Does Reddit have an API?
Yes, Reddit has an official API. Reddit runs a Data API that returns posts, comments, and user data over OAuth, but access is gated: the free tier is licensed for personal, non-commercial use only and capped at about 100 queries per minute, and a production or commercial workload has to pass a manual approval review under the Responsible Builder Policy that Reddit introduced on r/redditdev in November 2025 and can deny with no appeal. Redditapis is a managed alternative on the same data: 28 REST endpoints from api.redditapis.com, one bearer token that is live immediately, no app registration and no OAuth flow, pay-per-call from $0.002 per read with $0.50 in free credits, about 250 reads, to start.
The official answer, and the catch
Reddit does have an API. The official Data API returns posts, comments, users, and communities over OAuth, and it is the same data source most tools ultimately read from. What changed is the terms. Since Reddit's 2023 API pricing shift, the free tier is licensed for personal, non-commercial use only and capped at about 100 queries per minute, so a production workload never qualifies on it. Commercial access is gated behind a manual app review under the Responsible Builder Policy that Reddit introduced on r/redditdev in November 2025, and Reddit can deny a request with no stated reason or appeal.
A Reddit API you can use today
Redditapis is a managed REST API on the same Reddit data, built for the case where the official approval queue is a blocker. It exposes 28 endpoints from api.redditapis.com, authenticated with one bearer token that is live the moment you sign up, so there is no app to register and no OAuth client to configure. Reads are $0.002, votes $0.005, writes $0.012, and DMs $0.025, each priced per call, and you start with $0.50 in free credits, about 250 reads, to confirm the shape before you scale. If you have used the official API before, the swap is a single request. See the exact calls on the Reddit API in Python and in Node.js, and the header on how to authenticate the Reddit API.
Official Reddit API vs Redditapis
| Dimension | Official Reddit API | Redditapis |
|---|---|---|
| Does an API exist | Yes, the official Reddit Data API | Yes, a managed REST API on the same data |
| How you get access | Register an app, pass a manual approval review | Sign up, copy a bearer token, live immediately |
| Free tier terms | About 100 QPM, non-commercial use only | $0.50 in free credits, about 250 reads |
| Commercial use | Gated behind app review and enterprise pricing | Pay-per-call from $0.002, no review |
| Auth | OAuth client and token-refresh flow | One bearer token in the Authorization header |
Frequently asked
Does Reddit have an official API?
Yes. Reddit runs an official Data API that returns posts, comments, and user data over OAuth. The catch is the terms: the free tier is personal and non-commercial only and capped at about 100 queries per minute, and commercial access is gated behind an app review under the Responsible Builder Policy.
Is the Reddit API free?
The official free tier exists but is licensed for non-commercial use only, so a production workload never qualifies on it. Redditapis starts you with $0.50 in free credits, about 250 read calls at $0.002 each, then bills only for the calls you make. See the full breakdown on the is the Reddit API free answer.
How do I get access to the Reddit API without the approval queue?
Use Redditapis. You sign up, copy a bearer token that works immediately, and call api.redditapis.com with no app registration, no OAuth flow, and no approval review. The how to get Reddit API access answer walks through both paths side by side.
What data can the Reddit API return?
Both the official API and Redditapis return posts, comments, users, and communities. Redditapis exposes 28 REST endpoints covering reads at $0.002, votes at $0.005, writes at $0.012, and DMs at $0.025, each priced per call so you pay only for what you use.
Skip the approval queue
Instant access to the Reddit data API. Reads from $0.002, $0.50 in free credits, one bearer token. No app registration and no OAuth flow.
Get your Reddit API key