Regardless of Reddit customers’ protests, Reddit has moved ahead with its resolution to cost builders of third-party apps tens of millions of {dollars} to entry its API (utility programming interface). As of July 1, a number of beloved apps are not any extra.
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Which third-party Reddit apps have shut down?
One of the fashionable third-party apps to close down is Apollo. In line with Apollo developer Christian Selig, he would have needed to pay Reddit $20 million a 12 months for API entry (Reddit deliberate to cost $12,000 per 50 million API requests).
In a Reddit submit(opens in a brand new tab) thanking customers earlier than Apollo’s shutdown, Selig wrote: “If [Reddit] wished one thing that might work for everybody, they might have merely made an effort to pay attention, as a substitute of being dishonest, callous, and punitive in pricing.” Most of the feedback on the submit say they’ll delete their accounts and not use Reddit now that Apollo is gone.
The Android equal of Apollo, reddit is enjoyable (RIF), has additionally shut down. RIF’s farewell submit(opens in a brand new tab) agreed with Selig’s, and criticized Reddit’s “hostile therapy of builders constructing on their platform.”
Different apps which have shut down within the wake of Reddit’s API coverage embrace BaconReader(opens in a brand new tab), which launched its final replace on Android on June 27, and Sync for Reddit(opens in a brand new tab), which might be migrating to attainable Reddit various Lemmy.
Which third-party Reddit apps will stay operational?
A number of third-party Reddit apps will stay usable, however each will come at a value in an effort to offset Reddit’s API expenses. Nevertheless, Reddit’s API restriction of NSFW content material will nonetheless apply to any of the third-party apps that stay accessible when the adjustments take impact on July 5.
Relay for Reddit will proceed operations and stay free for now. Nevertheless, its developer DBrady said in a Reddit submit(opens in a brand new tab) that Relay might be transferring to a subscription mannequin within the coming weeks, though they’ll try to “hit as low a value level as attainable.” As of now, DBRady says the professional model of Relay might be accessible totally free till a subscription mannequin is launched.
Narwhal for Reddit will even be sticking round and transferring to a subscription mannequin. Developer Rick Harrison confirmed in a submit(opens in a brand new tab) that the app will operate in the identical means, albeit with out advertisements, and value between $4 and $7. Miloco, developer of Now for Reddit, made the same announcement about Now for Reddit and gesture-based Nara for Reddit transferring to subscriptions, though there are but to be any updates on costs.
As first reported by The Verge(opens in a brand new tab), Reddit did announce it could exempt accessibility-focused apps from the brand new pricing coverage. TechCrunch reported(opens in a brand new tab) that customers of the subreddit r/Blind went on to assemble an inventory of apps that assist with Reddit’s accessibility, akin to display readers like Reddit for Blind, Luna for Reddit, and Dystopia. Dystopia introduced in a submit(opens in a brand new tab) that it could proceed working totally free.
RedReader additionally obtained an accessibility exemption, though mods of r/Blind have talked about(opens in a brand new tab) that they’re having important hassle signing in. Different apps on r/Blind’s checklist included the now-gone BaconReader and Apollo, which labored with most iOS accessibility expertise.