Twitter API: Access, Pricing Model and Keys in 2026
The Twitter API, now called the X API, is X’s official way for apps to read and write data on X: post, upload media, search recent posts, look up users and read trends. In 2026 new developers get it on pay-per-use: you buy credits in the X Developer Console and each request draws from them, with no monthly subscription. Higher volumes go through an Enterprise plan.
For the per-post numbers in detail, see X API pricing per post. This guide covers the rest.
What is the X API today?
The current version is X API v2, documented at docs.x.com. It covers most of what you can do in the app:
- Posts: create, delete, look up, and search the last 7 days.
- Media: upload images, GIFs and video, and add alt text.
- Users: look up profiles and the signed-in user.
- Trends: trending topics by location (how trends work).
- DMs, lists, bookmarks and more.
Apps authenticate two ways: app-only (a Bearer token) for public data like search and trends, and user context (OAuth 2.0 with PKCE) to act for a person who signed in, for example to post for them. X’s docs say OAuth 1.0a is being retired, so new apps should use OAuth 2.0.
How much does the X API cost?
X’s pricing page describes one self-serve model: pay-per-use, with prepaid credits and no subscription. A few unit prices as of October 2026:
| Request | Price |
|---|---|
| Create a post | $0.015 |
| Create a post that contains a URL | $0.20 |
| Create a reply the app was summoned to | $0.010 |
| Read a post (search, lookup) | $0.005 per post returned |
| Read a user | $0.010 |
| Trends by location | $0.010 per request |
| Upload media | Not listed as a charge |
Other rules worth knowing:
- Post reads are capped at 3 million per monthly billing cycle on pay-per-use. Beyond that, X points you to Enterprise.
- When credits run out, requests are blocked until you add more. You can set a spend limit and auto-recharge.
- Prices change. X says the Developer Console is the authoritative source.
What happened to Free, Basic and Pro? The pricing page no longer lists them. Developer reports say the fixed Basic and Pro plans closed to new sign-ups and that existing subscribers are being moved to pay-per-use. If you read a guide quoting a monthly tier price, check its date.
What can you build with the X API?
| You want to | API pieces | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule and publish your own posts | OAuth 2.0, create post, media upload | URL posts cost $0.20 each |
| Research a niche | Recent search, trends | Pay per post read, 7-day window |
| A bot that posts to its own account | Create post | No unsolicited @mentions or replies |
| Let an AI assistant post for you | All of the above, behind an MCP server | Same rules as any app (what an X MCP server does) |
Self-serve apps have limits beyond price. X’s docs and staff posts on the developer forum say:
- Replies to other people only when summoned. An app can reply to a post only if its author mentioned or quoted the replying account. Replies in your own thread are allowed.
- No unsolicited @mentions. Apps that mentioned people outside the conversation were blocked from writing.
- At most one cashtag per post.
- Follows, likes and quote posts through the API were removed for self-serve apps in April 2026. Quote posts remain on Enterprise.
So the X API suits publishing and research. It is not a route to mass replies or auto-follows. More on what X allows in Twitter automation.
How do you get X API keys?
From X’s getting-access guide:
- Sign in at console.x.com with your X account.
- Accept the Developer Agreement and Policy, and describe how you’ll use the API.
- Create an app with “New App” and describe its use case.
- Save your credentials right away. X shows them only once.
- Add credits and set a spend limit before your first paid request.
You get several credentials, each for a different job:
| Credential | Used for |
|---|---|
| API Key and Secret | Identifying your app, signing OAuth 1.0a requests |
| Bearer Token | App-only reads of public data |
| Access Token and Secret | Acting as your own account (OAuth 1.0a) |
| Client ID and Secret | OAuth 2.0 sign-in for your users |
If other people sign in to your app, turn on OAuth 2.0 in its user authentication settings with your callback URL and scopes (to post: tweet.read, tweet.write, users.read, media.write, offline.access). Access tokens last 2 hours; refresh tokens are single use, so save the newest one.
What are the X API rate limits?
Rate limits cap requests per time window, separately from price. From X’s rate-limit page:
| Endpoint | Per user | Per app |
|---|---|---|
| Create post | 100 per 15 min | 10,000 per 24 h |
| Recent search | 300 per 15 min | 450 per 15 min |
| Trends by location | n/a | 75 per 15 min |
| Media upload (simple) | 500 per 15 min | 50,000 per 24 h |
Every response carries x-rate-limit-limit, x-rate-limit-remaining and x-rate-limit-reset headers. When you hit a limit you get a 429. Wait until the reset time, then retry. Some older X pages give different posting limits; design for the stricter ones.
Posts also follow the normal length rules: 280 weighted characters, with each URL counted as 23 (how URLs count).
Do you need the API to schedule posts?
No. X’s built-in scheduler or a tool that already holds an API app will do. Build your own only for custom research, your own data pipeline or a product for others. To just get posts out on time, compare the options in best tweet scheduler.
How does Kalen use the X API?
Kalen is an X assistant that connects to your AI through MCP: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code or any AI with remote MCP. He holds the API app, so you never create keys or load credits.
- Every day he researches your niche: the day’s top posts for your keywords and X trends, and once a week the most popular posts of your reference accounts and your own.
- Your AI writes the posts. Kalen runs no writing model. He scores each draft from 0 to 100 and sends weak ones back for up to 3 rewrites.
- Nothing is scheduled until you say yes in the chat. Posts publish through the official X API, with an optional first reply for your link. Kalen never @mentions other accounts.
Because X charges for every post, there is no free plan that posts. A post costs 1 credit, 2 with a first reply or a link. Starter is $9/month (100 credits), Pro $29/month (700) and Ultra $49/month (1,500), each starting with 14 days free and 50 credits. Cancel before the trial ends and nothing is charged. See pricing or connect Kalen to your AI.
FAQ
Is the Twitter API free?
X’s pricing page lists pay-per-use credits and Enterprise, with no free tier. X has offered promotional credits to new paying developers.
Is the Twitter API still available?
It is, as the X API v2 at docs.x.com, with keys from the X Developer Console.
Can I post a thread through the API?
You can: post the first one, then each next one as a reply to the previous one in your own thread. Replies in your own thread are allowed.
How do I get a Twitter API key?
Sign in at console.x.com, accept the developer terms, create an app and copy the keys it shows. Add credits before making paid requests.