Twitter Sets $11 iOS Price for Blue to Offset Apple App Store Fees
Twitter plans to charge iOS users $11 per month for its Blue subscription, compared to $7 on the web, to cover Apple's 30% App Store commission. The price hike follows recent tensions between Elon Musk and Apple over advertising and potential App Store removal.
Twitter plans to charge iOS users $11 per month for its Blue subscription once the halted service resumes, according to a new report. This represents a significant increase from the original $7.99 launch price and stands in contrast to the $7 monthly fee for web subscribers. The higher price point directly offsets Apple's standard 30% commission on in-app purchases during the first year of a subscription.
The pricing strategy emerges shortly after a highly publicized dispute between Twitter owner Elon Musk and Apple. Musk recently accuses Apple of hating free speech and threatening to remove Twitter from the App Store, but a subsequent meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook quickly defuses the situation. Cook clarifies that Apple never considers booting the platform, and the tech giant resumes its massive advertising spending on the social network.
Despite the resolved misunderstanding, Musk remains a vocal critic of Apple's App Store policies. He consistently describes the 30% commission as a "secret tax" on the internet and previously supports Epic Games in its legal battle against the iPhone maker. Ultimately, Twitter follows the same path as other frustrated developers like Spotify, choosing to pass the financial burden of Apple's rules directly onto the consumer rather than risk losing iOS access.