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 - browse subreddits with no API keys; add free Reddit credentials for search, comments, user analysis, and full metrics.
🎬 See It In Action
*Claude checking Reddit's reaction to the Dune Part Three trailer and whether the AirPods Max 2 are worth $549*
*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?
- Quick Start
- What can it do?
- Available Tools
- Authentication
- Installation Options
- Global Install
- From Source
- Using Docker
- Claude Desktop Extension
- Comparison with Other Tools
- Troubleshooting
- Development
- Support
- Related Resources
What makes Reddit MCP Buddy different?
- **🚀 Zero setup** - Browse subreddits instantly, no Reddit API registration needed (search, comments, user analysis, and engagement metrics need free credentials)
- **⚡ Up to 10x more requests** - Three-tier authentication system (10/60/100 requests per minute)
- **🎯 Clean data** - No fake "sentiment analysis" or made-up metrics
- **🧠 LLM-optimized** - Built specifically for AI assistants like Claude
- **📦 TypeScript** - Fully typed, reliable, and maintainable
- **✅ 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:
For Claude Code
Run this command to add the MCP server (user scope):
For Other MCP Clients
Use the NPM method: npx -y reddit-mcp-buddy
What can it do?
Ask your AI assistant to:
- 📊 **"What's trending on Reddit?"** - Browse hot posts from r/all
- 🔍 **"Search for discussions about AI"** - Search across all subreddits
- 💬 **"Get comments from this Reddit post"** - Fetch post with full comment threads
- 👤 **"Analyze user spez"** - Get user history, karma, and activity
- 📚 **"Explain Reddit karma"** - Understand Reddit terminology
Available Tools
browse_subreddit
Browse posts from any subreddit with sorting options.
> **No credentials?** Results are served from Reddit's public RSS feed (data_source: "rss"): score, num_comments, upvote_ratio, and nsfw come back null, and the include_nsfw filter can't be applied. Add credentials (Authentication) for full data via the API.
search_reddit
Search across Reddit or specific subreddits.
get_post_details
Get a post with all its comments.
user_analysis
Analyze a Reddit user's profile.
reddit_explain
Get explanations of Reddit terms.
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:**
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 |
*\*Server-side cap. Anonymous requests are served from Reddit's logged-out RSS feed, which applies its own stricter per-IP throttle (often one uncached request per 25-60 seconds). The 15-minute cache and automatic retries absorb much of this, but sustained anonymous browsing is effectively slower than 10 req/min.*