Elon Musk announces two new subscription tiers for X

Elon Musk, the owner of the microblogging website X  (formerly known as Twitter), in a tweet on October 20, unveiled two new paid subscription tiers for the service.  

The first tier offers a lower-cost subscription with all features but does not eliminate ads. The second tier, priced higher, provides an ad-free experience.

Currently, premium web plans for X start at approximately $8 per month or $84 annually, which results in about 50% fewer ads displayed. 

On the other hand, premium in-app subscriptions for iOS or Android are available at $11 per month or $114.99 per year.

Premium subscriptions come with several features that are not available with basic X plans. Notably, users with active Premium subscriptions receive a blue checkmark on their account, a feature often associated with verified accounts on social media platforms. 

Additionally, Premium subscribers can edit their tweets up to one hour after posting, and they gain early access to new features before they are made available to the general user base.

Musk's announcement has elicited mixed reactions from social media users. Some expressed concerns that the platform was becoming pay-to-speak. Others suggested introducing a third tier that guarantees no shadow banning or hidden censorship, ensuring unlimited viewership.

Musk acquired Twitter in November 2022 after a legal battle with the company's board of executives. He subsequently rebranded the platform as X and outlined plans to transform it into a super app, following the model of China's popular WeChat. 

A super app integrates a wide range of features, including messaging, payments, and more, into a single platform, offering a multifunctional user experience.