Twitter Shares Pricing on New Account Activity APIs, Some Third-Party Apps in Jeopardy

[MacRumors]

Twitter today unveiled new details on its upcoming activity API changes, which will affect how third-party apps are able to access Twitter APIs and provide services to Twitter users who prefer to use apps like Twitterrific and Tweetbot.

Third-party Twitter app developers will be required to purchase a Premium or Enterprise Account Activity API package to access a full set of activities related to a Twitter account including Tweets, @mentions, Replies, Retweets, Quote Tweets, Retweets of Quoted Tweets, Likes, Direct Messages Sent, Direct Messages Received, Follows, Blocks, Mutes, typing indicators, and read receipts.

Premium API access, which provides access to up to 250 accounts, is priced at $2,899 per month, while enterprise access is more expensive, with pricing quotes available from Twitter following an application for an enterprise account.

At least some third-party apps have said they will not be able to afford access to the new Twitter APIs, including Twitterrific.

It's looking like it won't be financially possible for us to afford the new account activity API from twitter. - Sean Heber (@BigZaphod) May 16, 2018

These APIs also will not include access to streaming connections, which Twitter says are used by only 1 percent of monthly active apps.

There's no streaming connection capability as is used by only 1% of monthly active apps. Also there's no home timeline data. We have no plans to add that data to Account Activity API or create a new streaming service. However, home timeline data remains accessible via REST API. - Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) May 16, 2018

Twitter says it will be delaying the deprecation of its current APIs for three months to give developers time to transition over to the new platform. These APIs will be deprecated on Wednesday, August 16 instead of June 19, the original date Twitter planned to end support for the APIs.

It is not yet clear what impact all of these changes will have on major third-party Twitter apps, but we should hear updated details soon. Tapbots, the creators of Tweetbot for Mac and iOS, said on Tuesday that its apps will continue to function, but a few features could be slower or removed.

Tapbots says the worse case scenario on Mac is that notifications for likes and retweets will not be displayed, and notifications for tweets, mentions, quotes, DMs, and Follows could be delayed by one to two minutes.

Article Link: Twitter Shares Pricing on New Account Activity APIs, Some Third-Party Apps in Jeopardy

 

[igneousc]

Twitter today unveiled new details on its upcoming activity API changes, which will affect how third-party apps are able to access Twitter APIs and provide services to Twitter users who prefer to use apps like Twitterrific and Tweetbot.

Third-party Twitter app developers will be required to purchase a Premium or Enterprise Account Activity API package to access a full set of activities related to a Twitter account including Tweets, @mentions, Replies, Retweets, Quote Tweets, Retweets of Quoted Tweets, Likes, Direct Messages Sent, Direct Messages Received, Follows, Blocks, Mutes, typing indicators, and read receipts.

Premium API access, which provides access to up to 250 accounts, is priced at $2,899 per month, while enterprise access is more expensive, with pricing quotes available from Twitter following an application for an enterprise account.

At least some third-party apps have said they will not be able to afford access to the new Twitter APIs, including Twitterrific.

​

These APIs also will not include access to streaming connections, which Twitter says are used by only 1 percent of monthly active apps.

​

Twitter says it will be delaying the deprecation of its current APIs for three months to give developers time to transition over to the new platform. These APIs will be deprecated on Wednesday, August 16 instead of June 19, the original date Twitter planned to end support for the APIs.

It is not yet clear what impact all of these changes will have on major third-party Twitter apps, but we should hear updated details soon. Tapbots, the creators of Tweetbot for Mac and iOS, said on Tuesday that its apps will continue to function, but a few features could be slower or removed.

Tapbots says the worse case scenario on Mac is that notifications for likes and retweets will not be displayed, and notifications for tweets, mentions, quotes, DMs, and Follows could be delayed by one to two minutes.

Article Link: Twitter Shares Pricing on New Account Activity APIs, Some Third-Party Apps in Jeopardy

what a joke. third party twitter apps will have to be $30 for this to be viable, nobody is paying that.

 

[Yellowbean12]

I truly don’t understand how streaming is only used by 1% of apps. What Twitter app DOESN’T use streaming??

 

[Cougarcat]

What awful timing for Tweetbot. I feel so sorry for them, but the writing was on the wall.

If Twitter goes through with these changes and the app dies, so does Twitter for me.

 

[bwintx]

For the millionth time, I wish Twitter would simply (!) put auto-streaming into the native Twitter app, which is truly the only reason I use other-branded Twitter apps in the first place; for multiple columns, the TweetDeck Web app is sufficient IMHO (although I also still wish Twitter would recreate it in app form, and for real rather than the weird, glitchy version that currently exists and clearly is just a browser-page-as-app kinda thing).

 

[hobsgrg]

I truly don’t understand how streaming is only used by 1% of apps. What Twitter app DOESN’T use streaming??

The official Twitter app!

What awful timing for Tweetbot. I feel so sorry for them, but the writing was on the wall.

If Twitter goes through with these changes and the app dies, so does Twitter for me.

Yes same here, for me TweetBot is Twitter, I have no intention of using the official app

 

[ifarlow]

So Twitter dropped their aging macOS app without a replacement and now they are potentially crippling or eliminating fantastic third-party app options. I'm really curious why Twitter execs think this is a good path to take. I am but one person, I know, but unless something changes come August I suppose I won't be using Twitter any longer.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

I'll keep using Twitter with the official client, but with some caveats.

It sucks that they don't give third party apps full access. It's around that time that I switched from Tweetbot to the official client. I liked having synchronicity across my platforms, Mac and iOS, but then they go and killed the native app- like anyone really wants to keep a browser tab open specifically for it.

I may try to switch back to Tweetbot (as well as buy TB4 on Mac as a show of support), just to see if I can get on without the extra candy that the official client has.

 

[DaveOP]

So Twitter dropped their aging macOS app without a replacement and now they are potentially crippling or eliminating fantastic third-party app options. I'm really curious why Twitter execs think this is a good path to take. I am but one person, I know, but unless something changes come August I suppose I won't be using Twitter any longer.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

The only reason I can browse Twitter now is that Tweetbot has a chronological timeline without the random inserted ads. I am sure this lowers their revenue and engagement on me, but I'd also leave twitter if I was forced back to the mess that is their native app.

 

[profets]

The only reason I can browse Twitter now is that Tweetbot has a chronological timeline without the random inserted ads. I am sure this lowers their revenue and engagement on me, but I'd also leave twitter if I was forced back to the mess that is their native app.

This. Without synced chronological timeline I’m gone.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Third-party apps make money off these APIs. If your company provided something, wouldn't you want to be paid if others used it to make money for themselves?

It takes a LOT of time and energy to keep APIs up and running, in addition to regularly upgrading them. It's unlikely Twitter will be making money here, but rather breaking even. Helps justify continuing to maintain it when they could simply shut it off for everyone.

 

[Diamond Dog]

I'll probably stop using Twitter in that case. I hate the native app's lack of chronological view / tons of adds and sponsored posts, and their macOS app is dead. If forced to use the native app on mobile and the web client on Mac, I'd just rather not use the service.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

So Twitter dropped their aging macOS app without a replacement and now they are potentially crippling or eliminating fantastic third-party app options. I'm really curious why Twitter execs think this is a good path to take. I am but one person, I know, but unless something changes come August I suppose I won't be using Twitter any longer.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

I guarantee they've looked at the impact this will have. They know how many people access Twitter using 3rd party apps and how active they are. One would think that they'd know the impact of the loss of some of these users.

 

[Apple Fritter]

Maybe they're running a "How to ruin your own business in no time flat 101" class or something.

Twitter has a hard time competing as it is and all the power users on that platform rely on 3rd party apps. I mean it's not like they offered one themselves anyways. Way to go lel.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I'll probably stop using Twitter in that case. I hate the native app's lack of chronological view / tons of adds and sponsored posts, and their macOS app is dead. If forced to use the native app on mobile and the web client on Mac, I'd just rather not use the service.

No loss for Twitter there. If you're using a 3rd party app and not seeing ads, you're a cost drain to Twitter. They'll be happy to have you gone.

The people Twitter wants to keep are invested enough in the platform that they'll stick around after these changes. Those like yourself aren't likely very invested if this change will cause you to leave, so there's far less impact to them from you leaving.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

1. I legitimately feel pretty bad for Tapbots right now.

2. As if the economy for app developers wasn't bad enough already now Twitter is out here quoting 3rd party access for $2900 for up to 250 users. Why even offer the option other than let the devs that contact Twitter for Enterprise pricing to know ahead of time that they are about to get screwed with their pants on?

You would think a social network wouldn't want to be so passive aggressively hostile to it's users. If you don't want anyone using 3rd party apps, fine. But just say it. Don't offer crap API access like this and make pretend that it's actually something useful (and that line about only 1% of users using streaming is complete garbage and makes the whole thing seem even more disingenuous).

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Maybe they're running a "How to ruin your own business in no time flat 101" class or something.

Twitter has a hard time competing as it is and all the power users on that platform rely on 3rd party apps. I mean it's not like they offered one themselves anyways. Way to go lel.

That's simply not true. If you look at the top names on Twitter, the vast majority post from the native Twitter app and the web interface.

 

[ifarlow]

Third-party apps make money off these APIs. If your company provided something, wouldn't you want to be paid if others used it to make money for themselves?

I'm not sure developers want access for free, but $2,899 per month for only 250 accounts is absurd. Of course, as a non-developer of Twitter apps I am making the assumption that 250 accounts means 250 app customers actively connected at the same time. If I am right, then can you imagine what thousands of accounts would cost per month on the enterprise plans? I would not be surprised if apps like TweetBot or Twitterrific will be expected to pay tens of thousands per month just to keep working as they do today.

I believe that's why developers are saying this is not sustainable for third-party apps.

 

[macduke]

Premium API access, which provides access to up to 250 accounts, is priced at $2,899 per month, while enterprise access is more expensive, with pricing quotes available from Twitter following an application for an enterprise account.

$11.60/mo/user? That's crazy. I might have paid it years ago when Twitter was still worth a crap, especially if they weren't selling my info to advertisers and had a good privacy policy, but not today. Guess I'll just stop using Twitter then.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

1. I legitimately feel pretty bad for Tapbots right now.

2. As if the economy for app developers wasn't bad enough already now Twitter is out here quoting 3rd party access for $2900 for up to 250 users. Why even offer the option other than let the devs that contact Twitter for Enterprise pricing to know ahead of time that they are about to get screwed with their pants on.

You would think a social network wouldn't want to be so passive aggressively hostile to it's users. If you don't want anyone using 3rd party apps, fine. But just say it. Don't offer crap API access like this and make pretend that it's actually something useful (and that line about only 1% of users using streaming is complete garbage and makes the whole thing seem even more disingenuous).

This is why developers tell other developers to never build your product on someone else's property. It puts you at their mercy. This is why many even build their own structures rather than using tools and frameworks from others. If you own it all, you control it all. It's like building your house on someone else's property and then being surprised when they want you to move out or charge you to live there.

I'm not at all surprised that so few use the streaming API. Most API integrations aren't from 3rd party apps displaying the feed. They're pushing or pulling tweets, analytical data, and more.

 

[ifarlow]

I guarantee they've looked at the impact this will have. They know how many people access Twitter using 3rd party apps and how active they are. One would think that they'd know the impact of the loss of some of these users.

No doubt Twitter execs believe they know what they are doing, but not all exec decisions work out well. Plenty of CEOs and affiliated execs have driven companies into the ground based on what they think is the best path to take. I would have no way of knowing if this will turn out good or bad for Twitter, but time will obviously tell.

 

[justperry]

I never understood (the use of/for) twitter.

 

[hobsgrg]

No doubt Twitter execs believe they know what they are doing, but not all exec decisions work out well. Plenty of CEOs and affiliated execs have driven companies into the ground based on what they think is the best path to take. I would have no way of knowing if this will turn out good or bad for Twitter, but time will obviously tell.

People like me who just use Twitter through TweetBot are people Twitter can't monetise as there is no adverts, so for a few years now they have been trying to push the third party apps of existence by placing restrictions such as token limits and not providing API access to new features. Like it or not Twitter would rather not have me at all than just use their service but without any way for them to make money from that.

From a short term finance point of view what they are doing makes total sense. I don't think there are enough users of third party apps for them to worry about a major fall in users which could then push users they are monetising to also leave.

 

[nutmac]

$11.60/mo/user? That's crazy. I might have paid it years ago when Twitter was still worth a crap, especially if they weren't selling my info to advertisers and had a good privacy policy, but not today. Guess I'll just stop using Twitter then.

Anyway you cut it, $11.60/month per user is insane.

Twitter should just serve ads (or promoted tweets) on the standard 3rd party API that 3rd party Twitter accounts must display.

 

[avanpelt]

For people who were complaining yesterday that the Tweetbot upgrade for macOS was $9.99, tomorrow it’ll probably be $24.99.