More Reddit developers announce their apps will switch to a subscription model
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
If you’re looking for a third-party Reddit app for Android after rif is fun for Reddit (RIF) goes away soon, you’re going to have a few options. The developer of Relay for Reddit announced Friday that the app would continue to be available after July 1st, while the developer of Now and Nara for Reddit said those apps will continue on, too.
Relay will be moving the app to a subscription model, developer DBrady announced in a Reddit post. Reddit will start charging for its paid API on July 1st, and the potential costs of that are forcing apps like RIF and Apollo for Reddit to shut down. But DBrady seems to have found a way to make the numbers work with subscriptions — something they said they were contemplating earlier this month.
Relay will be free — for a bit
However, Relay users won’t be charged a monthly subscription right away. For now, the app will be free “while I continue optimizing API calls and finalizing subscription prices,” DBrady said. (On Google Play, I see the app listed with a $3.99 price, but DBrady says it “should now be free to use,” so maybe that will change soon.) DBrady is working to get API call volumes down and is aiming to hit “as low a price point as possible” for a base subscription tier that covers 85 to 90 percent of users. For power users, DBrady says they might have to introduce “a few different price points.” Sometime in the “coming weeks,” the app will switch to the subscription model.
The developer of Now for Reddit, Miloco, issued a similar post. Now will continue to be available after July 1st, and it will be free until they switch it over to the subscription model. “The timeline for releasing the update which removes free use of the app isn’t confirmed yet but I will share this information with you when I can,” Miloco wrote. Miloco also didn’t share details on potential pricing. Miloco added that Nara for Reddit, a gesture-based Reddit client, will also remain available, and although they didn’t clarify if it would also move over to a subscription, I’m guessing that’s what’s going to happen.
The developers didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Like with my Thursday story about Narwhal’s switch to subscriptions, Reddit spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt said that the company doesn’t disclose private business discussions or agreements.
Other apps like Apollo for Reddit, RIF, and Sync are set to shut down on Friday. Fans of the apps are sending them off with tributes.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
If you’re looking for a third-party Reddit app for Android after rif is fun for Reddit (RIF) goes away soon, you’re going to have a few options. The developer of Relay for Reddit announced Friday that the app would continue to be available after July 1st, while the developer of Now and Nara for Reddit said those apps will continue on, too.
Relay will be moving the app to a subscription model, developer DBrady announced in a Reddit post. Reddit will start charging for its paid API on July 1st, and the potential costs of that are forcing apps like RIF and Apollo for Reddit to shut down. But DBrady seems to have found a way to make the numbers work with subscriptions — something they said they were contemplating earlier this month.
However, Relay users won’t be charged a monthly subscription right away. For now, the app will be free “while I continue optimizing API calls and finalizing subscription prices,” DBrady said. (On Google Play, I see the app listed with a $3.99 price, but DBrady says it “should now be free to use,” so maybe that will change soon.) DBrady is working to get API call volumes down and is aiming to hit “as low a price point as possible” for a base subscription tier that covers 85 to 90 percent of users. For power users, DBrady says they might have to introduce “a few different price points.” Sometime in the “coming weeks,” the app will switch to the subscription model.
The developer of Now for Reddit, Miloco, issued a similar post. Now will continue to be available after July 1st, and it will be free until they switch it over to the subscription model. “The timeline for releasing the update which removes free use of the app isn’t confirmed yet but I will share this information with you when I can,” Miloco wrote. Miloco also didn’t share details on potential pricing. Miloco added that Nara for Reddit, a gesture-based Reddit client, will also remain available, and although they didn’t clarify if it would also move over to a subscription, I’m guessing that’s what’s going to happen.
The developers didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Like with my Thursday story about Narwhal’s switch to subscriptions, Reddit spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt said that the company doesn’t disclose private business discussions or agreements.
Other apps like Apollo for Reddit, RIF, and Sync are set to shut down on Friday. Fans of the apps are sending them off with tributes.