Is the Threads API free? Prices, limits and approval (2026)

November 8, 2026

Short answer

Meta lists no fee for the Threads API, and any Meta app can use it for accounts that authorize it. Reading other people's posts is the gated part: keyword search covers only your own posts until App Review approves threads_keyword_search, and profile lookups return only @meta, @threads, @instagram and @facebook until threads_profile_discovery is approved, and after that only public profiles with at least 100 followers.

Short answer: free to call, gated to read. The Threads API works out of the box for your own account. Anything about other accounts sits behind App Review, and even then each user gets a daily allowance. Our Threads API limits guide covers the features in depth; this post is about price and access.

What each permission costs you in review

Permission	What it gives	Without approval	After App Review
`threads_basic`	Required for every call source	Accounts you own or manage	Any user who authorizes your app
`threads_content_publish`	Post on the user's behalf	Accounts you own or manage	250 posts and 1,000 replies per 24 hours per account source
`threads_keyword_search`	Search posts by keyword or tag	Only the user's own posts source	Public posts; 2,200 queries per 24 hours per user
`threads_profile_discovery`	Look up public profiles and their posts	Only @meta, @threads, @instagram, @facebook source	Public profiles with 100+ followers; 1,000 requests per 24 hours
`threads_manage_insights`, `threads_read_replies`, `threads_manage_mentions`	Insights, replies and mentions for authorized accounts source	Accounts you own or manage	Accounts that authorize your app

Meta's app guide says testing is required for App Review only if your app accesses data you don't own or manage, and Tech Providers must meet every requirement before publishing create an app. Meta does not publish a review time on these pages.

Getting access, step by step

Create a Meta app and add the Threads API use case. threads_basic is required; add the optional permissions you need.
Add yourself and teammates as Threads Testers under App roles.
Build against your own accounts. Search and profile discovery work here, but only on your posts and Meta's official accounts.
Submit for App Review for each permission that reads data you don't own or manage. Meta's guide also links to Business Verification; plan for it.

Rate limits, with a worked example

Beyond the per-feature caps, Meta applies an overall Threads limit of 4,800 calls x impressions per 24 hours, with impressions counted as at least 10 Meta rate limits. A brand-new account with few impressions still gets 48,000 calls a day.

The per-feature limits are what you design around. Say you track 300 creators daily after approval. One profile lookup and one profile_posts call each is 600 requests, within the 1,000 a day. At 500 creators you would pass the limit. Usernames must match exactly, and results never include the owner field retrieve posts.

Keyword search is shared across apps: if the same user authorizes three tools, the 2,200 queries are split among them. Queries with no results don't count source.

The research route

The Meta Content Library's web tool includes Threads posts shared by public profiles with 100 or more followers. It is for researchers at not-for-profit research organizations, and Meta says there are no fees for the web tool Meta Content Library. Its API side covers Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp Channels.

Which one fits you

You publish to your own or clients' Threads accounts: Threads API, approval only for clients outside your app roles.
You want keyword search on public posts: Threads API with threads_keyword_search, after review.
You monitor a few hundred public creators: profile discovery, after review, within 1,000 requests per user per day.
You are an academic or non-profit researcher: Meta Content Library.
You need profiles under 100 followers, follower lists, or data today without a review cycle: a third-party data API.

The pay-per-call option

ScrapeIO reads public Threads data with no App Review, 1 credit per call: threads profile API, threads user posts API, threads search API, threads search users API and threads post API. The per-key limit is 300 requests a minute, with no daily allowance per user.

Worked example: the 300-creator daily tracker is 600 calls a day, about 18,000 credits a month. That is roughly $33.84 at the Starter rate, or $17.82 at the Growth rate of $0.99 per 1,000.

Compare tools in best Threads scrapers, browse the Threads platform page, or connect an agent through the Threads MCP server. New accounts get 100 free credits.

Sources

Checked on 8 November 2026 from each vendor's own pages. Prices and limits change; follow the links before you decide.

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