X (formerly Twitter) has announced a significant restriction to its developer API: the removal of like and follow functionality from the free tier, limiting these core social interaction tools to paid API plans only. The change, rolled out on August 22, 2025, affects third-party developers who build apps, tools, or integrations that rely on X’s API to enable actions like auto-liking posts, bulk-following users, or tracking like/follow metrics. For small developers, hobbyists, and niche tool creators who depend on the free tier, the move forces a choice: upgrade to a paid plan, strip key features from their products, or cease operations entirely.
What the Free Tier Loses (and What Paid Plans Offer)
Prior to the update, X’s free developer API tier allowed limited access to like and follow endpoints—enabling tools like “follow management apps” for small creators, “like-based content curators” for niche communities, or “social listening dashboards” for small businesses. Under the new rules, these endpoints are exclusive to X’s two paid API tiers: Basic ($100/month) and Enterprise (custom pricing, typically $10,000+/month).
The table below breaks down the key changes for like/follow functionality:
| API Functionality | Previous Free Tier Access | New Free Tier Access | Paid Tier (Basic/Enterprise) Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Like/unlike posts | 100 requests/day | Disabled | 10,000 requests/day (Basic); Unlimited (Enterprise) |
| Follow/unfollow users | 50 requests/day | Disabled | 5,000 requests/day (Basic); Unlimited (Enterprise) |
| Track like/follow metrics | 500 read requests/day | Disabled | 50,000 read requests/day (Basic); Unlimited (Enterprise) |
X has also clarified that even “read-only” access to like/follow data (e.g., fetching a user’s recent likes or follower count for analytics) is now restricted to paid tiers. The free tier now only includes access to basic endpoints like fetching public tweets or user profiles—with strict rate limits (1,500 requests/day, down from 5,000 previously).
Why X Is Making the Change: Monetization and “API Abuse”
In a blog post announcing the update, X’s Developer Platform team cited two primary reasons for the restriction:
- Monetizing the API Ecosystem: X has been pushing to turn its developer API into a revenue stream since 2023, when it first introduced paid tiers. The company claims the free tier’s like/follow tools were being used by “commercial entities” that avoided paying for access—undermining its ability to invest in API infrastructure. “For too long, large organizations have leveraged free API access to build profitable products without contributing to the platform’s upkeep,” the post reads. “This change ensures that those who benefit most from X’s data and tools help support their continued availability.”
- Curbing Abuse and Spam: X also links the move to its ongoing fight against bots, spam, and manipulative behavior. The company says free API access to like/follow endpoints was a “common vector” for automated spam (e.g., bots mass-following users to drive engagement or auto-liking posts to spread misinformation). By limiting these tools to paid tiers, X argues it can better enforce anti-abuse rules—since paid developers are required to undergo more rigorous verification and face stricter penalties for violations.
Critics, however, note that the timing aligns with X’s broader cost-cutting and revenue-generating efforts under owner Elon Musk, who has previously called the free API a “financial drain” on the company.
Impact on Developers: Small Tools and Niche Communities Hit Hard
The change is having an immediate and severe impact on small developers and hobbyists who built tools around the free API’s like/follow features:
- Hobby Projects: Apps like “Follower Cleaner” (a tool that helps users unfollow inactive accounts) or “Like Tracker” (which alerts users when their posts get liked by key accounts) have already been pulled from app stores, as their core functionality is now locked behind a $100/month paywall. “I built this tool in my free time to help small creators—$100/month is way more than I can afford, and my users won’t pay for it either,” said Raj Patel, developer of a now-defunct follow-management app with 5,000 active users.
- Small Businesses and Creators: Freelancers, micro-influencers, and small brands that used free API tools to manage social media (e.g., auto-liking industry-related posts to boost visibility) now face a choice: absorb the $100/month cost, spend hours manually performing these tasks, or abandon the strategy entirely. “We used a free tool to like 50 relevant posts a day—it took 2 minutes. Now, either we pay $100/month or spend an hour doing it by hand,” said Priya Sharma, a social media manager for a small indie bookstore.
- Niche Communities: Tools built for specific communities (e.g., a tool that auto-likes posts from disabled creators to amplify their voices) are also shutting down. “This isn’t about profit—it’s about supporting a marginalized group,” said a developer who ran such a tool. “I can’t justify charging users, so the tool is gone.”
Larger developers with paid plans, meanwhile, are largely unaffected—though some have criticized the move for reducing competition. “X is making it harder for new developers to enter the space,” said a product manager at a social media management firm with an Enterprise API plan. “Without free access to test ideas, fewer innovative tools will get built.”
Backlash and Calls for Reversal
Developers have taken to social media and X’s developer forums to voice their frustration, with many calling the $100/month Basic tier “prohibitive” for small-scale use cases. A petition on Change.org demanding X reinstate like/follow access to the free tier has garnered over 15,000 signatures, with supporters arguing the move “kills innovation and hurts the very creators X claims to support.”
Some developers have also pointed out that X’s anti-abuse rationale is flawed, as spam bots often use stolen API keys or Enterprise accounts— not the free tier. “The free tier had strict rate limits (50 follows/day) that made it useless for large-scale spam,” Patel said. “This is about money, not stopping bots.”
X has so far declined to budge on the decision, though a spokesperson told TechCrunch the company is “evaluating feedback” and may introduce a “lower-cost micro-tier” for small developers in the future. No timeline for such a tier was provided.
What’s Next for X’s Developer Ecosystem
The restriction is likely to further shrink X’s developer community, which has already declined since 2023 due to frequent API changes, rate-limit cuts, and uncertainty about the platform’s future. For many developers, the move is the final straw—pushing them to build tools for competing platforms like Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon, which offer more generous free API access.
“X used to be the go-to platform for social media tools, but now it’s just too risky and expensive,” said Sharma. “I’m already testing tools on Threads—their free API lets us do everything we need, no $100/month fee.”
For X, the short-term revenue from new Basic tier sign-ups may come at the cost of long-term ecosystem health. A vibrant developer community has historically driven user engagement (e.g., third-party apps like TweetDeck once made X more usable for power users), and losing that could further erode the platform’s appeal.
As one long-time X developer put it: “X is forgetting that developers don’t just use the API—they build things that make the platform better for everyone. By pricing them out, they’re cutting off a key part of their own ecosystem.”
For now, though, the change is final: like and follow functionality on X’s API is no longer free. For small developers, the choice is clear—pay up, pivot, or leave.