vs
Per-post metering vs a flat price per search1Lookup returns up to 20 X posts for $0.074 a search, where the X API charges $0.10 for 20 posts at $0.005 each.
The X API bills every post, profile and reply it returns, from prepaid credits you buy in its developer console. 1Lookup sells the read as one request with one price: send a keyword, an account or a post link, and get back up to 20 posts, charged only when posts come back.
The X API is the official way to read posts, users, lists and trends on X. It is billed from prepaid credits: $0.005 for each post read and $0.010 for each user read, with no subscription and a cap of 3 million post reads a month on pay-per-usage. 1Lookup reads the same public posts as three requests, search, an account's latest posts and a post's replies, at 15 credits each, about $0.074 on the Starter plan.
The X API reads, priced per request
The X API charges for each post returned and caps what a pay-per-usage account can read in a month. These are the same three jobs as single requests with a flat price and no developer app to register.
Search recent posts
X Post Search API
A keyword, a phrase or an X search query in; up to 20 posts out, each with its text, time, author, follower count, likes, reposts, replies and views, newest first or most popular first.
15 credits per search that finds posts, free when no post matches
Read an account's posts
X Profile Posts API
A handle in; the account's latest 20 posts out, with reposts, quotes, replies and the pinned post marked, and the account's name, followers, bio and verified flag alongside.
15 credits per account that returns posts, free when no posts come back
Read the replies to a post
X Post Replies API
A post link in; up to 20 replies out, each with the replier's bio, location, follower count and verified flag, which the X API serves through search instead of a dedicated endpoint.
15 credits per post that returns replies, free when there are no replies
1Lookup vs X API: the same criteria, side by side
Both products measured on identical criteria, with X API’s numbers taken from its own published pricing.
1lookup1lookup.ioData and validation APIs
x.comSocial and creator data- X API · Starts at
- No subscription and no minimum spend. Credits are bought upfront in the Developer Console; a Post read costs $0.005 (so $5 of credits buys 1,000 Post reads, derived). The smallest amount printed anywhere is $5, the minimum first auto-recharge amount.
- 1Lookup: $99/mo for 20,000 credits ($4.95 per 1,000, down to $2.00 on Enterprise)
- X API · Do credits expire?
- Purchased credits: 'Credits do not expire unless otherwise specified, and are not transferable or refundable except as required by law.' Free incentive credits expire 3 months after they are granted and are spent before purchased credits.
- 1Lookup: Unused monthly credits roll over for 3 months; separately purchased credits last 1 year
| Criteria | 1Lookup | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly plans with universal credits; core phone, email and IP lookups cost 1 credit, enrichment and intelligence products cost more | Pay-per-usage with prepaid credits and no subscription plans printed. Reads are charged per resource returned: Posts read $0.005 each, User read $0.010 each, Following/Followers read $0.010 each, DM Event read $0.010 each, List/Space/Community/Note/Profile Update reads $0.005 each, Like/Mute/Block reads $0.001 each. 'Owned reads' (your own app's data for the authenticated owner) are $0.001 per resource. Writes and counts are charged per request (for example Counts: Recent $0.005, Counts: All $0.010, Post: Create $0.015, Post: Create with URL $0.200). Pay-per-usage plans are capped at 3 million Post reads per monthly billing cycle; Enterprise is a custom contract. |
| Starting price | $99/mo for 20,000 credits ($4.95 per 1,000, down to $2.00 on Enterprise) | No subscription and no minimum spend. Credits are bought upfront in the Developer Console; a Post read costs $0.005 (so $5 of credits buys 1,000 Post reads, derived). The smallest amount printed anywhere is $5, the minimum first auto-recharge amount. |
| Free option | Free single lookups via the online tools at 1lookup.io/tools, no account required | No ongoing free plan or free monthly allowance is printed. One-time promotional credits only: $20 after a new account saves its first eligible card and completes its first credit purchase, plus a match of the first auto-recharge up to $50 (up to $70 in total). These credits expire 3 months after they are granted. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on every plan: $5 of credits on Starter, $20 on Growth, Professional, and Enterprise, with no payment today | None published |
| Do credits expire? | Unused monthly credits roll over for 3 months; separately purchased credits last 1 year | Purchased credits: 'Credits do not expire unless otherwise specified, and are not transferable or refundable except as required by law.' Free incentive credits expire 3 months after they are granted and are spent before purchased credits. |
What X API costs at volume
| Volume | X API price | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 posts read | $5.00 at $0.005 per post returned | $5.00 |
| 1,000 user profile reads | $10.00 at $0.010 per user returned | $10.00 |
| 3,000,000 posts read in a month, the pay-per-use cap | $15,000 at list price | $5.00 |
The X API bills each resource it returns: 1,000 posts are $5.00, 1,000 user reads are $10.00, and a pay-per-usage account is capped at 3,000,000 post reads a month ($15,000 at list price). 1Lookup bills a flat 15 credits per request that returns up to 20 posts, $74.25 per 1,000 requests on Starter, so it is cheaper per post only when requests fill their page.
Before you sign: X API and 1Lookup on the operational terms
The terms that decide what a year actually costs, rather than what the first month does. “Not listed” means we could not verify it on either product’s published pages, not that the answer is nothing.
| Term | 1Lookup | X API |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum commitment | None. Monthly plans with no contract and no minimum volume; cancel any time | None printed for pay-per-usage: 'No contracts, subscriptions, or minimum spend. Start and stop anytime.' Enterprise is a committed contract with custom terms. |
| Going over your quota | Not listed | No overage billing is printed. The balance can go slightly negative and then requests are blocked until credits cover it; a spending limit blocks requests until the next billing cycle; more than 3 million Post reads per monthly cycle requires an Enterprise plan. |
| API access | Included on every plan and during the free trial; there is no tier that unlocks it | Self-serve. Sign in at console.x.com with an X account, accept the Developer Agreement, describe how you will use the API, create an app and save the keys; buy credits to use paid reads. Full-archive search is open to pay-per-use and Enterprise. Enterprise access goes through a sales form. |
| Rate limit | 1,000 requests per minute on standard accounts, with higher limits available on request | Per 15 minutes unless noted. Search recent posts (/2/tweets/search/recent): 450 per app, 300 per user, 10 default and 100 max results per request. Full-archive search (/2/tweets/search/all): 300 per 15 minutes and 1 per second per app, 1 per second per user, 500 max results per request. A user's posts (/2/users/:id/tweets): 10,000 per app, 900 per user (by username: 1,500 per app, 900 per user). A user's mentions: 450 per app, 300 per user. Replies/conversation: no separate limit, it uses the search limits above. |
| Support | Starter: Email Support; Growth: Priority Email & Chat Support; Professional: Chat + Live Meeting; Enterprise: Dedicated CSM | Developer community forum, API status page, billing support form, policy support form; Enterprise has a named account manager. |
X API fine print worth reading twice
Published terms that change what X API costs or what you can do with it. Each one links to the X API page it was read on, because a claim about somebody else’s contract should be checkable in one click.
Prices are subject to change, and the docs point to the Developer Console for current rates.
Read it on X API’s siteBesides the credit price, the buyer pays taxes, surcharges, card, bank and foreign-exchange fees, and a Digital Services Tax surcharge may be added as a separate line item.
Read it on X API’s siteA verified phone number is required to purchase credits, and credits are non-refundable except where law requires (EU/UK buyers have a 14-day withdrawal right if no credits were used).
Read it on X API’s siteCredit deduction errors must be reported within 30 days of the disputed deduction.
Read it on X API’s siteAuto-recharge allows at most one top-up per 5-minute window and does not run at a zero or negative balance, so a bursty job can still see out-of-credits errors.
Read it on X API’s siteThe 3 million monthly Post read cap on pay-per-usage is about $15,000 at list price; more volume needs an Enterprise contract.
Read it on X API’s site
1Lookup
X API
Where 1Lookup wins
- A full page of 20 posts costs about $0.074 on Starter, which is $0.004 a post against the X API's $0.005, and a search with no match costs nothing
- No X developer account, app registration or verified phone number: one 1Lookup key and one balance, with no keys to rotate and no access tier to choose
- Replies come back from one request on a post link, each with the replier's bio, followers and location, where the X API serves them through search with the conversation_id operator
- The same balance pays for the enrichment and validation products that turn a handle or a replier into a contact
Where X API wins
- It is the official source: the same platform posts live on, with fields, expansions and metrics the platform itself defines.
- Full-archive search back to 2006 returns up to 500 Posts per request and is open to pay-per-use accounts, not only Enterprise.
- No contract, subscription or minimum spend, and no charge in months with zero usage.
- Reads of your own account's data (posts, followers, bookmarks, likes, lists) are priced at $0.001 per resource.
- Spending limits and auto-recharge are built into the Developer Console, so a budget cap can be set per billing cycle.
- Enterprise adds custom rate limits, uncapped Post reads, streams and a named account manager.
X API pricing and product facts verified against docs.x.com as of October 2026. Prices change; always confirm on the vendor’s site. 1Lookup numbers come from the live rate card.
Who this is for
A quick, honest read on which tool fits your use case.
Choose 1Lookup if: you read public posts, an account's latest posts or the replies to a post in pages of 20 and want one price per request, without registering an X developer app.
Consider the X API instead if: you need depth or volume: the X API searches the full archive back to 2006 with up to 500 posts per request, writes posts, and offers streams and custom limits on Enterprise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the X API used for?
Programmatic access to X: reading posts, users, lists, direct messages and trends, and writing posts, likes and follows. Teams use it to monitor a topic, track an account, collect replies and feed social data into dashboards, CRMs and models. Replies have no dedicated endpoint: the docs retrieve them with search and the conversation_id operator.
How does X API pricing work in 2026?
Pay-per-usage with prepaid credits, no subscription and no minimum spend. A post read is $0.005 and a user read is $0.010, charged for each resource returned, so 20 posts cost $0.10 and 1,000 posts cost $5.00. Reading your own account's data is $0.001 a resource, a post written is $0.015, and pay-per-usage is capped at 3 million post reads a month, about $15,000 at list price. New accounts get $20 of promotional credit after a first card and credit purchase, plus a match on the first auto-recharge of up to $50, expiring after 3 months. Purchased credits do not expire and are not refundable except as required by law.
How do I get the replies to a post from the X API?
Through search. The docs retrieve a conversation with the conversation_id operator on recent search, which covers the last 7 days, or on full-archive search, so replies are billed as post reads at $0.005 each and share the search endpoints' rate limits. 1Lookup's X Post Replies takes the post link directly and returns up to 20 replies, each with the replier's bio, follower count and location, for one flat price when replies come back.
How much does 1Lookup charge for the same reads?
X Post Search, X Profile Posts and X Post Replies are each 15 credits per request that returns posts, free when nothing comes back. On the Starter plan ($99 a month for 20,000 credits) that is about $0.074 a request, 1,333 requests a month and $74.25 per 1,000, or $0.030 a request at the Enterprise end of the rate card. A full page of 20 posts is therefore about $0.004 a post, against $0.005 on the X API.
Is there a cheaper alternative to the X API for reading public posts?
For pages that come back full, yes. The X API bills each post, so a request that returns 3 posts costs $0.015 and one that returns 20 costs $0.10. 1Lookup bills the request, 15 credits whether it returns 3 posts or 20, and nothing when none match. It is the cheaper read when searches fill their 20 posts, and the dearer one when they return only a few.
Where does the X API beat 1Lookup?
On depth and reach. The X API is the platform's own source: full-archive search back to 2006 returns up to 500 posts a request, recent search up to 100, and an account's posts up to 100, against 20 for 1Lookup with no pagination. It also writes posts, counts them, offers Enterprise contracts with streams, custom rate limits and a named account manager, and prices reads of your own account at $0.001 a resource. Each 1Lookup request runs live and usually takes 10 to 40 seconds, which matters in a flow where a person is waiting.
Is the X API worth it in 2026?
For deep history, high volumes, writes or streams, yes: there is no minimum spend and the price per post is easy to model. For monitoring a topic, an account or a thread in pages of 20, the metering is the part to check: you pay for every post returned, a verified phone number is needed to buy credits, and requests stop when the balance or a spending limit runs out.