Reddit MCP: setup guide and hosted options

A Reddit MCP server lets an AI agent such as Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor search Reddit posts and comments, find subreddits and read whole threads, then answer you in the chat. The quickest route is a hosted server: Manifold runs at https://mcp.manifoldmcp.com/mcp, you sign in with OAuth or an API key, there are no Reddit API keys of your own to apply for, and you pay per call. Every workspace starts with 500 free credits. Most Reddit calls cost 1 credit, and listing new posts costs 1 credit per subreddit per page.

This guide explains what a Reddit MCP server does, compares self-hosted open-source servers with hosted ones, walks through setup in Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor, and lists the Reddit tools, example prompts and common questions.

What is a Reddit MCP server?#

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard AI clients use to call outside tools. A Reddit MCP server exposes Reddit as a set of tools your agent can call: search posts, search comments, find communities, read a thread, list what is new. You ask a question in plain words, the agent picks the calls, reads the results and replies with a summary and links.

People use a Reddit MCP server to:

• Find the subreddits where their buyers talk, sized by how active they are
• Read a community's rules before anyone posts or replies
• Find recent threads where someone asks for a tool like theirs
• Mine posts and comments for pain points, objections and customer language
• Collect complaints about a competitor and the reasons people switch
• Check every new post in a handful of subreddits since yesterday

Your options: hosted or self-hosted#

There are two kinds of Reddit MCP server. Pick by where you want it to run and whether you want to manage Reddit access yourself.

Hosted: Manifold#

A hosted server runs in the cloud. You paste one URL into your client and sign in, and nothing runs on your machine. Because it is a remote server, it works in Claude on the web, the Claude desktop and mobile apps, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code and any other client that supports remote MCP servers.

Manifold is a hosted MCP server with seven Reddit tools. There is no Reddit app to register and no Reddit API keys to apply for. You pay per call in credits: 500 free credits per workspace to start, no card required, then top-ups from $10 or Pro from $20/mo. The same server also covers SEO, AI answers, social platforms, ad libraries and leads, so your agent can check Reddit and, say, what ChatGPT says about your category in one conversation.

Self-hosted: open-source servers#

Most results for "reddit mcp server" on GitHub are open-source servers you run yourself with npx, uvx or Docker. A few popular ones:

• reddit-mcp-buddy (TypeScript, npx -y reddit-mcp-buddy). Browses subreddits with no credentials; its README says search, comments and user analysis need Reddit credentials.
• eliasbiondo/reddit-mcp-server (Python, uvx reddit-no-auth-mcp-server). Search, subreddit listings, post details and user activity from Reddit's public endpoints, with no keys.
• jordanburke/reddit-mcp-server (TypeScript, npm or Docker). Fetches posts, comments and users, and can create posts and replies with your Reddit credentials.

A typical local setup in Claude Desktop is a few lines in claude_desktop_config.json:

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

Self-hosting is free and gives you full control, with trade-offs:

• Reddit API access now needs approval. Under Reddit's Responsible Builder Policy, self-service API access has closed, and new apps must request access before they get credentials. Servers that need a client ID and secret depend on that approval.
• Keyless servers have limits. Servers with no credentials read Reddit's public endpoints, often with lower rate limits and fewer fields. Reddit's developer help page says requests from a hosted provider's IP range need a valid OAuth token, so a keyless server may stop working once you move it off your laptop.
• Local servers stay local. A server that runs over stdio works in desktop clients on your machine, not in Claude on the web, on your phone or in ChatGPT, unless you host it behind a public URL yourself.
• You maintain it. Updates and breakages when Reddit changes are yours to handle.

Compared#

Set up a Reddit MCP server with Manifold#

You need a Manifold account, which your client creates for you the first time you sign in. The server URL is the same in every client:

https://mcp.manifoldmcp.com/mcp

Claude#

1. In Claude on the web or in the desktop app, open Settings → Connectors.
2. Choose Add custom connector. Name it Manifold and paste the server URL.
3. Choose Connect, then sign in to Manifold in the window that opens and approve Claude.
4. Start a chat, check that Manifold is on in the chat's tools menu, and ask a Reddit question.

A connector you add on the web is also there in the desktop app and on your phone. In Claude Code, run claude mcp add --transport http manifold https://mcp.manifoldmcp.com/mcp, then /mcp to sign in. Full steps are in the Claude guide and the Claude Code guide.

ChatGPT#

1. In ChatGPT on the web, open Settings → Security and login and turn on Developer mode. ChatGPT needs it to add an MCP server by URL.
2. Go to chatgpt.com/plugins, click Add at the top right, then choose Create MCP app.
3. Name it Manifold and paste the server URL under Connection. Leave Authentication on OAuth.
4. Tick I understand and want to continue, then choose Create. Sign in to Manifold when ChatGPT asks.
5. In a chat, type @Manifold or pick it from + → More, and ask a Reddit question.

On a Business workspace only an admin can use developer mode, so ask them to add Manifold under Workspace settings → Apps → Create. See the ChatGPT guide.

Cursor#

1. Open Cursor Settings → MCP, add a server and paste the URL, or use Add to Cursor on the Cursor guide.
2. Cursor lists Manifold. Choose it to sign in, and approve Cursor in the browser.
3. Ask a Reddit question in the agent chat.

To share the server with everyone on a project, add it to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "manifold": { "url": "https://mcp.manifoldmcp.com/mcp" }
  }
}

OAuth or an API key#

Most people should sign in with OAuth, because the client does the work. For scripts, CI and clients that cannot sign in, copy an API key from the dashboard at app.manifoldmcp.com and send it as a header:

Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...

In Cursor, put that in a "headers" object beside the URL, and keep the key out of version control. OAuth spends your personal workspace's credits; to spend a team workspace's credits, use a key made in that workspace. See Authentication. Other clients, including Codex, Gemini CLI and Grok, are covered in the client guides.

What you can do with Manifold's Reddit tools#

Manifold has seven Reddit tools. Your agent picks them for you, but knowing what each does helps you ask better questions.

A few things worth knowing:

• Search is a sample, new posts aim to be complete. Reddit search is ranked and never returns everything, so use it to find examples, not to count mentions. reddit_get_new_posts returns everything posted in the window it reports covering. If a busy subreddit cuts the window short, its coverage says so: raise pages, shorten the window, or continue with the cursor.
• Repeat calls cost less. Search, thread and comment results are cached for an hour and a subreddit's record for seven days. A cached answer costs 25% of the live price (minimum 1 credit), and an answer your workspace already paid for is free until it expires. New posts are never cached.
• You see the price first. Every result reports what it cost, max_credits caps what a call can spend, and dry_run prices a call for free. Most Reddit research jobs come to 20 to 60 credits.
• The tools find and read. They do not post, comment or vote. Your agent brings you the threads, and you decide where to join in from your own account.

For parameters and result fields, see the Reddit tools docs.

Example prompts#

Paste any of these into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor once Manifold is connected.

Find communities. "Which subreddits talk about bookkeeping for freelancers? Rank them by how active they are and summarise each one's rules on self promotion."

Threads to reply to. "Find threads from the last week where people ask for a Notion alternative. Skip locked or archived ones and give me the links."

Pain points. "Search Reddit posts and comments from the past year about onboarding in SaaS tools. Group the complaints into themes with a verbatim quote and link for each."

Competitor complaints. "What do people on Reddit dislike about HubSpot, and why do they say they switched? Quote the comments and link the threads."

Daily check-in. "Show me every new post in r/startups and r/SaaS since yesterday that mentions CRM or pipeline."

Reddit and AI answers together. "Which Reddit threads do ChatGPT and Google show for 'best CRM for startups', and what do those threads recommend?"

Where to go next#

To compare free ways to search Reddit by hand, read how to search Reddit and find subreddits with AI. To see which Reddit threads AI engines cite, pair these tools with AI visibility. For plans, see pricing.

Questions people ask#

What is a Reddit MCP server?#

A Reddit MCP server is a Model Context Protocol server that gives an AI agent tools to search Reddit posts and comments, find subreddits and read threads. You ask in plain words, and the agent calls the tools and replies with a summary and links.

Do I need Reddit API keys?#

Not with a hosted server such as Manifold, where you sign in with OAuth or a Manifold API key. Many self-hosted servers need a Reddit client ID and secret, and since Reddit closed self-service API access, new apps must request approval first. Some open-source servers run without keys on Reddit's public endpoints, with lower limits.

Is there an official Reddit MCP server?#

Reddit does not list an official MCP server in its developer documentation. The options are community-built open-source servers you run yourself, and hosted servers such as Manifold.

Does a Reddit MCP server work in ChatGPT and Claude on the web?#

A remote server does. Manifold works in Claude on the web, desktop and mobile, in ChatGPT through developer mode, and in Cursor, Claude Code and other remote MCP clients. Local stdio servers work only in desktop clients on the machine where they run.

How much does Manifold's Reddit MCP cost?#

Each Reddit call costs 1 credit, and reddit_get_new_posts costs 1 credit per subreddit per page. Every workspace starts with 500 free credits, no card required. After that, top-ups start at $10 and Pro starts at $20/mo.

Can my agent post or comment on Reddit?#

Not with Manifold. Its Reddit tools search and read, and do not post, comment or vote. Some open-source servers, such as jordanburke/reddit-mcp-server, can create posts and replies with your own Reddit credentials.