X (formerly Twitter) is testing a new pay-per-use pricing model for its API, marking the latest shift in its developer strategy two years after overhauling its access tiers and pricing system.
The company announced that it is expanding the closed beta of the new plan to more developers, including both new users and those building high-scale applications. In a post from its official developer account, X said it is now accepting applications for participation in the beta program.
“We are expanding a closed beta to both new & power users who want to ship amazing apps on X,” the company wrote.
The new API model introduces usage-based pricing, allowing developers to pay only for the specific API calls they make — such as reading data, posting content, sending direct messages, accessing trends, or retrieving bookmarks. A new cost calculator has also been added to X’s API documentation page, enabling developers to estimate expenses for different usage bundles.
This approach differs from X’s existing tier-based system, where all requests previously cost the same. The company’s new documentation even includes a side-by-side comparison of the new pricing structure versus the older monthly plans. However, it remains unclear whether X plans to phase out the current tiered system altogether.
The shift comes as part of X’s broader effort to rebuild relationships with developers after a series of controversial API changes in 2023. At the time, the platform ended free API access, which led to the shutdown of numerous third-party tools and services. The company later introduced paid tiers — starting from $200 per month for the Basic plan (originally $100), $5,000 per month for Pro, and $42,000 per month for Enterprise — but many developers found these options too expensive or restrictive.
In response, X later introduced top-up packs to allow users to extend their API usage without upgrading to a higher plan. The new usage-based model could now represent a middle ground — offering developers more flexibility and potentially bringing back those who abandoned the platform after the pricing overhaul.
While X has not provided a timeline for a full public rollout, the new system could mark a significant turning point in how the platform engages with the developer ecosystem — especially as competition intensifies from platforms offering open, developer-friendly APIs.
