X launches two new premium subscription plans, including ad-free plan 'Premium+'

Washington: Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, introduced two new subscription plans on Friday, including a Premium+ tier for users willing to pay for an ad-free experience, according to a page detailing the features of the subscription.

Premium+ tier that costs USD 16 per month and offers the "largest reply boost" and removes ads from the For You and Following feeds.

The second tier launching is called "Basic" and costs USD 3 per month. The tier doesn't come with a blue checkmark, but includes basic features like the ability to edit posts and post longer text and videos. It also offers a "small reply boost."

"We're also launching a new Basic tier for USD 3/month (when signing up via Web) that gives you access to the most essential Premium features," posted X.
Since taking over last year, owner Elon Musk has begun searching for ways to monetize the platform and even started making users in New Zealand and the Phillippines pay USD 1 per year to access X.

The latest move by Musk intends to bring in additional revenue. Premium+ tier comes with revenue-sharing, along with access to other creator tools.

Premium Plus builds on the perks that come with X's standard Premium plan (formerly Twitter Blue), which includes a blue checkmark, the ability to edit tweets, longer posts, longer video uploads, encrypted direct messages, and more, reported The Verge.

Meanwhile, "Basic" option plan doesn't let you pay your way to verification -- it doesn't include a checkmark -- and subscribers will only receive a "small boost" to their replies. It also doesn't include reduced ads or access to X's media studio.

X is also planning to bundle video and audio calling for some users, in a push to turn the platform into an everything app, reported New York Post.

Musk has been exploring several options to extensively monetize the social media platform, which he acquired for USD 44 billion in October 2022.

He added a series of new features to X, including livestreaming, video and audio calls, and even plans to incorporate banking.