X has quietly moved X Pro, the power-user dashboard that used to be known as TweetDeck, behind its most expensive subscription tier. They didn’t inform existing subscribers about this change.
The multi-column interface allows users to monitor multiple feeds, lists, and searches all on one screen. It was previously available to anyone with X Premium. Now, it requires X Premium+, which costs $40 per month or $33 per month with an annual payment. That’s a big increase from the $8/month Basic and $16/month Premium tiers, which no longer include access to X Pro.
What Is X Pro, Exactly?
If you haven’t used it, think of X Pro as a command center for heavy Twitter and X users. Rather than a single scrolling feed, it offers a grid of columns. You can have one for your home timeline, one for notifications, and another for a specific hashtag you’re tracking. Journalists, social media managers, and researchers have depended on it for years to keep up with breaking news across various topics.
Originally called TweetDeck, this was a third-party app that Twitter acquired back in 2011. It quickly became the go-to tool for anyone needing more than the basic Twitter experience. After Elon Musk took over Twitter and rebranded it to X in 2023, TweetDeck was renamed X Pro and moved behind the original Premium paywall. Now, it’s been pushed to a higher tier without any public announcement.
No Warning, No Transition Period
This change took users by surprise. X didn’t send out email notifications, post announcements, or offer a grace period for subscribers paying for Premium to access X Pro. One day it was available; the next, it wasn’t — unless you upgraded.
According to reporting from MacRumors, X made the change without notifying users. Many realized they lost access only when they tried to open the tool. Engadget bluntly referred to the situation, calling X Pro “the ashes of TweetDeck” in its headline.
| Tier | Monthly Price | Annual Price (per month) | X Pro Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $3/month | — | No |
| Premium | $8/month | — | No (removed) |
| Premium+ | $40/month | $33/month | Yes |
What This Means
For casual users, nothing changes. If you just scroll through your feed and post occasionally, you probably never used X Pro in the first place.
The ones most affected are journalists, social media managers, community moderators, and researchers who built their workflows around the multi-column layout. Now they face a choice: pay $40 a month, find a third-party alternative, or lose a tool they’ve relied on for years.
There are third-party alternatives available. Apps like TweetDuck and browser extensions that mimic the column layout have seen a rise in interest. However, none provide the exact same native experience. X’s tighter API restrictions since 2023 have made third-party X clients more costly and harder to maintain, so those alternatives aren’t as effective as they used to be.
For organizations with multiple employee accounts, the costs add up quickly. Five employees needing X Pro access would set you back $200 per month, or $2,400 a year, just for the dashboard tool.
Community Reaction
“I’ve been paying $16/month for Premium specifically because of X Pro. There was zero warning. Just logged in and it was gone. That’s not how you treat paying customers.”
“TweetDeck was free for over a decade. Then it was $8/month. Now it’s $40/month. What exactly are we paying for at this point?”
A Pattern of Monetization Moves
This change is part of a larger strategy at X to push users toward the higher-cost Premium+ tier. Since Musk’s takeover, the platform has gradually moved features up the pricing ladder. This includes longer video uploads, reduced ad frequency, and greater algorithmic visibility for posts. X Pro is just the latest feature to make this leap.
The lack of notice has drawn the most criticism. A price increase or feature change, while frustrating, is something users can plan around. But removing access without warning — especially for users mid-billing cycle — raises a trust issue that goes beyond just the dollar amount.
What To Watch
- User backlash volume: Whether X responds with any form of grandfathering or transition offer for existing Premium subscribers will depend largely on how loud the complaints get in the coming days.
- Third-party tool growth: Keep an eye on alternative multi-column X clients to see a surge in downloads and development activity as displaced users search for options.
- Further tier changes: X hasn’t announced any freeze on which features belong to which tiers. Other Premium-tier features could move to Premium+ in future updates, possibly without notice.
- Advertiser and media response: Newsrooms and agencies that rely on X Pro for social monitoring may start reassessing their X presence if the cost-to-value calculation no longer makes sense.
