X API cost calculator
The X API is pay-per-use: every post, read and direct message is billed. Put in how much you post and read, and see what X would charge you a month.
1. X API prices
Pay-per-use prices from docs.x.com as of 18 October 2026. If X changes them, change them here.
2. Your scenario
How much you post and read a day. A month here is 30 days.
| Item | A month | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Posts without a link | 120 | $0.015 | $1.80 |
| Posts with a link | 30 | $0.20 | $6.00 |
| Others' posts read | 0 | $0.005 | $0.00 |
| Own data reads | 600 | $0.001 | $0.60 |
| Direct messages | 0 | $0.015 | $0.00 |
| X API a month | $8.40 | ||
| X API a year | $100.80 |
Straight through the X API
$8.40 a month
On calmposts this fits Pro: $19 a month, X's fees included.
Going straight to X is $10.60 a month cheaper on paper. Then you need your own X developer account, a funded balance, OAuth, a queue with retries and media uploads.
Don't want to pay per post?
calmposts publishes through its own X app and pays X itself. You get a flat monthly price, a free plan to start with, and posts with links counted in the open.
See the plans3. Post-length checker
Counts the way X does: a link counts 23, an emoji 2, a CJK character 2. The same rules as the calmposts composer.
0 / 280 280 left
No link: through the X API this post costs $0.015.
Questions about X API pricing
How much does the X API cost per post?
$0.015 for a post without a link and $0.20 for a post with one, on X's pay-per-use pricing (docs.x.com, as of 18 October 2026). Each part of a thread is billed as a post.
Is the X API free?
No. Self-serve access is pay-per-use: you buy credits and every call draws on them. New developer accounts get bonus credits, up to $70 as of October 2026.
How many posts can one X app publish?
10,000 a day per app through POST /2/tweets, and 100 per user in 15 minutes. Every tool that posts for many people through one app shares that cap.
Why does a post with a link cost more?
Since April 2026 X bills a post with a link at $0.20 instead of $0.015. Schedulers that pay X for you, calmposts included, therefore limit posts with links separately.
How does X count characters?
Most characters count 1. Emoji and CJK characters count 2, and every link counts 23 however long it is. Regular accounts get 280 characters, Premium accounts up to 25,000.
Sources: X API pricing and rate limits on docs.x.com, as of 18 October 2026.