Apidirect.io
FreemiumA pay-as-you-go social media API. Search real-time data across multiple social platforms through one standardized API. No monthly fees, just pay per request. Simple auth, usage monitoring, and a free tier with no credit card required.
What does this tool do?
API Direct is a social media data aggregation API that provides real-time access to posts and discussions across major platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, and forums) through a single unified interface. Rather than managing separate APIs for each platform, developers query a standardized endpoint structure with consistent request parameters and response formats. The service operates on a pay-per-request model starting at $0.003 per request with no monthly commitments, making it cost-effective for variable-volume use cases. It includes an MCP server integration for AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT, enabling non-developers to query social media data directly through conversational interfaces without writing code.
AI analysis from Feb 23, 2026
Key Features
- Unified API with consistent request/response format across 7 social platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, Forums, and Reddit Comments)
- Real-time data searching with keyword queries and sorting by relevance or recency
- MCP server support for integration with Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor AI tools
- Usage analytics dashboard tracking requests, errors, and costs with daily/monthly spending caps
- Simple API key authentication with no per-platform credentials required
- Pagination support for handling large result sets
- Platform-specific optional filters beyond common query parameters
Use Cases
- 1Brand monitoring and sentiment analysis by tracking mentions across multiple social platforms simultaneously
- 2Market research and competitive intelligence by searching for industry discussions and trends across Reddit, forums, and LinkedIn
- 3Content research for journalists and writers seeking real-time quotes, discussions, and trending topics across social media
- 4AI assistant augmentation where Claude or ChatGPT can search social media data directly to answer user queries about current conversations
- 5Lead generation for B2B sales teams searching LinkedIn posts by industry keywords or company mentions
- 6Crisis management by monitoring real-time mentions and discussions when negative events occur
- 7Academic research on social media discourse, public opinion, and online communities
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Unified API reduces integration complexity—developers write integration logic once and query any platform by changing endpoint paths, avoiding the overhead of managing separate OAuth flows and response formats for each platform
- Transparent, granular pay-per-request pricing ($0.003-$0.008 per request) with 50 free monthly requests per endpoint eliminates monthly commitment risk and scales naturally with actual usage
- MCP server integration enables non-technical users to leverage social media data through AI assistants without coding, lowering the barrier to entry for business users
- Fast response times (1-2 seconds) and 99.9% uptime make this suitable for real-time applications requiring current data
- No credit card required for free tier removes friction for evaluation and prototyping
Limitations
- Limited platform coverage—notably missing TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and other emerging platforms that are increasingly important for certain demographics and industries
- Concurrency limit of 3 simultaneous requests per endpoint is restrictive for applications requiring parallel processing of high-volume queries
- No mention of historical data or backfill capabilities—appears limited to real-time searches without ability to retrieve archives or bulk historical data
- Data freshness depends on the platform's crawlability—Instagram and some other platforms have strict anti-scraping policies that may affect reliability of results
- Limited documentation visible on the homepage; detailed endpoint specifications, rate limits, and data retention policies aren't fully transparent
Pricing Details
Pay-per-request pricing starting at $0.003 per request (Reddit posts and comments) up to $0.008 per request (Forums). All users receive 50 free requests per endpoint monthly. No monthly fees or commitments required. Additional pricing: LinkedIn Posts $0.006/request, Twitter Posts $0.006/page, YouTube Videos $0.005/page, Instagram Posts $0.006/page. Spending limits can be configured in dashboard to control costs. Credit card only required to exceed free tier.
Who is this for?
Data analysts and researchers needing multi-platform social listening on variable budgets; marketing teams conducting brand monitoring and competitive analysis; AI tool developers building social media search features into AI assistants; startups and small businesses avoiding expensive monthly data subscriptions; crisis management teams requiring real-time monitoring across platforms; B2B sales teams researching LinkedIn discussions and leads.