Strava introduces developer fees to curb AI scraping

Strava is implementing new security measures and introducing a flat developer fee to combat aggressive AI scraping, marking a shift in how the fitness and social running company manages its data access. To stop scraping, the company is increasing security around its website, allowing only authenticated users to view certain data that was previously public, such as profiles and fitness club listings. On the API front, Strava is replacing its free, tiered access program with a flat fee structure.

• Developer fee: A flat $11.99 per month fee for all developers, though the price may vary by geography.
• Grace period: A 90-day grace period for developers before the API changes and endpoint retirements take effect.

The company is balancing these restrictions with support for its growing developer community, which expanded from 185,000 members last year to 241,000 this year. As part of this support, Strava plans to add support for Model Context Protocol (MCP)—an emerging standard that lets AI assistants and apps access external data in a structured way—giving the company more control over what gets shared. However, to protect user data, Strava also plans to retire some API endpoints, which are discrete access points that let outside apps pull specific data. This follows previous API tightening in 2024, which banned AI training and limited third-party apps from displaying other users’ data.

CEO Michael Martin cited performance degradation caused by AI scraping and inefficient “vibe-coded” apps—applications built with inefficiently structured API calls that generate a disproportionate load on systems. Martin stated that AI companies are ruthlessly scraping public websites due to their endless need for training data, which degrades site performance across the board. He noted that Strava has experienced multiple instances over the last several months where performance was diminished or impaired, adding that scrapers are also attempting to use the company’s API in violation of its terms. He specifically singled out Perplexity, alleging that the AI search startup routed its scraping through aggregator services to obscure its origin despite being turned away. This is consistent with Perplexity having been accused of similar behavior elsewhere in the past.

The timing of these changes is probably related to Strava’s confidential IPO filing earlier this year, as the company seeks to signal data discipline to prospective investors. Martin addressed comparisons to Reddit’s 2024 API pricing crackdown, noting that unlike Reddit’s volume-based pricing, Strava’s flat fee is intended to keep the developer ecosystem intact. “We want the users to feel that they own their data and feel comfortable with how we are controlling and securing it. But we want the developers to continue to flourish and grow,” Martin said.

Why it matters

Strava’s move to monetize API access and restrict scraping highlights the growing tension between platform data ownership and AI training needs, serving as a signal of operational discipline ahead of its IPO.