The X API Price Hike: A Blow to Indie Hackers

The X API, a crucial tool for many startups and small businesses, is about to get a lot more expensive.

In a recent forum post, the X team announced that developers on the platform's 'Basic' usage tier will see their monthly bill double from $100 to $200.

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This price hike is a significant blow to indie hackers who have long relied on the X API. Before the introduction of tiered pricing, many makers paid nothing (or next to nothing) to use the service. The new pricing will make it much harder for small-scale projects to access the data and functionality they need.

The move comes as X, under Elon Musk's ownership, continues to grapple with its bot problem and search for new revenue streams. Musk has introduced changes like paid verification and costlier API access in an effort to crack down on automated accounts and boost the platform's finances.

Not everyone is convinced, with indie hacker PL Bompard saying, "This pricing update does not make sense in regards to getting rid of bots tbh. They mostly want to keep their data because that's the most valuable asset they have in the age of AI."

Huge Risk

The collateral damage to legitimate startups is concerning. Daniel Nguyen, whose KTool app previously used the Twitter API to send tweets to Kindle devices, warns that X now carries "a huge risk" for makers.

Unlike other platform providers, X doesn't seem to offer the same stability or investment in its developer community. The abrupt price hikes, coupled with the platform's ongoing struggles, have left many small businesses and indie projects in a precarious position.

Some fear the API price changes are less about fixing bots and more about finding alternative revenue streams for the company. With many advertisers reluctant to use the platform, the X team may be looking to the API as a new source of income.

The new pricing tiers offer some options, but they come with significant tradeoffs. The free tier will now include read access, but limits users to just 50 posts per month. The Basic plan doubles in cost, while the Pro tier remains at $5,000 per month.

For indie hackers and small startups that have come to rely on the X API, this price hike is a tough pill to swallow. As the platform continues to evolve under new ownership, the future looks uncertain for the many developers who have built their businesses on X's data and functionality.