• by Colin Kirkland , October 23, 2023

Just weeks after X users reported code sightings referencing three premium X subscription tiers in testing, platform owner Elon Musk has confirmed that there are two new premium tiers that will be launching soon.

“One is lower cost with all features, but no reduction in ads, and the other is more expensive, but has no ads,” Musk posted on X.

Despite the vague announcement, Musk has previously stated that one tier will cost less than the $8 premium plan currently in place. However, there will be no reduction in ads.

It’s unclear how much more money the more expensive ad-free tier will cost users. As it stands, the current plan is supposed to show subscribers half the amount of ads that non-paying users usually see.

Musk introduced the half-ads offering to premium subscribers in April, not long after the billionaire began demanding that all advertisers on the platform pay to obtain verification. Around that time, data from Sensor Tower suggested that less than 1% of the platform's monthly users were subscribed to the premium offering.

During the first week of October, X user @aaronp613 shared a screenshot of X's code, which highlighted three premium tiers in testing, offering what seemed to be ad-free, half-ads, and full-ads options.

The test showcased another step in Musk’s push for subscription-based revenue streams, despite the company's major loss in advertising dollars since Musk’s takeover last fall.

X’s efforts to increase revenue were highlighted by the company’s recent test of a $1-per-year plan for users in New Zealand and the Philippines.

Depending on how the test goes, X may be attempting to charge every new user a basic fee to post, like and repost -- capabilities that have always been free since the app, formerly known as Twitter, launched 17 years ago.

In response to the company's ongoing fee bumps, Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino have said these actions are not intended to be “a profit driver,” but attempts to reduce the number of bots on the platform.