NetNewsWire to End Reddit API Use by End of June

NetNewsWire includes special integration with Reddit. A user can add their account and allow NetNewsWire to use the Reddit API, which provides more and better data than Reddit’s RSS feeds.

Unfortunately, we will have to stop using the Reddit API on June 30, 2023 because use of the Reddit API will cost money starting July 1.

While the free tier won’t go away, it will be limited to “100 queries per minute per OAuth client id” (per app).

That means we’d be limited to 100 queries per minute across all NetNewsWire users. While we don’t have metrics on Reddit use in NetNewsWire, it’s a safe bet that we would exceed that limit frequently.

Without metrics we can’t speculate on what this would cost us, but any amount is too much: NetNewsWire has no bank account.

While it might be technically possible for us to support users providing their own Reddit API key, this would not be in good faith on our part. It’s clear that Reddit CEO Steve Huffman wants apps like NetNewsWire to either stop using their API or pay for the privilege. Which is his right, of course, even though it hurts Reddit users.

Existing feeds will remain

We’re not going to remove your existing Reddit feeds. Your starred articles will remain. Articles you’ve already downloaded will remain as long as they would have anyway (old, non-starred articles get deleted eventually).

Note that Reddit does provide RSS feeds, and we’ve read nothing suggesting that they plan to stop. You will still be able to follow Reddit activity in NetNewsWire by using their RSS feeds.