There is no single cheapest Twitter API, because providers charge in different units. X, twitterapi.io and SocialData charge per item returned. TwittrAPI charges per API call. Which one is cheapest depends on whether your calls return one object or a page of them.
We run TwittrAPI, one of the options below. Every number here is the provider's own published price, checked on 2026-10-09. Follow the source links and confirm current rates before you decide.
Published prices side by side
| Provider | Published price | Unit | Price per 1,000 units |
|---|---|---|---|
| X official API | $0.005 per post read | Per post (resource) | $5.00 per 1,000 posts |
| X official API | $0.010 per user read | Per user (resource) | $10.00 per 1,000 users |
| twitterapi.io | $0.15 per 1,000 tweets | Per tweet | $0.15 per 1,000 tweets |
| SocialData | $0.0002 per tweet or profile | Per tweet or profile | $0.20 per 1,000 items |
| TwittrAPI direct, Scale ($500+ in top-ups within 30 days) | $0.065 per 1,000 calls | Per API call | $0.065 per 1,000 calls |
| TwittrAPI direct, Volume (top-ups from $100) | $0.075 per 1,000 calls | Per API call | $0.075 per 1,000 calls |
| TwittrAPI direct, Standard (any top-up) | $0.09 per 1,000 calls | Per API call | $0.09 per 1,000 calls |
| TwittrAPI on RapidAPI, MEGA | $95 for 1,000,000 requests/month | Per request | $0.095 per 1,000 requests |
| TwittrAPI on RapidAPI, ULTRA | $55 for 500,000 requests/month | Per request | $0.11 per 1,000 requests |
| TwittrAPI on RapidAPI, PRO | $4.99 for 12,000 requests/month | Per request | about $0.42 per 1,000 requests |
| TwittrAPI on RapidAPI, BASIC | $0 for 300 requests/month | Per request | Free tier |
RapidAPI figures assume you use the whole monthly allowance. If you use less, each request costs more.
How we built the table
- Published prices only. Each number comes from the provider's public website or docs, linked under Sources. No private quotes or negotiated rates.
- Base rates. Signup credits and promotions are in the notes below, not in the per-1,000 column.
- Units as published. We did not convert per-call prices into per-tweet prices. That conversion depends on the endpoint and the query.
- RapidAPI at full use. Effective prices assume the full monthly allowance is used.
- One check date. Everything was checked on 2026-10-09.
The official X API is the most expensive way to read
The official pricing page describes pay-per-usage with no subscription. You buy credits upfront in the Developer Console. A post read costs $0.005 and a user read $0.010. Pay-per-usage stops at 3 million post reads per monthly billing cycle, and above that you need Enterprise. One current promotion gives $20 in free credits after you save a first eligible card.
For reading public data it is $5.00 per 1,000 posts, against $0.065 to $0.42 per 1,000 units for the third-party options in the table. It is also the only one of these that lets you post, act on behalf of users or deal with X directly. The official API is the right tool for posting. X API pricing in 2026 covers it in more detail.
twitterapi.io: $0.15 per 1,000 tweets, $0.00015 minimum per call
The twitterapi.io homepage lists $0.15 per 1,000 tweets and $1 in free credits for new accounts (checked again on 2026-10-12; it was $0.1 on 2026-10-09), and says no Twitter developer account is needed. Its pricing page sets a minimum of $0.00015 (15 credits) per API call and says recharge bonus credits are valid for 31 days.
The two pages disagree on profiles. The homepage says $0.18 per 1,000 profiles, the pricing page says profiles cost "from $0.01 per 1K users". We only use the tweet price in the table for that reason. Our twitterapi.io alternative post goes further.
SocialData: $0.20 per 1,000 tweets or profiles
SocialData charges $0.0002 per tweet or user profile, or $0.20 per 1,000, according to its pricing documentation. Failed requests do not consume balance, and the balance does not expire. There is no free plan; the docs say to contact support. Some specialised endpoints are priced differently.
TwittrAPI: from $0.065 per 1,000 calls
TwittrAPI is a third-party API for public X data and is not affiliated with X Corp. Direct pricing is per 1,000 API calls: $0.09 on Standard, $0.075 for top-ups from $100, and $0.065 from $500 per month or on request. The prepaid balance does not expire. Calls that fail with 400, 408, 409 or a 5xx error are refunded. New direct accounts get $0.10 in free test credit. Crypto (USDT or USDC on Polygon, USDT on Tron, or Litecoin) with no surcharge, the cheapest way to pay. Card for one-time top-ups from $20 (9% card fee). USDT on Tron: minimum $50 and a $3 network fee per deposit, deducted from the credit. Auto top-up and invoices with VAT ID (reverse charge) for business customers on request. You can also buy through RapidAPI or the JojAPI marketplace. The pricing page has the full terms.
A direct request sends the key in the X-API-KEY header:
curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.twittrapi.com/user/by/username/XDevelopers' \
--header 'X-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY'curl --request GET \
--url 'https://twitter-aio.p.rapidapi.com/user/by/username/XDevelopers' \
--header 'x-rapidapi-host: twitter-aio.p.rapidapi.com' \
--header 'x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_API_KEY'On RapidAPI the key goes in the x-rapidapi-key header instead. The second tab shows that version.
Per-call and per-item prices only match for lookups
X, twitterapi.io and SocialData charge per item returned (per post, tweet or profile). We charge per API call.
Single-object lookups. When one call returns one object, such as one profile or one tweet by ID, the units line up. Looking up 1,000 profiles one at a time costs $0.065 to $0.09 on TwittrAPI direct, $0.20 on SocialData and $10.00 on the official X API. We are cheaper than SocialData for profile lookups because we charge per call and a lookup is one call.
What 1,000,000 single profile lookups cost
- TwittrAPI$65–$90
- twitterapi.io$180
- SocialData$200
- X API$10,000
List endpoints. Search, timelines and follower lists return a page of results per call. With per-call pricing you pay once for the page, so the effective cost per tweet is lower than the per-call price. How many results a page holds depends on the endpoint and the query, so we do not publish a tweets-per-call figure.
The only reliable comparison for list workloads is to run your real queries and divide what you spent by what you received.
Which one is cheapest depends on your workload
Reading public data at volume. The official API costs $5.00 per 1,000 posts. Every third-party option in the table is under $0.50 per 1,000 units.
Profile and single-tweet lookups. One object per call, so per-call and per-item prices compare directly. Check each provider's price for the exact endpoint, since some price profiles differently from tweets.
Search, timelines and followers. Per-call pricing usually wins here because each call returns a page. Test with your own queries to see by how much.
Low, occasional use. Free allowances matter more than unit price. Compare signup credits and free tiers such as RapidAPI BASIC (300 requests a month).
Posting or official support. Use the official API. Price is secondary here.
Price is one factor. Also look at how each provider treats failed requests, whether the balance expires, which endpoints you need, how many requests per second you are allowed, and whether an unofficial API fits your compliance requirements. Twitter API rate limits explained compares the published limits, and our Twitter API comparison puts prices, free credit, rate limits, response formats and endpoints of five options side by side. If you are weighing building your own scraper instead, read how to scrape Twitter (X) data in 2026 first.
Test with your own queries before you pick
- Pick three or four queries that match your real usage.
- Run them on each provider you are considering, using free credit where there is some. TwittrAPI direct accounts get $0.10 from /start.
- Record calls made, items returned and money spent.
- Work out the cost per 1,000 items for each provider.
The API reference lists what TwittrAPI supports. If you do not have a key yet, how to get an X API key without a developer account walks through the options.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Twitter API in 2026?
It depends on the unit. For lookups where one call returns one profile or tweet, TwittrAPI direct is the lowest published price in our table at $0.065 to $0.09 per 1,000 calls. For search, timelines and follower lists, providers that charge per item and providers that charge per call can only be compared with your own queries.
Is there a free Twitter API?
Not without limits. RapidAPI BASIC gives 300 requests a month for $0, TwittrAPI direct accounts get $0.10 of test credit, twitterapi.io lists $1 in sign-up credit, and the official X API currently offers $20 in credits after you save a first eligible card.
Can I post tweets with a cheap third-party API?
Use the official X API for posting. It is the option X supports for creating posts and acting on behalf of users, with the user's authorization. Reading with TwittrAPI needs no X account; optional account actions such as posting from your own account use your own X session cookie and proxy.
How do I compare per-call and per-tweet prices?
Run the same few queries on each provider, record what you spent and how many tweets or profiles came back, and divide. That gives a cost per 1,000 items for your workload.
