SAN FRANCISCO — Strava is implementing new authentication requirements, charging developers a monthly API fee, and retiring select API endpoints, citing performance degradation from AI scraping and inefficient third-party applications. The fitness tracking platform will require users to log in to view certain data that was previously accessible publicly, such as profiles and fitness club listings.
The company will introduce a flat $11.99 monthly fee for developer access to its API, with possible regional pricing variations. Strava is also planning to retire endpoints that allow external apps to retrieve specific data, including club details. Developers will have a 90-day grace period before the changes take full effect.
CEO Michael Martin attributed the changes to escalating demands on Strava’s infrastructure. "AI companies are ruthlessly scraping public websites, given their endless need for training data, which is degrading site performance across the board." He added that Strava has experienced multiple incidents in recent months where site performance was diminished or impaired due to this activity.
Martin also criticized some third-party applications, describing server overload caused by "poorly built vibe-coded apps whose API calls are often inefficiently structured and generate a disproportionate load on Strava’s systems." He said AI firms have attempted to bypass Strava’s restrictions by using its API in violation of terms of service. "Beyond scraping the public sites, they’re also trying to use our API to get access to our data, ignoring API terms."
Strava has declined data licensing proposals from leading AI laboratories. Martin specifically named AI search startup Perplexity, alleging it routed scraping through aggregator services to conceal its origin after being denied direct access. The company banned AI training use of its API in 2024 and limited third-party apps from displaying other users’ data.
Despite the new restrictions, Strava plans to adopt the Model Context Protocol, a standard enabling AI assistants to access external data in a structured format. The company confidentially filed for an IPO earlier in 2026.
No independent assessment was available for this report.