X (Twitter): scrapers and the official API, compared

Route map

Each line is one way to get X (Twitter) data; each stop is a field you probably need. Green lines are catalogue Actors, ranked by the published formula.

Which route for which job

The catalogue Actors for X (Twitter) return different records. "Only this route" lists the published fields no other Actor in this table returns, which is usually what decides the choice. Cost is the published per-result rate; start events and platform usage are extra.

Field matrix: who returns what

Every tool with a published output schema, against the 7 fields most X (Twitter) jobs need. A dot means the field name appears in the schema; rows can still leave it empty.

Field dictionary: the exact keys

The same core field has a different key in each Actor's output. Map these before you merge datasets; a dash means the published schema has no matching key. Need a field that is not listed here, such as email? Search every X (Twitter) Actor by field.

Download this comparison: CSV · JSON (every tool with a published schema, matching keys per core field, price and score).

All 20 tools, scored

Catalogue Actors link to their detail pages; the score (0 to 100) is the published formula, identical for every tool. Other Store tools follow in their own table, for reference. Price is the published primary-result rate per 1,000 (the Free-plan rate where the price is tiered; higher Apify plans pay less); start events and platform usage are excluded.

Other Store tools, for reference

Scored with the same published formula and listed for comparison only; this site does not link or recommend them.

What to check before you choose

Public X posts and profile activity help teams track mentions, follow conversations and compare engagement. Decide whether the collection starts with known links, account names or search terms: each route answers a different question.

Post lookup suits a defined list of URLs, while keyword search supports topic discovery. Media, captions, screenshots, trends and Spaces need specialist outputs; the official X API offers a separate route with resource-based charges and spending limits.

Checklist

• Match the output to the task. A screenshot preserves a visual record, while post search exposes text and engagement values that can be filtered and compared.
• Check naming before importing results: search tools publish author.username, createdAt, likeCount and retweetCount, which need mapping if your destination expects author, posted_at, likes and reposts.
• Compare billing units as well as headline prices. Store result-event charges can exclude start events and platform plan differences, while the official X API charges per resource returned.

Where the data is incomplete

The published keyword schemas include searchTerm and engagement values.

Specialist outputs have separate availability limits. Screenshot results can report protected, deleted or login_wall states; transcriptAvailable and replayAvailable need checking before treating a video or Space as usable source material.

Official API route

Terms and personal data

Follow X's terms and the X Developer Agreement when collecting or reusing public content. Do not bypass logins or access controls. This is general information, not legal advice.

Read X (Twitter)'s terms. Keep to public data, do not bypass logins or access controls, and check whether personal data is involved before you collect it. The can-I-scrape checklist walks through it.

How to start

1. Configure a small collection using the documented inputs and review the billing conditions before starting it.
2. Inspect the resulting records for post identity, text, author, posting time and engagement, then export the usable records and retain any status messages for review.

Call Twitter (X) Media Downloader from code

The example input uses the Actor's published defaults; set your own X (Twitter) query before you run it. You need an Apify API token.

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run_input = {
    "postUrls": [
        "https://x.com/NASA/status/2107095768821576019"
    ],
    "maxPostsPerUser": 1,
    "maxItems": 1,
    "mediaTypes": [
        "video",
        "photo",
        "gif"
    ],
    "imageQuality": "orig",
    "videoQuality": "best",
    "downloadAllQualities": False,
    "includePosterImage": False,
    "includeAltText": True,
    "audioOnly": False,
    "audioFormat": "m4a",
    "includeQuotedMedia": True,
    "includeMetadata": True,
    "minLikes": 0,
    "minRetweets": 0,
    "onlyVerifiedAuthors": False,
    "saveToFile": False
}

run = client.actor("dataspryva/twitter-x-media-downloader").call(run_input=run_input)
if run is None:
    raise RuntimeError("The Actor run was not found.")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" });
const input = {
    "postUrls": [
        "https://x.com/NASA/status/2107095768821576019"
    ],
    "maxPostsPerUser": 1,
    "maxItems": 1,
    "mediaTypes": [
        "video",
        "photo",
        "gif"
    ],
    "imageQuality": "orig",
    "videoQuality": "best",
    "downloadAllQualities": false,
    "includePosterImage": false,
    "includeAltText": true,
    "audioOnly": false,
    "audioFormat": "m4a",
    "includeQuotedMedia": true,
    "includeMetadata": true,
    "minLikes": 0,
    "minRetweets": 0,
    "onlyVerifiedAuthors": false,
    "saveToFile": false
};

const run = await client.actor("dataspryva/twitter-x-media-downloader").call(input);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dataspryva~twitter-x-media-downloader/run-sync-get-dataset-items"   -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{"postUrls":["https://x.com/NASA/status/2107095768821576019"],"maxPostsPerUser":1,"maxItems":1,"mediaTypes":["video","photo","gif"],"imageQuality":"orig","videoQuality":"best","downloadAllQualities":false,"includePosterImage":false,"includeAltText":true,"audioOnly":false,"audioFormat":"m4a","includeQuotedMedia":true,"includeMetadata":true,"minLikes":0,"minRetweets":0,"onlyVerifiedAuthors":false,"saveToFile":false}'

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=dataspryva/twitter-x-media-downloader",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Questions people ask

More on X (Twitter)

• Ranked listBest X (Twitter) scrapers on Apify: Actors ranked by fields and price
• Official API pricingX API pricing in 2026: pay-per-use rates and a working cost calculator
• Retired toolNitter is offline: what killed it and what to use for X data
• Retired toolsnscrape after the X changes: what broke and what to use now
• Retired toolTwint is archived: the Twitter scraper that stopped working
• Topic groupSocial media data: every website compared
• ToolWhich X (Twitter) route fits your job?
• ToolX (Twitter) cost by Apify plan, rows and runs

Related websites

• LinkedIn19 Actors
• Reddit9 Actors
• YouTube17 Actors

Sources

• Twitter (X) Media Downloader on Apify Store
• X Post, Reply & Profile Lookup by Link or ID on Apify Store
• X (Twitter) Profile & Post Engagement Extractor on Apify Store
• X Video Subtitle & Caption Transcript Converter on Apify Store
• X/Twitter Keyword & Hashtag Tweet Search on Apify Store
• X Keyword Search with Mention & Reply Operators on Apify Store
• X API v2 documentation
• X API v2 pricing
• Official source, checked 2026-11-09
• X (Twitter) terms