Short answer
Twitter Blue was Twitter's paid subscription; it was renamed X Premium in 2023 and now comes in three tiers (Basic, Premium and Premium+) that add features like editing, long posts and, from the Premium tier up, the blue checkmark.
Key takeaways
- Twitter Blue launched in 2021, added the paid blue checkmark in November 2022 and became X Premium in 2023.
- Basic adds editing and longer posts without a checkmark; Premium adds the checkmark and reply boost; Premium+ removes most ads and adds the top AI and creator features.
- Prices differ by country and by where you subscribe (web or app store), so check the price shown in your own account.
"Twitter Blue" still gets searched every day, but the product hasn't used that name since 2023. Here's what it was, what replaced it, and what you actually get for the money now.
What was Twitter Blue?
Twitter Blue was Twitter's first paid subscription, launched in June 2021 with extras like an undo-send button and bookmark folders.
At launch it had nothing to do with checkmarks. It offered a reader mode, custom app icons, an "Undo Tweet" delay and bookmark folders, first in Canada and Australia, then the US. In November 2022, after Elon Musk bought the company, Twitter relaunched Blue with the blue checkmark included, which until then had been reserved for accounts Twitter judged notable. The first relaunch was paused within days after a wave of paid impersonation accounts, then reopened in December 2022 with more checks.
When did it become X Premium?
Twitter rebranded as X in July 2023 and renamed Blue to X Premium shortly after; the three-tier lineup arrived that October.
In April 2023 X removed the old "legacy" checkmarks from accounts that didn't pay, so the blue check came to mean "subscriber" rather than "notable". The Premium name followed the X rebrand, and in October 2023 X split the product into Basic, Premium and Premium+.
What does each tier include in 2026?
Basic adds core posting features; Premium adds the checkmark and more reach; Premium+ adds the fewest ads and the top AI and creator tools.
| Feature | Basic | Premium | Premium+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit posts (1 hour, up to 5 edits) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Longer posts (up to 25,000 characters) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Longer video uploads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Undo post, bookmark folders, custom app icons | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blue checkmark (after eligibility review) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Reply prioritization | Small | Larger | Largest |
| Ads in For You and Following | Normal | Fewer | Most removed |
| Creator subscriptions and payouts eligibility | No | Yes | Yes |
| X Pro (formerly TweetDeck), Media Studio | No | Yes | Yes |
| Highest Grok AI usage limits | No | Partial | Yes |
X adjusts the features list often, and it moved more analytics into the paid tiers during 2026. Use this table as a map, then check the current comparison in your app under Premium before you pay.
How much does X Premium cost?
It depends on your country and on where you subscribe; web sign-ups are usually cheaper than in-app purchases through Apple or Google.
X has changed prices several times and sets them per region. The price shown when you open Premium on x.com in a desktop browser is the one that applies to you, and annual plans cost less per month. Business accounts use a separate product, X Premium Business (the gold checkmark), covered in our gold checkmark guide.
Is X Premium worth it?
Worth it if you post often and want reach, editing and long posts; not worth it if you mostly read.
People who post for work, sell something, or want their replies seen get the most from Premium: reply prioritization and the checkmark make a visible difference in busy threads, and creator payouts require a Premium tier. If you only read, Premium+ is the tier that changes your experience (fewer ads), and it's the most expensive. Basic suits people who just want the edit button.
For step-by-step sign-up, see how to subscribe to X Premium. To keep the subscription but lose the badge, see how to hide your checkmark.
Questions people ask
Does Twitter Blue still exist?
Not under that name. Twitter Blue was renamed X Premium in 2023. If you subscribed to Blue, your subscription became Premium.
Is the blue checkmark the same as verification?
Not in the old sense. Since April 2023 the blue checkmark shows that an account subscribes to Premium and meets X's eligibility checks. It isn't an endorsement of who the person is.
Can I get X Premium without the checkmark?
Yes. The Basic tier has no checkmark, and Premium and Premium+ subscribers can hide theirs in settings.
Does X Premium remove ads?
Premium shows fewer ads in For You and Following; Premium+ removes most of them. Basic doesn't reduce ads.