Elon Musk’s strategy to decrease X’s reliance on advertising revenue by increasing paid subscriptions is facing challenges. A recent analysis by app intelligence firm Appfigures shows that X’s Premium subscription service has generated around $200 million in in-app purchase revenue across iOS and Android since its launch in 2021.
It’s important to note that this figure only includes purchases made through the mobile app, excluding web-based transactions. Therefore, the actual revenue is likely higher, especially since X offers discounts for web purchases.
After deducting app store commissions, X is estimated to have earned at least $140 million. This figure could be even higher due to reduced commission rates in the second year. Appfigures cannot accurately determine the breakdown of subscriptions under each commission rate.
X relaunched its Premium subscription service in 2022 as part of Musk’s strategy to diversify revenue streams. Within three months of the relaunch, the service generated $11 million in mobile app subscriptions, according to Sensor Tower data. X has since introduced two additional subscription tiers: Basic and Premium+.
X offers three subscription tiers: Basic, Premium, and Premium Plus, each providing access to different features. X Premium, priced at $11 per month on mobile, is the top in-app purchase.
In September 2024, X generated $14.7 million in in-app purchase revenue from mobile devices, per Appfigures data.
