Is X Premium Worth It? 2026 Guide

Many creators and brands still ask the question, “Is X Premium worth it in 2026?”. Given rising subscription fees and tiers, it's worth asking the question. The short answer: it's worth it if you're actively building an audience and want the checkmark, reply prioritization, and creator monetization access that only the paid tiers unlock - and it isn't if you post occasionally, because the free experience still covers casual use for nothing. Here, we cover the most important aspects - X Premium, tier breakdown, price, features, benefits, using it with Ordinal, and whether paying for it makes sense for creators, brands, and regular users.

TLDR:

• X Premium costs $3-$40/month across three tiers (Basic, Premium, Premium+)
• Premium tiers unlock blue checkmark, reduced/no ads, and creator monetization
• Pair X Premium with Ordinal to schedule long-form Tweets and automate engagement
• Worth it for serious creators building audience; free version works for casual users

What is X Premium?

Elon Musk took over X (formerly Twitter) in 2022. At that time, the platform launched its paid subscription, initially known as Twitter Blue. In August 2023, it was officially rebranded as X Premium.

X Premium is a paid subscription service from X that offers enhanced features that you don’t get with a free plan. There are 3 tiers: Basic, Premium, and Premium+. Just like most subscription services out there, each tier adds features, higher performance, and fewer restrictions.

X Premium Tier Breakdown

‍X Premium Subscription Price

The most recent change to subscription pricing came in February 2025, and those rates are still the ones in effect today. This was to accommodate expanded access to the new AI model, Grok 3, get an ad-free experience, and to support creators with a fairer revenue-sharing model, rewarding quality and engagement rather than ad views.

Here are the respective subscription prices.

‍Overview of X Premium Features

With the Basic tier, you get all the essentials like editing posts, longer posts, longer video uploads, reply prioritization, text formatting, bookmark folders, custom app icons, and more.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the standout X Premium Features you get.

• Includes all Basic features plus a checkmark,
• Reduced ads,
• Access to apply for creator revenue sharing and creator subscriptions,
• Larger reply prioritization
• ID verification,
• Media Studio, and
• Increased usage limits on Grok.

With X Premium+, you get all the Premium features above, along with these additional features:

• Higher limits on Grok,
• No ads anywhere on X,
• Largest reply prioritization
• Radar Search, and Articles.
• Occasional, promoted content may appear.

Where X Premium falls short is worth being honest about. A checkmark you can simply buy signals a subscription rather than an identity, so it no longer carries the authority the old verification badge did - and with some audiences it reads as a negative. Most of the headline perks also only pay off at scale: reply prioritization, longer posts, and extended video uploads matter when you're publishing constantly, and do very little if you post once a week. Monetization is access, not income - you're paying for the right to apply for revenue sharing and creator subscriptions, and plenty of subscribers never earn back what they spend. And the ad reduction, real as it is, buys you a nicer feed rather than a bigger one.

X Premium vs other Social Premium Subscriptions

In comparing X Premium to other premium services from other social media platforms, there are some interesting differences and similarities.

For example, LinkedIn Premium has features like InMail messaging, profile viewer insights, expanded search filters, and learning resources. YouTube Premium, on the other hand, offers offline downloads, background playback, ad-free viewing and access to YouTube Music.

LinkedIn Premium features are geared towards professional networking and insights. Whereas for YouTube Premium, its features are geared more towards media/consumption.

X Premium falls in between the categories of visibility boosting and content creation. X is focused on providing creative tools, visibility perks, and monetization access.

The difference lies in the goal of these social media platforms and how the features are used.

Using X Premium with Ordinal

Now, if you’re looking for a serious upgrade, using X Premium in tandem with Ordinal is the way to go. Here’s an overview of what you can do:

• Draft and schedule long-form text ahead of time with the best marketing calendar tool, while fully taking advantage of X Premium's extended Tweet length.
• Collaborate with your team - leave in-line comments, edit copy, and manage approvals before publishing
• Schedule Posts at optimal times - Ordinal ensures your posts go live when your audience is most active
• Track Analytics inside Ordinal - that’s right! You don’t need to leave the platform to check how your posts are doing. Here you can monitor impressions, engagement, and follower growth.
• Built-in Workflows - simplify the approval process by using the built-in workflows to make sure each post is reviewed before being published.
• Automate Engagement - with Ordinal, you can automate engagement from teammates on X posts. Ordinal allows you to automatically leave likes, replies, and retweets on scheduled X content from any connected account.
• Cross-Post - with just one click, you are able to cross-post to other platforms. This makes X Premium part of a bigger, multi-channel content strategy.

Is X Premium worth it in 2026?

So, with the information we have, let’s answer the question: Is X Premium worth it in 2026? According to Jeff Bullas, yes.

Jeff is a digital entrepreneur with 29 years of experience who specializes in digital strategy, social media, and AI, and was also featured on Forbes as a Top 20 influencer of Chief Marketing Officers.

He says, “If you are serious about building an audience, establishing yourself as a thought leader, and monetizing your content directly on the platform, the Premium subscription has become almost a necessity.” He also says that the algorithm boost in replies and revenue sharing is what makes the investments worthwhile for active creators. But for the casual user, he says the free version can do the job.

Conclusion

Whether X Premium is worth it in 2026 depends on your goals and how actively you use the platform. For creators and brands serious about building an audience, the visibility boosts, extended media capabilities, and monetization features justify the investment - especially when paired with Ordinal's scheduling, collaboration, and analytics tools.

In our view, the honest test is whether you'd use the paid features weekly rather than monthly. We'd only recommend Premium+ to creators and brands publishing at volume who genuinely need the advanced publishing tools; for most people building an audience, Premium is the sensible ceiling. However, casual users who post occasionally will find the free or Basic tiers provide solid value without the added cost. The key is matching your subscription tier to your content strategy and business objectives.

FAQ

What's the main difference between X Premium and X Premium+?

X Premium gives you the blue checkmark, 50% fewer ads, and creator monetization access for $8/month, while Premium+ removes nearly all ads, provides higher Grok AI limits, and includes advanced publishing tools like Articles and Radar Search for $40/month.

Can you schedule X Premium posts through Ordinal?

Yes, Ordinal lets you draft and schedule long-form X posts ahead of time, taking full advantage of Premium's extended character limits while managing approvals, tracking analytics, and automating engagement from one platform.

Is X Premium worth it if you're just starting to build an audience?

If you're actively posting and want reply prioritization, the blue checkmark, and monetization options, Premium at $8/month makes sense—but casual users who post occasionally can stick with the free version or Basic tier.

How does X Premium compare to LinkedIn Premium for business users?

LinkedIn Premium focuses on professional networking tools like InMail and profile insights, while X Premium centers on content creation, visibility boosts, and monetization—making X better for thought leadership and LinkedIn better for direct outreach.

Does the blue checkmark actually improve your post visibility?

Yes, X Premium and Premium+ subscribers get reply prioritization, meaning your comments appear higher in threads and your posts get algorithmic preference over free accounts, which can increase reach and engagement.

Can you use X Premium features with team collaboration tools like Ordinal?

Yes, X Premium's extended character limits, video uploads, and edit windows work seamlessly with Ordinal's collaboration features - your team can draft long-form posts together, leave in-line comments, route content through approval workflows, and schedule everything to publish at optimal times while maintaining full access to Premium's capabilities.

Is the blue checkmark still worth paying for?

On its own, not really - a badge anyone can subscribe to says more about your billing than your identity, and it won't make a thin account look credible. What makes Premium at $8/month worth it is the package around the checkmark: reply prioritization, 50% fewer ads, and access to creator monetization. If the badge is the only thing you want, our view is to keep the money.