X API pricing now starts at $100/month for basic access and can scale into the thousands for enterprise plans, with a limited free tier that offers minimal functionality. Since 2023, most developers must pay to post, retrieve data, or run automations, making the X API significantly more restrictive and expensive than before.
For teams looking for a more affordable and flexible option, Zernio provides a modern social media API alternative without the steep pricing barriers.
As the deadline approached, hobby projects stopped working, bots went offline, and many startups had to quickly rethink and restructure their products. This marked the start of a complete shift in how developers could access the platform's data, with new tiers, stricter limits, and updated pricing.
In this article, you will learn about these changes, how the current X API pricing works, and a much cheaper, more efficient alternative that allows you to create, schedule, and retrieve posts from X.
Before Twitter Became X
Before the rebrand, Twitter's API was one of the most influential developer ecosystems on the internet. For more than a decade, it powered thousands of third-party apps, from simple timeline viewers to sophisticated analytics dashboards used by major brands. Developers got reliable access to real-time social data, and Twitter benefitted from an ecosystem of tools it would never have built itself.
The early years were open and experimental, but the first signs of tightening control appeared as Twitter grew. The switch from Basic Auth to OAuth was the first major disruption. It was a necessary move for security, but it also signalled that Twitter was becoming more protective of its data.
A much bigger shift came in 2014 with the acquisition of Gnip, a leading social data provider. This gave Twitter full control over enterprise-grade data products and marked the beginning of a more formal, revenue-driven approach to data access, long before the world would see where that strategy ultimately led.
A Timeline of Major Twitter API Changes
- September 2006: Twitter launches its API with Basic Authentication, offering simple JSON and XML responses.
- August 2010: OAuth becomes mandatory. Many developers refer to it as the "OAuth Apocalypse" because of the widespread migrations required.
- January 2014: Twitter acquires Gnip, laying the foundation for the modern enterprise data business.
Years later, everything changed again.
In February 2023, Twitter (soon to be renamed X) announced the rapid shutdown of its long-standing free API tiers with only seven days' notice. The move came during a period of intense pressure to monetise the platform and restrict large-scale data scraping by AI companies training language models.
Pre-2023 Twitter API Pricing Table
Before the paywalls went up, this is what the developer ecosystem actually cost:
| Tier Name | Price / Month | Tweet Limit (Pull) | Target Audience | Status Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential (v2) | $0 (Free) | 500,000 | Hobbyists, students, simple bots | ❌ Dead (Replaced by heavily limited Free tier) |
| Elevated (v2) | $0 (Free) | 2,000,000 | Indie devs, growing startups | ❌ Dead (Replaced by $100/mo Basic tier) |
| Academic Research | $0 (Free) | 10,000,000 | Verified university researchers | ❌ Dead (No direct equivalent; forced to Pro) |
| Premium (v1.1) | $149 to $2,499 | Scaled by request buckets | Mid-sized businesses, marketing tools | ❌ Dead (Replaced by $5,000/mo Pro tier) |
| Enterprise | Custom (Starting ~$2,500+) | Decahose (10%) or Firehose (100%) | Hedge funds, major news orgs, Big Tech | ⚠️ Migrated (Now starts at $42,000+/month) |
X API Pricing Tiers 2026: How it Works
X has eliminated the old subscription-style tiers and moved the entire developer platform to a Usage-Based (Pay-Per-Use) model. Instead of paying a flat monthly fee for access, developers now buy API credits (or set a monthly spending limit), and X deducts credits every time your app makes a request.
Here is how the new payment system works in practice:
1. Per-Endpoint Billing
Under the new model, every API endpoint has its own price. Some endpoints are inexpensive, like reading a basic text post, while others cost more because they return richer data. Your monthly bill is simply the total number of calls you made, multiplied by each endpoint's cost. Nothing is bundled; everything is metered.
2. No More Monthly Caps
Previously, once you hit your daily read limit on the Basic tier, your app stops working until the next billing cycle. This has been discontinued. Currently, as long as you have credits available (or haven't reached your spending limit), your app keeps running. This removes the sudden "API blackout" problem that plagued developers in the older system.
3. The 24-Hour Deduplication Rule
Pay-per-call creates a risk: repeatedly fetching the same tweet could quickly get expensive. To reduce accidental overbilling, X introduced a 24-hour deduplication rule. If your app requests the exact same post or profile multiple times within the same day, you're generally only billed for the first retrieval. This makes proper caching not just a best practice, but a cost-saving necessity.
4. Rate Limits Still Exist
Even though the pricing is usage-based, X still enforces strict rate limits to protect its infrastructure. You can't spam the API with unlimited requests, even if you're willing to pay. There are still 15-minute windows and burst limits that your app must operate within. Pricing and rate limits are now separate controls: one governs cost, the other governs system stability.
All these make the usage-based model more suitable for low-traffic apps that only make occasional calls, as costs can scale quickly for high-volume production use.
Here is the breakdown of what individual API actions cost under the new usage-based model:
| API Action / Endpoint | Cost per Request | Estimated Cost per 10,000 Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Post Reads (fetching a tweet) | ~$0.005 | ~$50.00 |
| User Reads (profile lookups) | ~$0.010 | ~$100.00 |
| Direct Message Reads | ~$0.010 | ~$100.00 |
| Post Creates (publishing a tweet) | ~$0.010 | ~$100.00 |
| Interactions (likes, reposts) | ~$0.010-$0.015 | ~$100.00-$150.00 |
Note: Pricing is subject to slight fluctuations based on regional taxes and platform updates. X requires developers to monitor their real-time usage and billing in the Developer Console to avoid unexpected charges.
What's a cheaper alternative to the X API?
Zernio (formerly Late) is an all-in-one social media scheduling and publishing API platform that allows you to integrate multiple social platforms directly into your software applications. With the Zernio API, you can create, schedule, and publish posts across 15 different social media platforms from a single, unified interface.
Unlike X's pay-per-request billing, Zernio uses pay-per-account pricing with graduated volume discounts. Your first 2 accounts are free, no credit card required. The cost per account drops as you grow. Zernio API for X passes through the platform costs at exact rates with zero markup: $0.005/request for reads, $0.010/request for writes, $0.015/request for DM sends. All other platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and 11 more) are fully included with no additional charge.
The table below compares the available Zernio plans:
| Connected accounts | Zernio monthly cost | Per-account rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Free | $0 |
| 10 | $48/mo | $6/account (accounts 3-10) |
| 50 | $168/mo | $3/account (accounts 11-100) |
| 100 | $318/mo | $3/account (accounts 11-100) |
| 500 | $718/mo | $1/account (accounts 101-2,000) |
| 2,000 | $2,218/mo | $1/account (accounts 101-2,000) |
Every feature included at every level: scheduling, analytics, DMs, comments, ads, and webhooks. No add-ons, no feature gates, no contracts.
Stop building social integrations from scratch.
One API call to publish, schedule, and manage posts across 15+ platforms.
Why Choose Zernio API as X API Alternative
The X API is powerful, but it comes with two major challenges: high and unpredictable costs, as well as increasing integration complexity. Zernio takes a different approach by focusing on simplicity, predictability, and multi-platform support.
Here's why many developers and teams choose Zernio instead:
- One API for Multiple Platforms
Instead of building and maintaining separate integrations for X, Instagram, Facebook, and others, Zernio provides a single API to manage and publish content across multiple platforms. This significantly reduces development time and complexity. - Predictable Pricing
X's usage-based model bills per request: reads, writes, DMs each have their own rate. Zernio passes those through at exact X rates with zero markup, so you're not paying more for X-specific calls. What you do save is the engineering time: connecting directly to the X API means handling OAuth, rate limits, media upload specs, and every breaking change yourself. That's weeks to months of setup, plus ongoing maintenance. With Zernio, you're posting in minutes. - Built for Content Workflows
Zernio is designed specifically for publishing and scheduling content. Features like post queues, calendar scheduling, and multi-account management are built in, eliminating the need to create these systems from scratch. - Faster Integration
Social media APIs are often difficult to set up and maintain. Developers typically need to handle authentication flows, rate limits, and platform-specific quirks. Zernio abstracts these complexities into a simpler, unified interface, allowing you to focus on building your product instead of managing infrastructure. - Scales with Your Needs
Whether you are running a small bot or managing multiple brands, Zernio's plans scale with usage in a predictable way. You don't need to move to expensive enterprise contracts just to handle growth.
Getting Started with Zernio
In this section, you'll learn how to configure Zernio to schedule and publish social media posts across multiple platforms.
To get started, create a Zernio account and sign in to your dashboard.
From the sidebar, open the API Keys section, create a new key, and store it securely on your computer.
Connect your social media accounts to Zernio so you can manage and publish posts across all platforms.
After connecting your social media accounts via OAuth, you can start writing, posting, and scheduling content directly to your social media platforms. Zernio lets you write your post content and attach media files directly from the dashboard.
Once a post is published, you can view its status and preview it directly in the dashboard using the post link.
🎉 Congratulations! You've successfully created your first post using the Zernio dashboard.
Publishing and Scheduling X Posts with Zernio API
Zernio provides a unified API that lets you publish and schedule content for Twitter (X) without dealing with OAuth flows, platform-specific rate limits, or complex media upload steps. While Zernio also offers SDKs in several programming languages, this section focuses on using the API within a JavaScript project.
First, create a folder to hold your project files.
mkdir x-zernio-api
cd x-zernio-apiRun the following code snippet to create a package.json file within the project folder.
npm init -yNext, install the project dependencies. We will use Axios for making HTTP requests to the Zernio API and Dotenv for managing environment variables securely.
npm install axios dotenvCreate an index.js file within the project folder and import the newly installed packages into the file.
require("dotenv").config();
const axios = require("axios");Add a .env file inside your project folder and add your credentials as environment variables.
ZERNIO_API_KEY=<your_API_key>
ZERNIO_X_ACCOUNT_ID=<your_Zernio_Twitter(X)_id>Now, make your first post via the API using the following code snippet:
// Declare the function
async function postText() {
const response = await axios({
url: `https://zernio.com/api/v1/posts`,
method: "post",
headers: {
Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.ZERNIO_API_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
data: JSON.stringify({
content: "Hello, this is a test post.",
platforms: [
{ platform: "twitter", accountId: process.env.ZERNIO_X_ACCOUNT_ID },
],
publishNow: true,
}),
});
console.log(response.data);
}
// Execute the function
postText();The postText function sends an HTTP POST request to Zernio's /v1/posts endpoint with your post content, the target platform, and account ID. By setting publishNow: true, the post is published immediately.
Add the code snippet below to the index.js file to post images to X (Twitter).
async function postImageWithText() {
const response = await axios({
url: `https://zernio.com/api/v1/posts`,
method: "post",
headers: {
Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.ZERNIO_API_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
data: JSON.stringify({
content: "Hello, this is a test post.",
publishNow: true,
mediaItems: [
{
type: "image",
url: "https://dummyimage.com/600x400/000/c0a&text=hi",
},
{
type: "image",
url: "https://dummyimage.com/600x400/000/c0a&text=Text+image",
},
],
platforms: [
{ platform: "twitter", accountId: process.env.ZERNIO_X_ACCOUNT_ID },
],
}),
});
console.log(response.data);
}
// Execute the function
postImageWithText();The postImageWithText function publishes a text post with up to four images to Twitter (X) using the Zernio API by sending a POST request that includes the post content, an array of image URLs, the target platform, and account ID, and then logs the response to the console.
Run the code snippets above using the following command:
node index.jsTip: If you encounter any issues, check out the Zernio guide on how to work with the Twitter (X) API for posting images and text.
If you're wondering, 'Can I build a custom X post scheduler with an API?', then a short answer is yes. It's easy to do with Zernio, and we have a step-by-step guide linked above.
Conclusion
Over the years, Twitter (X) API access has changed dramatically, moving from a largely free, community-driven model to a strictly pay-per-use system that can be costly for even modest applications. Developers and hobbyists who relied on the old free tiers suddenly had to rethink their approach to building tools, bots, and software integrations.
Fortunately, Zernio offers a more predictable and affordable alternative, allowing you to create, schedule, and publish posts across multiple social media accounts, including X, without worrying about surprise bills or complex API limitations. Whether you're posting a simple text update, sharing images, or managing multiple accounts, Zernio simplifies the process while giving you full control over your content workflow.
Here are some other helpful resources:
- How to Post to Social Media Using OpenClaw - Step-by-Step Guide
- Social Media API for AI Agents: The Complete Integration Guide
- WhatsApp API Tutorial: How to Send Messages and Templates
- Instagram DM API for SaaS Apps - The Complete Guide
Thank you for reading!
Sign up and get your free API key to enable automated posting, monitoring, and engagement across multiple platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions about X API pricing
1. How much does the X API cost per tweet in 2026?
Under X's pay-per-use model (launched February 2026), creating a post costs approximately $0.010 per request, and reading a post costs approximately $0.005 per request. User profile lookups and direct message reads cost around $0.010 each.
2. Is there still a free X API tier?
The free tier is no longer available to new developers as of February 2026. Existing free-tier users were migrated to the pay-per-use model with a one-time $10 credit voucher.
3. What are the X API rate limits in 2026?
Rate limits still apply under pay-per-use, even though pricing is consumption-based. X enforces 15-minute rolling windows for most endpoints, with separate per-app (Bearer Token) and per-user (OAuth) limits. Pay-per-use is also capped at 2 million post reads per month. Pricing and rate limits are now separate controls: one governs cost, the other governs infrastructure protection.
4. What is the cheapest way to post to X/Twitter programmatically?
For posting-only use cases, a unified social media API like Zernio is typically the most cost-effective option. Zernio's pay-per-account pricing starts free (first 2 accounts included) and scales to $6/account/month for small volumes - with no per-post charges, no rate limit math to manage, and no X Developer Portal setup. One API key covers all 15 platforms.
5. Does Zernio work with X's pay-per-use API pricing?
Yes. Zernio passes through X API costs at exact rates: $0.005/request for reads, $0.010/request for writes, with zero markup. This means you get Zernio's unified interface across 15 platforms while only paying X's actual per-request costs for X-specific actions. All other platforms are fully included in your Zernio account pricing.
