Skip to main content
Glama

Reddit Buddy MCP

by karanb192

Reddit MCP Buddy

Reddit Browser for Claude Desktop and AI Assistants

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Claude Desktop and other AI assistants to browse Reddit, search posts, and analyze user activity. Clean, fast, and actually works - no API keys required.

MCP Registry npm version npm downloads GitHub stars License: MIT

šŸŽ¬ See It In Action

Reddit MCP Buddy Demo - Analyzing H1B sentiment across subreddits

Claude analyzing real-time sentiment about H-1B visa changes across r/cscareerquestions and r/india

Table of Contents

What makes Reddit MCP Buddy different?

  • šŸš€ Zero setup - Works instantly, no Reddit API registration needed

  • ⚔ Up to 10x more requests - Three-tier authentication system (10/60/100 requests per minute)

  • šŸŽÆ Clean data - No fake "sentiment analysis" or made-up metrics

  • 🧠 LLM-optimized - Built specifically for AI assistants like Claude

  • šŸ“¦ TypeScript - Fully typed, reliable, and maintainable

  • āœ… Proven rate limits - Thoroughly tested authentication tiers with verification tools

Quick Start (30 seconds)

For Claude Desktop - Desktop Extension (Easiest!)

  1. Download: reddit-mcp-buddy.mcpb

  2. Install: Open the downloaded file

  3. Done! Reddit tools are now available in Claude

For Claude Desktop - NPM Method (Alternative)

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{ "mcpServers": { "reddit": { "command": "npx", "args": ["reddit-mcp-buddy"] } } }

For Other MCP Clients

Use the NPM method: npx reddit-mcp-buddy

What can it do?

Ask your AI assistant to:

  • šŸ“Š "What's trending on Reddit?" - Browse hot posts from r/all

  • šŸ” "Search for discussions about AI" - Search across all subreddits

  • šŸ’¬ "Get comments from this Reddit post" - Fetch post with full comment threads

  • šŸ‘¤ "Analyze user spez" - Get user history, karma, and activity

  • šŸ“š "Explain Reddit karma" - Understand Reddit terminology

Available Tools

browse_subreddit

Browse posts from any subreddit with sorting options.

- Subreddit: - "all" - entire Reddit frontpage - "popular" - trending across Reddit - Any specific subreddit (e.g., "technology", "programming", "science") - Sort by: hot, new, top, rising, controversial - Time range: hour, day, week, month, year, all (for top/controversial sort) - Include subreddit info: Optional flag for subreddit metadata

search_reddit

Search across Reddit or specific subreddits.

- Query: Your search terms - Filter by: subreddit, author, time, flair - Sort by: relevance, hot, top, new, comments

get_post_details

Get a post with all its comments.

- Input: - Reddit URL (full URL including subreddit), OR - Post ID alone (will auto-detect subreddit, 2 API calls), OR - Post ID + subreddit (most efficient, 1 API call) - Options: comment sorting, depth, link extraction

user_analysis

Analyze a Reddit user's profile.

- Username: Any Reddit user - Returns: karma, posts, comments, active subreddits

reddit_explain

Get explanations of Reddit terms.

- Terms: karma, cake day, AMA, ELI5, etc.

Authentication (Optional)

Want more requests? Add Reddit credentials to your Claude Desktop config:

Setup Steps

  1. Go to https://www.reddit.com/prefs/apps

  2. Click "Create App" or "Create Another App"

  3. Fill out the form:

    • Name: Any name (e.g., "reddit-mcp-buddy")

    • App type: Select "script" (CRITICAL for 100 rpm!)

    • Description: Optional

    • About URL: Leave blank

    • Redirect URI: http://localhost:8080 (required but unused)

  4. Click "Create app"

  5. Find your credentials:

    • Client ID: The string under "personal use script"

    • Client Secret: The secret string

  6. Update your Claude Desktop config:

{ "mcpServers": { "reddit": { "command": "npx", "args": ["reddit-mcp-buddy"], "env": { "REDDIT_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id", "REDDIT_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret", "REDDIT_USERNAME": "your_username", "REDDIT_PASSWORD": "your_password" } } } }

Three-Tier Authentication System

Reddit MCP Buddy supports three authentication levels, each with different rate limits:

Mode

Rate Limit

Required Credentials

Best For

Anonymous

10 req/min

None

Testing, light usage

App-Only

60 req/min

Client ID + Secret

Regular browsing

Authenticated

100 req/min

All 4 credentials

Heavy usage, automation

How It Works:

  • Anonymous Mode: Default mode, no setup required, uses public Reddit API

  • App-Only Mode: Uses OAuth2 client credentials grant (works with both script and web apps)

  • Authenticated Mode: Uses OAuth2 password grant (requires script app type)

Important Notes:

  • Script apps support BOTH app-only (60 rpm) and authenticated (100 rpm) modes

  • Web apps only support app-only mode (60 rpm maximum)

  • For 100 requests/minute, you MUST use a script app with username + password

Testing & Development

Testing Your Rate Limits

Reddit MCP Buddy includes comprehensive testing tools to verify your authentication is working correctly:

# Clone the repository first git clone https://github.com/karanb192/reddit-mcp-buddy.git cd reddit-mcp-buddy npm install # Test with your current environment settings npm run test:rate-limit # Test specific authentication modes npm run test:rate-limit:anon # Test anonymous mode (10 rpm) npm run test:rate-limit:app # Test app-only mode (60 rpm) npm run test:rate-limit:auth # Test authenticated mode (100 rpm)

The rate limit tester will:

  • Start a local server instance

  • Make rapid API requests to test rate limits

  • Display a real-time progress bar

  • Confirm which authentication tier you're using

  • Show exactly when rate limiting kicks in

Interactive Authentication Setup (for local testing only)

For local development and testing, you can set up authentication interactively:

npx reddit-mcp-buddy --auth

This will prompt you for Reddit app credentials and save them locally. Note: This does NOT work with Claude Desktop - use environment variables in your Claude config instead.

Testing with HTTP Mode

To test the server directly in your terminal:

# Run in HTTP mode on port 3000 npx reddit-mcp-buddy --http # Or with custom port REDDIT_BUDDY_PORT=8080 npx reddit-mcp-buddy --http

Note: The server runs in stdio mode by default (for Claude Desktop). Use --http flag for testing with Postman MCP or direct API calls.

Global Install

npm install -g reddit-mcp-buddy reddit-buddy --http # For testing

From Source

git clone https://github.com/karanb192/reddit-mcp-buddy.git cd reddit-mcp-buddy npm install npm run build npm link

Using Docker

docker run -it karanb192/reddit-mcp-buddy

Claude Desktop Extension

For one-click installation in Claude Desktop, download the pre-built extension:

šŸ“¦

Installation: Simply open the downloaded .mcpb file - Claude Desktop will automatically install the extension and the Reddit tools will be immediately available.

Build from Source (Optional)

If you prefer to build the extension yourself:

git clone https://github.com/karanb192/reddit-mcp-buddy.git cd reddit-mcp-buddy ./scripts/build-mcpb.sh

Note: The Desktop Extension format is currently in preview (September 2025). Most users should use the standard npm installation method shown in Quick Start.

Comparison with Other Tools

Feature

Reddit MCP Buddy

Other MCP Tools

Zero Setup

āœ… Works instantly

āŒ Requires API keys

Max Rate Limit

āœ… 100 req/min proven

ā“ Unverified claims

Language

TypeScript/Node.js

Python (most)

Tools Count

5 (focused)

8-10 (redundant)

Fake Metrics

āœ… Real data only

āŒ "Sentiment scores"

Search

āœ… Full search

Limited or none

Caching

āœ… Smart caching

Usually none

LLM Optimized

āœ… Clear params

Confusing options

Rate Limit Testing

āœ… Built-in tools

āŒ No verification

Rate Limits

Mode

Requests/Minute

Cache TTL

Setup Required

Anonymous

10

15 min

None

App-only

60

5 min

Client ID + Secret

Authenticated

100

5 min

All credentials

Why Reddit MCP Buddy?

What others do wrong:

  • āŒ Fake metrics - "sentiment scores" that are just keyword counting

  • āŒ Complex setup - Requiring API keys just to start

  • āŒ Bloated responses - Returning 100+ fields of Reddit's raw API

  • āŒ Poor LLM integration - Confusing parameters and unclear descriptions

What we do right:

  • āœ… Real data only - If it's not from Reddit's API, we don't make it up

  • āœ… Clean responses - Only the fields that matter

  • āœ… Clear parameters - LLMs understand exactly what to send

  • āœ… Fast & cached - Responses are instant when possible

Examples

Your AI can now answer:

"What are the top posts about GPT-4 today?"

→ search_reddit with query="GPT-4", time="day", sort="top"

"Show me what's trending in technology"

→ browse_subreddit with subreddit="technology", sort="hot"

"What do people think about this article?"

→ search_reddit with the article URL to find discussions

"Analyze the user DeepFuckingValue"

→ user_analysis with username="DeepFuckingValue"

"Get the comments from this Reddit post"

→ get_post_details with url="https://reddit.com/r/..."

"What's trending across all of Reddit?"

→ browse_subreddit with subreddit="all", sort="hot"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Can't achieve 100 requests/minute"

  • Ensure your app type is "script" not "web" or "installed"

  • Script apps created by one account can only authenticate as that same account

  • Run npm run test:rate-limit:auth to verify (requires cloning the repo)

  • If still failing, create a new script app while logged into the authenticating account

"Command not found" error

# Ensure npm is installed node --version npm --version # Try with full npx path $(npm bin -g)/reddit-mcp-buddy

Rate limit errors

  • Without auth: Limited to 10 requests/minute

  • With app credentials only: 60 requests/minute

  • With full authentication: 100 requests/minute

  • Solution: Add Reddit credentials (see Authentication)

"Subreddit not found"

  • Check spelling (case-insensitive)

  • Some subreddits may be private or quarantined

  • Try "all" or "popular" instead

Connection issues

Environment Variables

Authentication Variables

Variable

Description

Required

Rate Limit

REDDIT_CLIENT_ID

Reddit app client ID

No

60 req/min (with secret)

REDDIT_CLIENT_SECRET

Reddit app secret

No

60 req/min (with ID)

REDDIT_USERNAME

Reddit account username

No

100 req/min (with all 4)

REDDIT_PASSWORD

Reddit account password

No

100 req/min (with all 4)

REDDIT_USER_AGENT

User agent string

No

-

Server Configuration

Variable

Description

Default

REDDIT_BUDDY_HTTP

Run as HTTP server instead of stdio

false

REDDIT_BUDDY_PORT

HTTP server port (when HTTP=true)

3000

REDDIT_BUDDY_NO_CACHE

Disable caching (always fetch fresh)

false

Technical Details

Smart Caching System

Reddit MCP Buddy includes intelligent caching to improve performance and reduce API calls:

  • Memory Safe: Hard limit of 50MB - won't affect your system performance

  • Adaptive TTLs: Hot posts (5min), New posts (2min), Top posts (30min)

  • LRU Eviction: Automatically removes least-used data when approaching limits

  • Hit Tracking: Optimizes cache based on actual usage patterns

This means faster responses and staying well within Reddit's rate limits, all while using minimal system resources.

Development

# Install dependencies npm install # Run in development npm run dev # Build npm run build # Test rate limits npm run test:rate-limit # Test with current environment npm run test:rate-limit:anon # Test anonymous mode (10 rpm) npm run test:rate-limit:app # Test app-only mode (60 rpm) npm run test:rate-limit:auth # Test authenticated mode (100 rpm) # Lint npm run lint # Type check npm run typecheck

Requirements

  • Node.js >= 18.0.0

  • npm or yarn

  • TypeScript 5.5+

Contributing

PRs welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

We keep things simple:

  • No fake analytics

  • Clean, typed code

  • Clear documentation

  • Fast responses

Support

šŸ”— Related Resources

Official MCP Resources

Where to Find This Server

View All Versions via API

# Get all versions of reddit-mcp-buddy from the registry curl -s "https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=reddit-mcp-buddy" | jq # Get just version numbers and UUIDs curl -s "https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=reddit-mcp-buddy" | \ jq '.servers[] | {version, id: ._meta."io.modelcontextprotocol.registry/official".id}'

License

MIT - Use it however you want!


Made with ā¤ļø for the MCP community. No venture capital, no tracking, just a good MCP server.

Deploy Server
-
security - not tested
A
license - permissive license
-
quality - not tested

remote-capable server

The server can be hosted and run remotely because it primarily relies on remote services or has no dependency on the local environment.

Enables AI assistants to browse Reddit, search posts, analyze user activity, and fetch comments without requiring API keys. Features smart caching, clean data responses, and optional authentication for higher rate limits.

  1. Reddit Browser for Claude Desktop and AI Assistants
    1. šŸŽ¬ See It In Action
      1. Table of Contents
        1. What makes Reddit MCP Buddy different?
          1. Quick Start (30 seconds)
            1. For Claude Desktop - Desktop Extension (Easiest!)
            2. For Claude Desktop - NPM Method (Alternative)
            3. For Other MCP Clients
          2. What can it do?
            1. Available Tools
              1. browse_subreddit
              2. search_reddit
              3. get_post_details
              4. user_analysis
              5. reddit_explain
            2. Authentication (Optional)
              1. Setup Steps
              2. Three-Tier Authentication System
            3. Testing & Development
              1. Testing Your Rate Limits
              2. Interactive Authentication Setup (for local testing only)
              3. Testing with HTTP Mode
              4. Global Install
              5. From Source
              6. Using Docker
              7. Claude Desktop Extension
            4. Comparison with Other Tools
              1. Rate Limits
                1. Why Reddit MCP Buddy?
                  1. What others do wrong:
                  2. What we do right:
                2. Examples
                  1. Your AI can now answer:
                3. Troubleshooting
                  1. Common Issues
                  2. Environment Variables
                4. Technical Details
                  1. Smart Caching System
                5. Development
                  1. Requirements
                6. Contributing
                  1. Support
                    1. šŸ”— Related Resources
                      1. Official MCP Resources
                      2. Where to Find This Server
                    2. License

                      MCP directory API

                      We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

                      curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/karanb192/reddit-buddy-mcp'

                      If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server