> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xquik.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Xquik vs X API v2: Twitter API alternative guide

> Compare X API and Twitter API alternatives for pricing, tweet search, follower exports, replies, profiles, timelines, webhooks, SDKs, and MCP. Has a route map.

<blockquote className="agent-llms-directive">
  For the complete documentation index, see <a href="/llms.txt">llms.txt</a>.
</blockquote>

Use this Twitter API alternative and pricing guide to compare real X tasks:
search tweets, export followers and replies, retrieve profiles and timelines,
post tweets, send direct messages, monitor accounts or keywords, send webhooks,
and connect apps or agents.

<Info>
  Verify current X API pricing, access rules, and product terms on the [official pricing page](https://docs.x.com/x-api/getting-started/pricing) before buying.
</Info>

## Quick answer

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Choose X API when" icon="check">
    You already have approved developer access, platform terms match the project, and your team wants direct control over endpoint design.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Choose Xquik when" icon="circle-check">
    You want ready endpoints for tweet search, user lookup, followers, writes, exports, monitors, and signed webhooks without building exports, retries, and alerts yourself.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Is Xquik better than X API v2 for scraping?

Not for every project. Choose X API v2 when you require direct platform access. Choose Xquik for ready tweet search, follower exports, and reply exports. It also adds pagination, files, monitors, webhooks, SDKs, and MCP.

Compare the same task in both products. Measure returned fields, cursor behavior, retries, export formats, delivery options, and total cost to run.

## Source-backed X API scope

X's official overview describes the X API as programmatic access to public conversation. Capabilities include reading posts, publishing content, managing users, analyzing metrics and trends, sending DMs, managing lists, and working with Spaces. The same overview recommends X API v2 for new projects.

The official OAuth 2.0 overview describes Bearer Token authentication tied to the developer App for reading public information and OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow with PKCE for user-context access. Use that distinction when comparing tweet search with account actions such as posting, follows, DMs, or list management.

The official Search Posts docs list `GET /2/tweets/search/recent` for last-7-day search and `GET /2/tweets/search/all` for full-archive search. All developers can use recent search, which returns up to 100 posts per request. Pay-per-use and Enterprise customers can use full-archive search, which returns up to 500 posts per request.

The official Follows docs list `GET /2/users/:id/followers`, `GET /2/users/:id/following`, `POST /2/users/:id/following`, and `DELETE /2/users/:source_user_id/following/:target_user_id` for follower lookup and follow management.

The official pagination docs describe the standard loop: request `max_results`, read the next-page cursor from `meta`, send it on the following request, and repeat until the API returns no cursor. Use this when estimating engineering work for search, timeline, follower, and following exports.

The official pricing docs describe credit-based pay-per-usage with per-resource reads and per-request writes. They also list Owned Reads at USD 0.001 per resource for eligible app-owned data, 24-hour UTC deduplication for billable resources, Developer Console usage tracking, auto-recharge, and spending limits.

## Official X API migration map

Use this map to move one API-backed workflow at a time. Keep the old call live,
ship the matching Xquik call behind a feature flag, then compare the record
shape, pagination cursor, export path, and output owner before switching.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Auth & base URL" icon="key-round">
    Official X API calls use `https://api.x.com/2` plus Bearer or OAuth
    user-context auth. Xquik REST calls use `https://xquik.com/api/v1` plus
    the `x-api-key` header.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search posts" icon="search">
    Replace `GET /2/tweets/search/recent` or `GET /2/tweets/search/all` with
    `GET /api/v1/x/tweets/search?q={query}`. Keep supported X search operators
    in `q`, then resume with `cursor`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tweet lookup" icon="message-square">
    Replace `GET /2/tweets/:id` with `GET /api/v1/x/tweets/{id}`. Replace
    `GET /2/tweets?ids=...` with `GET /api/v1/x/tweets?ids=...` for batches up
    to 100 tweet IDs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="User lookup" icon="user">
    Replace `GET /2/users/:id` and `GET /2/users/by/username/:username` with
    `GET /api/v1/x/users/{id}`. Xquik accepts a username or numeric user ID.
    Replace `GET /2/users?ids=...` with `GET /api/v1/x/users/batch?ids=...`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Timelines & mentions" icon="list-tree">
    Replace user timeline and mention timeline calls with
    `GET /api/v1/x/users/{id}/tweets` and
    `GET /api/v1/x/users/{id}/mentions`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Followers & following" icon="users">
    Replace follower and following list reads with
    `GET /api/v1/x/users/{id}/followers` and
    `GET /api/v1/x/users/{id}/following`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Engagement rows" icon="activity">
    Use `GET /api/v1/x/tweets/{id}/quotes`,
    `GET /api/v1/x/tweets/{id}/retweeters`,
    `GET /api/v1/x/tweets/{id}/favoriters`, and
    `GET /api/v1/x/tweets/{id}/replies` when the task is quote, repost, like,
    or reply analysis.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pagination & exports" icon="shuffle">
    Official X API pagination reads `meta.next_token` and sends it back as
    `pagination_token`. Xquik list and search pages return `next_cursor` and
    accept it as `cursor`. For CSV, JSON, XLSX, Markdown, PDF, or TXT files,
    create an extraction job and call `GET /api/v1/extractions/{id}/export`.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Migration checkpoint

Store a small checkpoint per replaced workflow so another engineer can verify
the endpoint pair and resume from the last page.

```json theme={null}
{
  "migration": "official_x_api_to_xquik",
  "old_endpoint": "GET /2/users/:id/followers",
  "new_endpoint": "GET /api/v1/x/users/{id}/followers",
  "cursor_map": {
    "old_response": "meta.next_token",
    "old_request": "pagination_token",
    "new_response": "next_cursor",
    "new_request": "cursor"
  },
  "handoff": {
    "export_path": "/api/v1/extractions/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890/export?format=csv",
    "owner": "crm-import-worker"
  }
}
```

## Comparison

| Area | X API | Xquik |
| - | - | - |
| Use when | Teams have approved developer access and need to build directly on official X endpoints. | Teams need tweet search, follower exports, write actions, 1-second monitors, signed webhooks, SDKs, and MCP together. |
| Product type | Official API. | Platform for tweet search, follower exports, account actions, monitors, webhooks & files. |
| Coverage | Usually covers one area: raw API access, stream delivery, publishing calls, or self-hosted collection code. | Tweet and profile reads, exports, X actions, monitors, webhooks, SDKs, MCP, and pay-per-use reads. |
| Pricing & value | Pay-per-usage. Official docs list post reads at USD 0.005/resource, follower reads at USD 0.010/resource, and content creates at USD 0.015/request. Check the Developer Console for current rates. | Xquik starts at USD 20/month with 140,000 included credits. Tweet search and follower exports cost 1 credit/result. Top-up credits cost USD 0.00015 each. Direct MPP covers 7 operations at USD 0.00015 to USD 0.00075 per call. |
| Integration effort | Plan for auth, pagination, retries, storage, exports, alerts, and monitoring. | Use a dashboard tool first, then call the same task through REST, webhook, SDK, export, or MCP when it needs automation. |
| Summary | The official X API gives approved developers direct platform access. | Xquik provides a ready dashboard, REST API, webhooks, exports, and MCP for common tasks: tweet search, user lookup, follower export, monitors, writes, and webhooks. |
| Access model | Direct platform developer access. | API keys plus ready dashboard tools. |
| Setup | Developer account, app setup, and platform approval flow. | Xquik account, API key, and ready-made tools. |
| Scope | Raw API. | Tools, exports, signed webhooks, MCP, and monitors. |

## Operating model

Compare X API and Xquik by output, cost, and handoff. The official X API gives approved developers direct platform access. Xquik provides a ready dashboard, REST API, webhooks, exports, and MCP for common tasks: tweet search, user lookup, follower export, monitors, writes, and webhooks.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Access model" icon="route">
    The X API gives direct platform developer access. Xquik gives API keys plus ready dashboard tools.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Setup" icon="square-terminal">
    The X API needs a developer account, app setup, and platform approval. Xquik needs an account and an API key.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scope" icon="download">
    X API provides raw platform access. Xquik adds tools, exports, signed webhooks, MCP, and monitors.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Twitter API pricing & cost checkpoint

X now prices the X API per use. Price the exact unit you need before building. The table below lists the billed unit for common X tasks.

Official X API pricing also lists Owned Reads at USD 0.001 per resource when a developer app accesses its own posts, bookmarks, followers, likes, lists, and similar owned data. Price Owned Reads separately from general post reads, follower reads, writes, DMs, and monitoring.

| Task | X API unit to price | Xquik unit to price |
| - | - | - |
| Search 1,000 posts | Posts read: USD 0.005 per resource in the official pricing docs. | Search tweets: 1 credit per tweet. Top-up credits cost USD 0.00015 each. Included subscription credits can lower the effective per-credit rate. |
| Export 1,000 followers | Following or follower read: USD 0.010 per resource in the official pricing docs. | Followers endpoint: 1 credit per user. Top-up credits cost USD 0.00015 each. Xquik returns CSV, JSON, XLSX, Markdown, and API output. |
| Publish 100 posts | Content create: USD 0.015 per request, or USD 0.200 per request with URL in the official pricing docs. | Text-only tweet or reply: 30 credits per call. A separate media upload costs 10 credits per call. |
| Monitor accounts | Price stream or polling access, storage, retries, alerting, and webhook delivery. | Active monitors check every 1 second and cost 21 credits per monitor-hour. Stored events and webhook delivery management are included. |
| Work with your own account data | Owned Reads: USD 0.001 per resource for eligible owned-data endpoints in the official pricing docs. | Use Xquik account, extraction, and export endpoints when the result must move to CSV, JSON, XLSX, webhook, SDK, MCP, or dashboard review. |

Use the official X API when you require direct platform access. Use Xquik when you need an export file, webhook, SDK call, MCP tool, or dashboard tool.

## What to test in Xquik

For API comparisons, price the whole task: endpoint access, pagination, retries, storage, exports, alerts, webhooks, SDKs, and maintenance. Choose Xquik when you need all of them from one product.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Tweets, followers & exports" icon="download">
    23 extraction tools cover tweets, replies, quotes, reposts, likes, followers, following, verified followers, communities, lists, Spaces, articles, and search. Export results to CSV, JSON, XLSX, Markdown, or API responses.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automation & writes" icon="workflow">
    18 X write actions cover tweets, media uploads, likes, retweets, follows, DMs, profile updates, and community actions from connected accounts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monitoring & delivery" icon="bell">
    Account and keyword monitors check active streams every 1 second. Store events, poll them, or deliver them through signed webhooks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Developer tools" icon="code-xml">
    Choose REST, an SDK, MCP, or pay-per-use reads. Credit records show each request's cost.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What to verify in a trial

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run the real task">
    Use a real task: search a keyword, export followers, upload media, send a DM, monitor an account, or deliver a webhook. Compare outputs, not feature labels.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Inspect the output">
    Confirm returned data, pagination, retry behavior, webhook payloads, export formats, and how much code each call needs. Then compare total cost for the same task: access, included volume, top-ups, and engineering time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the next integration">
    Decide where the result goes next: CSV, JSON, webhook, SDK call, MCP tool, dashboard review, or another API.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Migration path

Start with one API-backed task. Keep the current integration running while you compare output shape, latency, pagination, retries, exports, and alert delivery in Xquik.

Keep the test small: one task, one output, one cost model, and one owner for the output. Switch only when the Xquik output matches the required records and reduces integration work or cost.

A coding agent can do the move with the [X API alternative Skill](https://github.com/Xquik-dev/x-api). It maps official X API v2 calls to Xquik endpoints & names any call without one. It writes the client with API key auth, cursor pagination, retries, and webhook signature checks. It states the cost before a loop or a monitor runs.

```bash theme={null}
npx skills add Xquik-dev/x-api
```

Price the real workload. On Xquik, Starter is USD 20/month with 140,000 credits. Top-ups are USD 0.00015/credit, webhook and stored-event management are free, and active monitors bill only while enabled. On X API, use the official per-resource and per-request prices in the Developer Console, then add any engineering time for storage, exports, retries, dashboards, SDKs, and webhooks.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Xquik API overview" icon="book-open" href="/api-reference/overview">
    Review REST API authentication, endpoint groups, and response patterns.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integration guide" icon="route" href="/guides/workflows">
    Map dashboard tools to REST calls, signed webhooks, exports, and MCP tools.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pricing & billing" icon="credit-card" href="/guides/billing">
    Check included credits, top-ups, free operations, and active monitor billing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Official X API pricing" icon="external-link" href="https://docs.x.com/x-api/getting-started/pricing">
    Verify current X API pay-per-usage rates before making a final decision.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.