Reddit API Access Has Become a Gate That Developers Are Redesigning Around

The 2023 API pricing revolt created a binary world: pay exorbitant rates for commercial scale or accept the official app. That binary has collapsed into a finer-grained gatekeeping. Developers applying for individual tokens now describe a process where the platform evaluates not just rate limits but the applicant's stated purpose. A request for a two-person app and a request for a front-end learning project land in the same inquiry ^[2][3] — 'what is this for?' — and the answer determines access. Reddit never formally published criteria for this granular tier,…