Pricing explained
Is the Twitter (X) API Free in 2026?
Prices checked:
Quick Answer
No. As of October 2026, X’s public pricing page has no free plan. Every call is billed pay-per-use: $0.005 per post read, $0.010 per user profile, and $0.015 per post created ($0.200 if it contains a link). What you can still get free is a small starter credit.
Free credits you can still get
| Option | Free credit | Roughly covers | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official X API | $20 in API credits | ~4,000 post reads | Requires saving a payment card; X also matches your first auto-recharge up to $50 |
| TwexAPI | 20,000 Credits | ~4,000 tweets or profiles | No credit card; valid for 7 days |
Neither covers an ongoing production workload, but both are enough to test an integration end to end.
What happened to the free tier
- In 2023, Twitter ended unlimited free API access and moved developers to paid Basic, Pro and Enterprise plans.
- In February 2026, X launched pay-per-use billing. Third-party reports say the free tier closed to new developers at the same time, and existing Basic and Pro subscriptions moved to pay-per-use during 2026.
- Today X’s pricing page lists only per-resource rates, a cap of 3 million post reads per month on pay-per-use, and an interest form for Enterprise.
What it costs once the free credits run out
| Monthly workload | Official X API | TwexAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Read 10,000 tweets | $50.00 | ~$0.50 |
| Read 100,000 tweets | $500.00 | ~$5.00 |
| Look up 10,000 profiles | $100.00 | ~$0.50 |
| Post 1,000 tweets with links | $200.00 | ~$0.50 |
FAQ
Is the Twitter API free for students or academic research?
X’s current pricing page does not list a free academic or student plan. Starter credits are the practical option for coursework and small research projects.
Can I use the Twitter API without paying at all?
Only within starter credits. X’s $20 credit requires a saved payment card; TwexAPI’s 20,000 Credits do not.
Is TwexAPI affiliated with X?
No. TwexAPI is an independent third-party provider of public social data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by X Corp.
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Prices change. Confirm current rates on each provider’s pricing page before you buy. TwexAPI is an independent provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by X Corp.