A Reddit MCP server is a Model Context Protocol server that exposes Reddit reads as tools an AI agent can call. It wraps a data source (here, the Redditapis REST endpoints) so a client like Claude Desktop or Cursor can search posts, read comment trees, and look up users through a standard tool interface. Writes like votes and DMs stay on the REST API for the agent to call directly.
Reddit MCP server
Give Claude, Cursor, and any MCP client live Reddit tools. The REST API maps one to one to the Model Context Protocol, so a thin server turns search, posts, comment trees, and user lookups into read tools an agent can call, from $0.002 per request.
Written by Emma, developer relations at Redditapis. We price every tool call your agent makes at $0.002 per read (source: our published pricing), so a busy MCP session costs cents, not an enterprise contract.
What is a Reddit MCP server?
A Reddit MCP server exposes Reddit reads as tools an AI agent can call over the Model Context Protocol. It wraps the Redditapis REST endpoints, so a client like Claude Desktop or Cursor can search posts, read comment trees, and look up users through one standard interface. Because each read endpoint maps to a single tool, the server is a thin forwarder that adds your key and returns clean JSON. Writes like votes and DMs stay on the REST API for the agent to call directly.
Install the official MCP server
We publish and maintain a Reddit MCP server on npm as redditapis-mcp. It runs over stdio through npx, so there is no build step and nothing to host. Add your key as REDDITAPIS_KEY and any MCP client gets 36 live tools: every Reddit read plus managing your own monitors and webhooks. Reddit writes (voting, commenting, DMs) stay REST endpoints the agent calls directly, never MCP tools.
One-line install (npx)
$ npx -y redditapis-mcp@latestClaude Desktop / Cursor config
// claude_desktop_config.json (Cursor: mcp.json)
{
"mcpServers": {
"redditapis": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "redditapis-mcp@latest"],
"env": { "REDDITAPIS_KEY": "YOUR_KEY" }
}
}
}Claude Code (one command)
claude mcp add redditapis \
--env REDDITAPIS_KEY=YOUR_KEY \
-- npx -y redditapis-mcp@latestThe 36 tools it exposes
reddit_searchreddit_subreddit_postsreddit_subreddit_topreddit_postreddit_post_commentsreddit_search_commentsreddit_deep_comment_searchreddit_search_communitiesreddit_search_mediareddit_search_usersreddit_user_profilereddit_user_commentsreddit_user_submittedreddit_user_upvotedreddit_user_savedreddit_user_hiddenreddit_user_gildedreddit_subreddit_commentsreddit_subreddit_aboutreddit_subreddit_rulesreddit_by_idreddit_subreddits_popularreddit_subreddits_newreddit_subreddits_defaultreddit_subreddit_moderatorsreddit_subreddit_wikireddit_monitor_addreddit_monitor_listreddit_monitor_updatereddit_monitor_removereddit_monitor_healthreddit_monitor_deliveriesreddit_monitor_webhook_createreddit_monitor_webhook_listreddit_monitor_webhook_testreddit_monitor_webhook_deleteSanity-check your key against the REST API
curl "https://api.redditapis.com/api/reddit/posts?subreddit=programming&sort=hot&limit=2" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY"A 200 with a posts array means the key is live and the server will start clean. Need a key first? Get one here, then paste it into the config above.
Why wrap Reddit as MCP tools
Agents work best when a data source is a set of clean, typed tools. Reddit over REST fits that shape exactly, and the anti-block layer means the agent never sees a rate-limit error.
REST maps one to one to MCP
Every REST endpoint has a clean request and JSON response, so each one becomes a single MCP tool with a typed input schema. No adapter layer to design.
Works with any MCP client
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard, so the same server works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, the OpenAI Agents SDK, LangChain, and the Vercel AI SDK.
Live data, not a snapshot
Tools call the API at request time, so an agent reads the current state of a subreddit or thread instead of a stale export or a cached dump.
Anti-block handled for you
Proxy rotation, retries, and backoff run on our side. Your MCP tools return clean JSON instead of 403s, so the agent never has to reason about being rate limited.
Read endpoints, one tool each
Wrap as many or as few read endpoints as the agent needs: search, posts, comment trees, and user lookups. Votes, comments, and DMs stay REST write calls the agent makes directly, never MCP tools.
Pay only for the calls made
An agent that reads ten threads pays for ten reads at $0.002 each. No seat, no minimum, so an idle MCP server costs nothing.
The Reddit tools you can expose
Each read tool is one REST endpoint. Wrap the ones a research agent needs. Reddit writes (votes, comments, DMs) stay on the REST API, so an agent calls those directly over HTTP rather than through a read tool.
reddit_searchGET /api/reddit/searchSearch posts by keyword across all of Reddit or one subreddit.reddit_get_postsGET /api/reddit/postsPull a subreddit listing by sort (new, hot, top) with a limit.reddit_search_commentsGET /api/reddit/search/commentsSearch comment bodies, scoped to a subreddit when you need it.reddit_search_usersGET /api/reddit/search/usersResolve and look up Reddit users for profile and history context.Write actions live on the REST API, not the MCP server
Vote
POST /api/reddit/voteUpvote or downvote a post or comment.Direct message
POST /api/reddit/dmSend a DM so the agent can reach out, not just read.An agent can call these write endpoints directly over HTTP with the same bearer token. Keeping them out of the MCP tool surface means a model cannot vote or send a DM just by picking a tool.
Or wire your own server in three files
Want a different read-tool set than the published server, or full control over the schema? Roll your own. Define the tool, forward the call to the REST endpoint, and point your MCP client at the server. That is the whole loop. If the agent also needs to act, it calls the REST write endpoints directly rather than through a tool.
MCP tool definition
{
"name": "reddit_search",
"description": "Search Reddit posts by keyword, optionally scoped to a subreddit.",
"inputSchema": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"q": { "type": "string", "description": "Search query" },
"subreddit": { "type": "string", "description": "Optional subreddit name" },
"sort": { "type": "string", "enum": ["relevance", "new", "top"] },
"limit": { "type": "number", "default": 25 }
},
"required": ["q"]
}
}tools/call handler
// tools/call handler: forward reddit_search to the REST API
async function callReddit(args) {
const url = new URL("https://api.redditapis.com/api/reddit/search");
url.searchParams.set("q", args.q);
if (args.subreddit) url.searchParams.set("subreddit", args.subreddit);
url.searchParams.set("limit", String(args.limit ?? 25));
const res = await fetch(url, {
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.REDDIT_API_KEY}` },
});
return res.json(); // { posts: [{ title, author, upvotes, permalink, ... }] }
}MCP client config
// claude_desktop_config.json (or any MCP client config)
{
"mcpServers": {
"reddit": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["reddit-mcp-server.js"],
"env": { "REDDIT_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY" }
}
}
}For the full endpoint reference and request shapes, see the API docs, or read the deeper walkthrough on sending a Reddit DM over the REST API.
Set up guides for your AI client
Same server, same tools, different config file. Pick your client for the exact setup steps.
Building an agent, not just an MCP server?
An MCP server is one way to give an agent Reddit. These pages go further on the agent and data side:
- Reddit API for AI agents , the full agent and RAG playbook
- Reddit Search API , the search endpoint behind reddit_search
- Get a Reddit API key , the bearer token your tools need
- Pricing , per-call costs for every tool
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Redditapis publishes an official MCP server on npm as redditapis-mcp. Run it with npx, set REDDITAPIS_KEY, and any MCP client gets 26 Reddit-read tools plus 10 tools to manage your own monitors and webhooks, with no build step. Reddit writes like votes, comments, and DMs stay REST-only actions your agent calls directly rather than through an MCP tool.
Any client that speaks the Model Context Protocol. That includes Claude Desktop, Cursor, the OpenAI Agents SDK, LangChain, and the Vercel AI SDK. The protocol is an open standard, so the same Reddit MCP server works across every one of them without a client-specific rewrite.
The Redditapis has 52 REST endpoints, and the read ones map cleanly to tools: reddit_search for posts, reddit_get_posts for subreddit listings, reddit_search_comments for comment bodies, and reddit_search_users for profiles. Votes, comments, and DMs are REST write calls the agent makes directly, kept off the MCP tool surface so a model cannot trigger a write by picking a tool.
The server itself is your own code, so hosting is free or near-free. The MCP tools are reads at $0.002 per call, so a session that reads a few hundred threads costs cents. If the agent also makes REST write calls, votes are $0.005, writes $0.012, and DMs $0.025. Every new account starts with $0.50 in free credits, enough for 250 reads.
No. The MCP tools call the Redditapis REST endpoints with a single bearer token, so you skip Reddit developer-app review, the OAuth flow, and the commercial approval queue. Sign up, copy your key, put it in the server env, and the agent has live Reddit tools the same session.
What is a Reddit MCP server?
A Reddit MCP server is a hosted Model Context Protocol server that exposes Reddit as native MCP tools for AI clients like Claude and Cursor. Redditapis publishes one you install with npx redditapis-mcp and a REDDITAPIS_KEY: it turns the redditapis.com REST API into read tools for search, subreddits, posts, comments, users, communities, moderators, and wiki pages, priced from $0.002 per call with no Reddit app-approval review.
By the numbers
Reddit API pricing and access, by the numbers
Every Redditapis figure resolves to our published per-call rates; every external figure is a primary US source.
Redditapis bills reads at $0.002 per call, votes at $0.005, writes at $0.012, and DMs at $0.025, one flat rate for every account with no minimum spend. (Redditapis pricing, 2026)
Every new account starts with $0.50 in free credits and no card on file, enough for roughly 250 reads before any charge. (Redditapis, 2026)
Reddit's own commercial Data API is priced at $0.24 per 1,000 API calls, the rate that ended third-party apps like Apollo in 2023. (The Verge, 2023)
Reddit's free Data API tier is capped at 100 queries per minute per OAuth client, and 10 queries per minute without OAuth. (Reddit Data API Wiki, 2026)
Reddit signed a reported $60 million-a-year deal to license its data for AI training, a sign of how valuable structured Reddit data has become. (Reuters, 2024)
Keep reading.
Continue exploring related pages.
Reddit API documentation
The complete 2026 reference: auth, all 52 endpoints, and code.
Get a Reddit API key
Instant bearer token, no waitlist and no enterprise contract.
Reddit Responsible Builder Policy
Why Reddit denies API applications, and the managed REST bypass.
Reddit API use cases
14 use cases from AI training to brand monitoring and DMs.
Reddit Search API
Search posts, comments, users, and communities over one REST endpoint.
Reddit API for AI agents
Live Reddit context for tool calls, MCP servers, and RAG pipelines.
Redditapis pricing
Endpoint-level costs and quick monthly totals - reads from $0.002 / call.
Reddit API cost calculator
Estimate monthly spend using your request volume.
Reddit API guides and tutorials
Tutorials, walkthroughs, and API deep-dives for developers.
Reddit API alternatives
Evaluate alternatives by cost model, limits, and integration fit.
Cheap Reddit API
The cheapest way to get Reddit data: $0.002 per call, no contract, no minimum.
Official Reddit API vs Redditapis
Access, setup, rate limits, and pricing, side by side.
PRAW alternative
A hosted Reddit REST API for any language, no app registration or OAuth.
Reddapi alternative
A maintained Reddit REST API with published pricing and write endpoints.
Reddit comment scraper alternative
The raw comment API: search and filter comments, historical and live, clean JSON.
Reddit scraper API
Hosted scraper API vs building your own: managed proxies, clean JSON.
RapidAPI Reddit alternative
A direct, maintained Reddit API with published pricing and write endpoints.
Bright Data Reddit alternative
A purpose-built Reddit API vs a general scraping platform: structured JSON, plus writes.
ScraperAPI Reddit alternative
A Reddit-native API vs a generic HTML fetcher: auth and pagination handled, typed JSON.
TikHub alternative
TikHub's Reddit surface is read-only; get comment, vote, and DM endpoints too.
EnsembleData alternative
No $100/month floor: pay per call from $0.002, plus write, vote, and DM endpoints.
Scrape Creators alternative
7 read-only Reddit endpoints vs a dedicated API with real write, vote, and DM paths.
FetchLayer alternative
Posts, comments, and search only; add vote, comment, and DM over the same REST auth.
Reddit monitoring API
Build your own keyword and brand-mention monitor: search, comment search, and subreddit streams over REST.
F5Bot vs Redditapis
F5Bot's Slack and Discord delivery needs its $49.99/mo Gold tier; Redditapis includes it from $19/mo.
Syften vs Redditapis
Syften caps you at 100 to 500 results a day; Redditapis allows 10,000 a day per monitor at the entry plan.
Octolens vs Redditapis
Octolens meters by mention with overage fees; Redditapis is flat-priced by subreddit slot from $19/mo.
Affiliate program
Earn 20% lifetime commissions - capped at $5,000/yr.
Reddit Vote API tutorial
Upvote and downvote a post programmatically via the REST API.
Reddit Data API: REST, no PRAW
REST endpoints for Reddit data with no PRAW and no OAuth dance.
Reddit scraping benchmarks
Real throughput, error rates, and cost benchmarks for Reddit scraping.
Reddit API answers
Direct answers on cost, access, rate limits, endpoints, and auth.
How much the Reddit API costs
Per-call pricing from $0.002 a read, with $0.50 in free credits.
Reddit API in Python
One requests call with a bearer token, no PRAW and no OAuth flow.
Reddit shadowban checker
Check if a Reddit account is shadowbanned in seconds, free and no login.
Give your agent live Reddit tools.
$0.50 in free credits, no card required. Sign up, copy your bearer token, and forward your first MCP tool call to the REST API in minutes.