Does Reddit have an API?
Yes — but two different products. Reddit's Data API is OAuth-gated with a free non-commercial tier and separate paid commercial path. Public-data APIs like Social Fetch return subreddits, posts, comments, and search as JSON under one API key, no Reddit OAuth app.
Reddit's official Data API
Right choice for Reddit-native clients, bots that post/vote, mod tooling, or user-scoped actions. Register an app, get client id/secret, implement OAuth.
Free non-commercial tier (~100 QPM per client commonly cited) vs commercial approval and pricing for customer-facing products. Registration has tightened — don't assume personal script approval covers a commercial product.
Public-data Reddit APIs
Social Fetch includes Reddit in the 21-platform catalog (165 ops): subreddit metadata, posts, comment trees, search — one sfk_… key.
Same { data, meta } envelope and data.lookupStatus on HTTP 200 as other platforms.
What a pull actually looks like
Tracking product mentions: official path = OAuth app, ~100 QPM, commercial terms if shipping to customers. Public-data path = GET with x-api-key, page and check meta.creditsCharged — no token refresh.
Both return subreddit names, post bodies, comment trees, counts — difference is access model and who runs the pipeline.
Official API vs public-data API
Official: posting, voting, inbox, compliant Reddit client. Public-data: structured public content alongside other platforms without a Reddit developer app.
Reddit: QPM-bounded free tier, contract-priced commercially. Social Fetch: no published RPS cap; credits per completed lookup.
Common mistakes
Using free non-commercial tier for a paid monitoring product — compliance risk.
Underestimating comment-tree depth — set job limits; reconcile meta.creditsCharged.
Treating 200 as success — lookupStatus not_found is billed, not a transport error.
What Social Fetch does not do
Public content only — private/quarantined subreddits, inbox, voting, posting need Reddit OAuth.
Try /tools/reddit-research; production routes at /platforms/reddit. Official keys: /guides/how-to-get-a-reddit-api-key. Pricing comparison: /blog/reddit-api-pricing.
FAQ
Does Reddit have a free API?
Yes for approved non-commercial use (~100 QPM commonly cited) — not a commercial entitlement.
What are Reddit's official API rate limits?
~100 QPM per OAuth client commonly cited; listings often ~100 items/page. Check current Reddit developer terms.
Is Social Fetch the same as Reddit's official API?
No. Social Fetch is third-party public-data over public content with your sfk_… key.
Can I get private subreddit content through a public-data API?
No. Restricted targets return lookupStatus; gated content needs Reddit OAuth.
Do Reddit lookups cost credits on Social Fetch?
Yes on metered routes, including not_found. Lists/comments add up — watch meta.creditsCharged.
Is web scraping Reddit data legal?
Depends on jurisdiction and use case — not legal advice. A maintained API changes who runs the pipeline, not your compliance obligations.
Where do I try Reddit data without writing code?
/tools/reddit-research, then /platforms/reddit and /docs/api.
Which one should I use — official Reddit API or a public-data API?
Official for Reddit client/bot/user-scoped actions. Public-data for public subreddits/posts/search across platforms without OAuth app setup.