Will X's usage-based API pricing succeed in winning over developers?

X is trying to win back developers with a revised, usage-based pricing model for its API (revealed on October 21st 2025), backed by a revamped developer console and an application-only beta that includes a $500 build voucher for selected participants.

The company frames the move as an “open up” moment: fewer rate limits, scaled pricing keyed to actual consumption, and a more modern console experience designed to reduce friction.

As we, at MEF, have noted in similar shifts, pricing is only one part of the platform calculus. Reliability, governance, and clarity of terms are equally decisive.

Against that broader backdrop, let’s look at what’s changed, what ...