Free X API for developers — start without a card
Looking for a free X API or free Twitter API tier? XFlux Free includes 1,000 REST/MCP calls per month and 1 account monitor with Dashboard hits. Live signed webhooks start on Starter ($19/mo). Compare official pricing at /docs/compare/pricing.
Instant API key
Register → copy key → call /users, /search, /tweets. Same key for MCP.
1 free monitor
Watch one public @handle; see hits in Dashboard. Test webhooks before upgrading.
Honest limits
Not an official X firehose. Read-only public data. Flat plans — not pay-per-tweet.
Start free in minutes
- 1
Create an account
No credit card on Free. Get the key from Dashboard → API Keys.
- 2
Hit the read API or MCP
REST at /api/v1 or npx @xflux/xflux-mcp-server for Claude/Cursor.
- 3
Add a monitor when ready
Upgrade only if you need live webhook delivery or more quota/monitors.
Free X API options (honest)
Official X free/basic tiers change often and are write/limited. XFlux Free is for read + one monitor.
| Official X (typical free/basic) | XFlux Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Card required | Often yes for useful tiers | No |
| Read profiles/search | Varies / restricted | Yes — 1,000 calls/mo |
| Account monitor | Not on free DIY | 1 monitor + Dashboard hits |
| Live webhooks | Enterprise AAA / streams | Starter+ |
Smoke test
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer xflux_YOUR_KEY" \
https://www.xfluxapi.com/api/v1/users/elonmuskFAQ
- Is this the official free X API?
- No. XFlux is an independent read API + monitors. Official plans are at developer.x.com; we publish a comparison at /docs/compare/pricing.
- MCP on free tier?
- Yes — tool calls count against the same 1,000 calls. See /mcp.
- More free-tier detail?
- Blog: /blog/twitter-api-free-tier.
Related guides
Try account monitors free
Free includes 1 monitor and Dashboard hit history. Live webhook delivery starts on Starter ($19/mo).