Reddit’s latest resolution to start out charging for API entry has triggered widespread outrage amongst Redditors, as it will basically be the tip of many common third-party shoppers except they’re keen to pay exorbitant charges every month. Nevertheless, it appears to be like like Relay for Android, the favored Reddit consumer, may need discovered a technique to survive the API modifications by implementing a brand new technique.
In a latest weblog publish, developer Dave shared his insights on the way forward for the app and said that the present free model of Relay would not be financially sustainable. As an alternative, the app will undertake a subscription-based mannequin, which may even include the added advantages of no advertisements or really useful content material.
Nevertheless, Dave additionally acknowledged the challenges related to transitioning to a subscription-based mannequin and defined that the success of this new strategy would rely on customers’ willingness to stay with Relay and embrace the subscription system. Moreover, he additionally expressed issues concerning the tight timeline to implement the mandatory modifications, as Reddit’s new API pricing goes into impact on July 1st.
“Your entire mannequin is finally topic to what number of, and what kind of, customers select to stick with Relay as a subscription-based app. I need to stress that my estimates are solely related to name information collected by Relay for Relay. Different apps have totally different layouts and have units,” mentioned Dave.
Pricing construction
Underneath this new proposed mannequin, customers would possibly have to pay a base subscription charge of $2 per 30 days together with a further $1 charge for the message notifications to accounts. Nevertheless, it is very important observe that the present pricing mannequin relies on the newest launch of Relay for Reddit, which included bug fixes and different modifications geared toward lowering API calls.
Though the prospect of Relay surviving this API change is thrilling and showcases builders’ willpower to navigate evolving platform insurance policies whereas offering customers with a optimistic expertise, it’s essential to acknowledge that these projections are purely speculative at this level, and the way forward for the app stays unsure.