Twitter’s API transformation under the leadership of Elon Musk continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for developers. Recently, the company unveiled a new “Pro” tier designed specifically for developers and businesses. Priced at $5,000 per month, this offering sits strategically between the more affordable $100/month Basic plan and the custom Enterprise options tailored for larger organizations.

The newly introduced Twitter API Pro plan provides users with a robust monthly allowance of at least one million retrieved tweets and 300,000 posted tweets on the application level. Additionally, it features rate-limited access to critical endpoints, including real-time filtered streams that allow live access to tweets based on specific parameters, enhancing the ability to engage with current trends. Furthermore, users benefit from a comprehensive archive search that includes historical tweets, three app IDs, and the capability for Login with Twitter access. This plan caters to businesses looking to enhance their social media strategy through data-driven insights.

Despite its promising features, the $5,000 monthly subscription for companies eager to “experiment, build, and scale [their] business” creates a significant gap when compared to the $100/month Basic plan. The Basic option offers only a fraction of the access provided by the Pro plan, leaving small businesses in a challenging position. They are forced to choose between a plan that may not meet their needs for a mere $100 monthly fee and a $5,000 plan that exceeds the budget constraints of many startups, potentially stifling innovation and growth in the small business sector.

Feedback from users indicates a growing concern regarding the limitations of the new plan, with some expressing that the constraints are too harsh for the price point. “That’s cool, but you already killed most Twitter apps by now,” remarked Birdy developer Maxime Dupré in response to Twitter’s announcement. “And 5K is still too much for most of us. A 1K plan could make sense… but then again it’s too late.” This sentiment reflects broader concerns among researchers and developers who feel that the pricing structure may alienate those who once relied on affordable access to Twitter’s data for their projects and studies.

The recent changes to Twitter’s API have resulted in a tumultuous experience for developers seeking to maintain access to the platform’s valuable data. Initially, the company effectively eliminated most third-party clients back in January, subsequently updating its terms without significant notice. In February, Twitter announced the end of free API access but delayed the implementation following substantial backlash, promising a new read-only version of the free tier would remain available for “testing” purposes. While the previous version of free API access was discontinued in April, Twitter reactivated it for emergency services in May. Following this, the platform launched its new API structure with three tiers (free, basic, and enterprise) in March, eventually adding the high-priced Pro tier. However, given the prior alienation of many developers who depended on Twitter’s API, it remains uncertain how effective this new pricing strategy will be in attracting new customers—particularly smaller businesses—into the costly Pro plan.