Strava blames zero-code AI apps and scrapers as it tightens API access

The popular fitness-tracking platform, Strava, is restricting access to its API as part of efforts to clamp down on AI scraping, as reported earlier by TechCrunch. Developers who want to build an app using Strava’s data now need to pay for a flat $11.99 / month subscription. In an update on its developer hub, Strava blames the change on “zero-code AI tools” that allow users to quickly create apps that “hammer” APIs. “We have felt this firsthand — developer applications to our program are up 448% year-to-date, API intermediaries have violated policy terms, and scraping attempts have degraded platform performance for everyone,” the company writes. Reddit similarly began charging developers to access its API in 2023. Before this change, developers could apply to use Strava’s API for free, with the ability to expand their access as they added more users, TechCrunch reports. This isn’t the first step Strava has taken to tighten access to its platform, as the company began restricting the data third-party apps can show in 2024. It also sued longtime partner Garmin for allegedly infringing on its patents, but later dropped the case. Strava filed for an initial public offering in February. Additionally, Strava users can now use a new tool that allows them to link their fitness data — including pace, per-second heart rate, GPS data, and more — to Claude. The company says the new API restriction won’t impact wearable and device integrations or users’ ability to download their data for free.