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1Ads, Even When I’m Paying
One of the main reasons I signed up for X Premium was to escape ads. I mean, isn’t that the whole point of paying for a service—to get a cleaner, more enjoyable experience? Well, color me disappointed when I realized that ads were still popping up in my timeline.
Apparently, the premium plan I was on (at $8/mo) didn’t get rid of all the ads. If I really wanted an ad-free experience, I’d have to upgrade to its highest-tier plan, Premium+, which starts at $16/mo. At that point, I wondered if I was paying for the privilege of being upsold.
2The Downside of Revenue Sharing
It didn’t matter that I’d been posting similar content long before X revenue-sharing became a thing—suddenly, everything I said was suspect. The accusations not only undermined the conversations I was trying to have, but they also made the whole experience feel more toxic and less authentic.
This completely changed the way I used the platform. I began second-guessing what I posted, worrying about being misunderstood or accused of being inauthentic. It took the fun out of expressing myself freely, which is one of the main reasons I use social media in the first place.
3Losing Verification Over Minor Tweaks
My favoriteperk of using X Premiumis the blue checkmark next to my name, signaling that I’m a verified user. But I soon discovered that this badge came with a catch.
Any time I made even the smallest change to my profile—whether it was updating my profile picture or tweaking my display name—I would temporarily lose my checkmark. While I understand the need for security measures, the hassle of re-verifying every time I made a change felt excessive.
If I can go days without the verification mark I’m paying for, what’s to keep me fromcanceling my X Premium subscriptionaltogether?
4Its Free Experience Works Just Fine
Perhaps the biggest reason I canceled my X Premium subscription was simply because the free experience on X works just fine for my needs. I mainly use the platform for fun—scrolling through my feed, sharing the occasional post, and interacting with friends and followers. The marginal benefits of upgrading didn’t seem worth shelling $16/mo for X Premium+.
Also, making previously premium features likeaudio and video calling on Xfree makes me believe more premium features will become free with time.
While X Premium had its perks, they didn’t outweigh the downsides for me. The lingering ads, engagement farming accusations, and fragile verification status made the experience feel less premium than I’d expected. And when I compared it to the free version of X, which met most of my needs, the decision to cancel became clear. At the end of the day, I realized that sometimes sticking with what’s free can be just as satisfying, if not more so.
