X Moves X Pro Behind $40/Month Premium+ Paywall With No Notice to Users

iOS
1

X is tightening access to its advanced dashboard tool, tying it directly to its highest subscription tier.

The multi-column interface, formerly widely associated with TweetDeck (now rebranded as X Pro), is now restricted to users on the X Premium+ plan.

What’s changing

  • X Pro is now locked behind X Premium+

  • Pricing: $40/month or $33/month (annual plan equivalent)

  • Tool functionality remains the same:

    • multiple columns (feeds, lists, searches)

    • real-time monitoring

    • multi-account management

    • advanced workflow for power users and social media managers

Why this matters

This move effectively completes a long transition:

  1. TweetDeck → X Pro → Premium+ gated feature

    • what was once a standalone free/low-cost power tool is now fully monetized

  2. Power-user consolidation strategy

    • X is bundling advanced productivity tools into the top subscription tier rather than keeping them separate

  3. Revenue per user optimization

    • Premium+ becomes the “professional tier” for marketers, journalists, and brands who rely on multi-stream monitoring

Practical impact

  • Casual users: no change (they don’t use X Pro anyway)

  • Heavy users (journalists, social media managers, traders, researchers):

    • higher monthly cost barrier

    • fewer free alternatives inside X’s ecosystem

  • Third-party tools may see renewed interest if cost becomes prohibitive

Bottom line

X is turning what used to be a core power feature into a premium monetized workspace tool, reinforcing a broader strategy of pushing advanced functionality into higher-priced tiers rather than keeping it broadly accessible.

If you want, I can compare what X Pro now offers vs. alternatives like Hootsuite, Buffer, and free TweetDeck-like tools so you can see what’s still competitive.

image
image800×450 51.4 KB

This update shows a fairly sharp paywall shift inside X’s subscription structure, especially for power users who relied on TweetDeck-style workflows.

The key change is simple but impactful:

  • X Pro (formerly TweetDeck, now X Pro) is no longer included in the $8 Premium tier

  • It is now locked exclusively to Premium+ ($40/month)

What actually changed in practice

Before (until March 26):

  • Basic: limited features, ads

  • Premium ($8): included X Pro access

  • Premium+: higher limits + fewer/no ads

Now:

  • Basic ($3): minimal features

  • Premium ($8): no X Pro anymore

  • Premium+ ($40): required for X Pro + top-tier features

So users are effectively seeing a 5× price jump to keep the same workflow tool.

The “no notice” issue

You’re also pointing out something that’s driving most of the backlash:

  • Access was removed abruptly

  • Users were not clearly warned beforehand

  • Existing Premium subscribers lost functionality mid-subscription cycle

That tends to create more friction than the price change itself, especially for professional users who depend on multi-column monitoring.

Why X likely did this

From a business standpoint, this fits a broader pattern:

  1. Monetizing power-user tools

    • X Pro isn’t casual-use software—it’s for heavy, often professional usage

  2. Tier compression

    • pushing advanced features into Premium+ increases average revenue per user

  3. Product bundling strategy

    • turning formerly separate/free tools into subscription differentiators

Practical impact

  • Journalists, traders, social media managers: highest disruption

  • Casual Premium users: little impact

  • Third-party dashboards: may see renewed interest as alternatives

Bottom line

This is less about a feature update and more about X redefining what “premium” means: the tools that once made Twitter useful for real-time monitoring are now being positioned as enterprise-level features inside the highest subscription tier.

If you want, I can map out whether Premium+ actually justifies $40/month compared to tools like Hootsuite or free TweetDeck alternatives that still exist outside X.