?
The old plans did. X Premium had local prices, for example €8 for Premium and €38 for Premium+ in most of the eurozone. The new plans are listed in US dollars, before tax. SpaceXSI has not published per-country prices yet, so check the price at checkout.
Do I have to switch to The X Subscription?
No. Switching is optional, and your current plan continues. If you do switch, you get a prorated refund for unused time on the old plan. The switch is permanent: SpaceXSI’s docs say support cannot undo it.
The checkmark doesn’t write your posts.
ClimbX gives you daily posts in your voice, a schedule and a reply feed that learns what you like. From $29/month, 7-day trial.
Read next
- Can Grok Grow Your X Account? What It Can and Can’t Do - Grok now comes with the new $30 X Premium plan. What it can do for your growth, what it can’t (schedule, reply safely on its own), when Grok Bot can post, what X’s rules allow, and how it compares with ClimbX.
- How to Grow on X Without Premium: What Still Works for Free - How to grow on X without Premium: what the blue check changes, what it does not, and the free habits that still move reach and followers for small accounts.
Sources
- SpaceXSI: Introducing The X Subscription - Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium in one plan; October 12, 2026
- X Subscription docs: Pricing - monthly and yearly prices, existing plans, refunds when you switch; checked October 16, 2026
- SpaceXSI pricing - what each plan includes on X, in Grok and in Cursor
- X Subscription docs: Do I have to switch? - switching is optional; a completed switch cannot be undone
- X Help: About X Premium - old Basic, Premium and Premium+ features and local prices