Guide
Reddit API pricing in 2026 (and alternatives)
Reddit publishes a free rate limit and a rule that commercial use needs written approval. It publishes no price list. Here is what is documented, what changes in 2027, and what you can use instead.
By KissMyPostReddit sources checked
Short answer
Reddit's Data API is free within 100 queries per minute per OAuth client id, averaged over 10 minutes. Anything commercial needs written approval from Reddit, and Reddit's documents list no per-call price. Reddit plans to close the public Data API in March 2027. For past posts and comments you can use an archive such as Arctic Shift, a data provider, or Reddit archive search in KissMyPost, which reports on posts back to June 2005.
What Reddit publishes about limits and fees
Three Reddit documents set the rules: the Data API Wiki, the Responsible Builder Policy and the Data API Terms. Here is what they say, checked October 30, 2026.
| Free rate limit | 100 queries per minute (QPM) per OAuth client id, averaged over a time window, currently 10 minutes, so short bursts are allowed. | Reddit Data API Wiki |
|---|---|---|
| Requests without OAuth | Traffic not using OAuth or login credentials is blocked, and the default rate limit does not apply to it. | Reddit Data API Wiki |
| Access | You must request access and get explicit approval before reading any Reddit data through the API. Registering several accounts or sending several requests for one use case is prohibited. | Responsible Builder Policy |
| Commercial use | Commercial use of Reddit data needs explicit written approval from Reddit. Selling, licensing or sharing Reddit data, and using it to train AI models, is not allowed without it. | Responsible Builder Policy |
| Fees | Reddit reserves the right to charge fees, at rates it sets at its sole discretion. Commercial use, or research above the rate limits, needs a separate agreement. No rate card is published. | Data API Terms |
| Deleted content | Content deleted on Reddit must be deleted from your copy as well. Reddit recommends doing it within 48 hours. | Reddit Data API Wiki |
You will see "$0.24 per 1,000 calls" on many pages about Reddit API pricing. I could not find that rate in any of the three Reddit documents above, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Reddit is closing the public API in March 2027
- Reddit announces in r/redditdev that the public Data API will be retired in March 2027, with Devvit, its own app platform, as the way to build on Reddit.
- New requests for public API access stop.
- RSS feeds are switched off.
- API access is removed for apps and users that have not registered or been in touch with Reddit's developer team.
- Public access closes for all remaining apps and users. Reddit gave only the month, March 2027.
Dates come from Reddit's announcement as reported by TechRepublic and others, because the r/redditdev post itself needs a Reddit login to read. Reddit's own wording may differ in detail, so check the post before you plan around a date. TechRepublic coverage, r/redditdev.
Reddit API alternatives compared
| Option | Cost | Fits | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reddit Data API (official)Live posts and comments, plus writing and moderation actions, through OAuth. | Free within 100 QPM for approved use. Commercial use by written agreement; no public price. | Bots, moderation tools, approved research, anything that must act on Reddit. | Approval first, public access ends March 2027, and no deep history search. |
| Reddit for ResearchersReddit's program for approved, non-commercial research access. | Not priced in Reddit's documents. Non-commercial only. | Academic projects. | Application and approval. Data must be re-checked against deletions and not kept longer than needed. |
| Arctic ShiftCommunity project: large data dumps, a limited API and a web search for Reddit data. | Its README lists no fees and links to donation pages. | Researchers and moderators who want bulk history. | Volunteer-run, so no support or uptime promise. Its README says the API is limited and gives no coverage dates. |
| PullPushCommunity-run, Pushshift-style search API for past Reddit posts and comments. | Check the project's own page for current terms. | Quick lookups of past posts. | Volunteer-run with no service promise; check that it still answers before you build on it. |
| PushshiftThe original large Reddit archive and search API. | No general access. | Reddit-approved moderators only. | Closed to the public since 2023, which is why the alternatives above exist. |
| Managed data providers (for example Data365)Paid APIs that return Reddit data as JSON for your own pipeline. | Tiered plans; Data365's page names a 14-day free trial and no per-tier amounts (checked May 2026). | Teams that want raw data inside their own product. | You still carry Reddit's rules on commercial use and deletions. Prices are quoted by the vendor, not Reddit. |
| KissMyPostReports on Reddit history: phrase search across posts back to June 2005 and comments back to December 2005, subreddit reports, brand mentions. | Plans from the price table below. Search results are readable on the site. | Marketers, founders and researchers who want answers, not a data feed. | It is an analytics product, not a raw data API. Phrases are up to three words, and there is no export of full post text. |
Sources: Reddit's documents above, the Arctic Shift README and Data365's pricing article. Third-party terms change; check each project's own page.
Which one to pick
- You build a bot or a moderation tool. Use the official API while it lasts and plan the move to Devvit. Nothing else can act on Reddit for you.
- You need a lot of old data in your own database. Use Arctic Shift dumps for research, or a paid provider if the data goes into a product. Read Reddit's terms on commercial use first.
- You need to know what people said about a topic, a brand or a phrase. Run Reddit archive search. It gives the monthly trend, the subreddits that carry the phrase and the matching posts, without code.
- You are choosing a subreddit to post in. The API will not rank subreddits for you. Use Find Subs or a subreddit report.
KissMyPost: Reddit history without the API
KissMyPost is built for questions the API never answered well: how often a phrase appeared on Reddit year by year, which communities discuss it, and how a subreddit treats posts like yours. It does not write to Reddit and it does not hand out raw data, so it replaces the reading side of an API workflow, not bots.
Historical search reads 3.8B posts and 27.7B comments, Jun 2005 to Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | Kisses a month |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $39 / month | 500 |
| Pro | $99 / month | 2,000 |
| Max | $249 / month | 6,000 |
Any plan can be tried for $1 for one day. Full pricing
Reddit API pricing: questions
Is the Reddit API free?
Within limits, yes. Reddit's Data API Wiki sets a free limit of 100 queries per minute per OAuth client id, averaged over 10 minutes. Access needs Reddit's approval, and commercial use needs written approval.
How much does the Reddit API cost for commercial use?
Reddit does not publish a price. Its Data API Terms say it may charge fees at rates it sets itself and that commercial use needs a separate agreement. Contact Reddit for a quote; third-party per-call figures are not confirmed by Reddit's documents.
What is the Reddit API rate limit?
100 queries per minute per OAuth client id, averaged over a 10-minute window. Requests without OAuth are blocked.
Is Reddit shutting down its API?
Reddit announced on September 30, 2026 that it will close the public Data API in March 2027. New access requests stop on October 31, 2026, RSS ends on November 13, 2026, and access for unregistered apps ends on January 12, 2027. Reddit's Devvit platform is its replacement for building apps.
What can I use instead of the Reddit API for old posts and comments?
Arctic Shift (dumps and a limited API), PullPush (a community search API), a paid data provider, or KissMyPost's Reddit archive search for phrase trends, subreddits and matching posts back to 2005.
Is Pushshift still available?
Not to the public. Pushshift access was closed in 2023 and is limited to Reddit-approved moderators.
Does KissMyPost need the Reddit API?
No. You search and read reports on kissmypost.com with a KissMyPost account; there are no Reddit API keys to register.