Best Reddit Viewers in 2025: Clean, Fast, and Ad-Free Options
I spend way too much time on Reddit.
Not proud of it. But at some point last year I realized the official Reddit experience was making me angry. Not the content -- the interface. Infinite loading spinners. Video player that never works properly. Ads disguised as posts. That horrible new layout that wastes half my screen.
So I went looking for alternatives. Tested pretty much every Reddit viewer I could find. Some were great. Most were broken or abandoned. A few surprised me.
Here is what I found.
Why People Are Looking for Reddit Viewers
Before we get into the list, let me explain what problem these tools solve.
The official Reddit website in 2025 has some issues:
- Slow loading times especially on mobile browsers
- Aggressive push to download the app with those annoying pop-ups
- Ads everywhere including ones that look like regular posts
- Video player bugs where videos just refuse to play or have no sound
- The new design which many longtime users find cluttered
If any of that sounds familiar, you are not alone. There is a whole cottage industry of alternative Reddit viewers built specifically to fix these problems.
What I Was Looking For
When testing these viewers, I focused on:
- Speed -- Does it load faster than official Reddit?
- Clean interface -- No clutter, no ads, no pop-ups
- Features -- Can I still do everything I need?
- Works in 2025 -- Many old viewers are broken after Reddit API changes
That last one is important. Reddit made big changes to their API in 2023, and a lot of third-party tools stopped working. The ones on this list still work as of December 2025.
The Best Reddit Viewers I Found
1. Old Reddit (old.reddit.com)
When Reddit redesigned their website, they kept the old version running at old.reddit.com. A lot of longtime users never switched. I get it.
The old design loads faster. Way faster. No infinite scroll, no heavy JavaScript, no video player that eats your CPU. Just a simple list of posts with thumbnails. You can see 25 posts on one screen instead of 5.
The irony is that the old design is more readable than the new one. Reddit spent millions on a redesign that most power users actively avoid.
Pros:
- Faster than new Reddit
- Cleaner layout with more content per screen
- No app download nag
- Just works
Cons:
- Still has some ads
- Some newer features missing (like native video player, but honestly that is a feature)
- Not great on mobile
My take: If you just want something quick and familiar, old.reddit.com is the easiest fix. I keep it bookmarked. It is showing its age, but sometimes old is better.
2. Teddit
Teddit is what happens when privacy-focused developers get tired of being tracked. It is an open-source frontend that fetches Reddit data through a proxy, so Reddit never sees your IP or browser fingerprint.
The cool part: it works without JavaScript. That means it loads incredibly fast and works on older browsers or restricted networks. Some people run it on their own servers for maximum privacy.
Pros:
- No JavaScript required
- Very fast
- Privacy-focused, no tracking at all
- Self-hostable if you want total control
Cons:
- Limited functionality, basically read-only
- No voting or commenting (you need an account for that, which defeats the privacy purpose)
- Some public instances are slow or unreliable
My take: Good if you just want to read without being tracked. Useless if you want to participate. I use it when I want to browse on a work network without logging into my personal account.
3. Libreddit
Libreddit is Teddit but prettier. Same concept, same privacy benefits, but with a more modern interface that actually looks like Reddit.
It had a brief moment of glory when people were fleeing the official app. Then Reddit started blocking public instances in 2023. A lot of Libreddit servers went dark overnight.
Pros:
- Clean, modern interface
- Privacy-focused
- Used to have many public instances
Cons:
- Many instances went down after API changes
- Read-only, no participation
- You need to find a working instance, which is getting harder
My take: It was great when it worked. Now it is hit or miss. If you find a working instance, bookmark it. They are rare.
4. Stealth (Android)
If you have an Android phone and you hate the official Reddit app, Stealth is worth trying. It is a third-party client that lets you browse Reddit without logging in, without ads, and without all the tracking that comes with the official app.
The interface is clean and mobile-friendly. You can follow subreddits without an account. It uses the public Reddit API, so it does not require any login at all.
Pros:
- Nice mobile UI, better than official app in many ways
- No login required, total anonymity
- No ads, no tracking
- Works on most Android devices
Cons:
- Android only, no iOS version
- Read-only browsing, cannot vote or comment
- Some features limited compared to full Reddit app
My take: Solid choice if you want to lurk on your phone without the official app spying on you. I recommend it to friends who complain about how bad the Reddit app has become.
5. Reddit Enhancement Suite (RES)
RES is a browser extension that has been around forever. It does not replace Reddit, it enhances it. Keyboard shortcuts, inline image expansion, custom filters, dark mode before Reddit had one, endless scroll that actually works.
Millions of people use RES. It is probably the most installed Reddit-related browser extension ever. And it works with both old and new Reddit.
Pros:
- Works with both old and new Reddit
- Tons of customization options
- Keyboard shortcuts that save hours
- Inline image viewing without opening new tabs
- Account switcher for people with multiple accounts
Cons:
- Still uses official Reddit, so you still see ads and deal with their issues
- Requires browser extension installation
- Can slow down browser if you enable too many features
My take: If you want to stick with official Reddit but make it bearable, RES is essential. I have been using it for years. Cannot imagine browsing Reddit without the keyboard shortcuts.
6. Infinity for Reddit (Android)
Infinity is an open-source Reddit app that used to be completely free. When Reddit changed their API pricing in 2023, Infinity had to adapt, but it still works and is still one of the best Android experiences.
The interface is beautiful. Customizable themes, gesture controls, no ads. It feels like what the official app should have been.
Pros:
- Beautiful, customizable interface
- Material Design, feels native to Android
- No ads in the app
- Open source, community maintained
Cons:
- Requires Reddit account for most features now due to API changes
- Android only
- Some limitations after 2023 API changes
My take: Probably the best Android experience if you can live with the limitations. The developer has been fighting to keep it alive despite Reddit making it harder for third-party apps.
7. Reddit Toolbox (Desktop)
This is the one I built, so I am obviously biased. But let me explain why I built it and who it is for.
Reddit Toolbox is a desktop application for people who need more than just browsing. Marketers who want to find relevant threads. Researchers who need to export data. Content creators looking for trending topics. It runs locally on your machine, which means no server costs for me and no blocking issues for you.
The key insight: when you browse from your home IP, Reddit sees a normal person. When a cloud server makes requests, Reddit sees a bot. That is why cloud-based scrapers keep getting blocked and desktop apps keep working.
Pros:
- Runs locally on your machine, uses your home IP (no blocking issues)
- Bulk scrape posts and filter by criteria (comment count, date, keywords)
- Works without login for basic browsing
- Export data to CSV for analysis
- AI-powered features for generating comments and analyzing sentiment
Cons:
- Desktop only (Windows and Mac)
- Overkill if you just want to read casually
- Some features require subscription
My take: If you are doing Reddit marketing, research, or need to analyze data at scale, nothing else comes close. The free tier handles 15 requests per day which is enough for casual exploration. Power users can upgrade for unlimited access.
Check it out at wappkit.com if you are curious.
Quick Comparison
Here is a quick rundown of all 7 tools:
Old Reddit - Web, optional login, can vote/comment, fast. Best for quick fix.
Teddit - Web, no login, read-only, fast. Best for privacy.
Libreddit - Web, no login, read-only, fast. Best for privacy.
Stealth - Android, no login, read-only, medium speed. Best for mobile lurking.
RES - Browser extension, uses your existing login, can vote/comment. Best for power users.
Infinity - Android, optional login, can vote/comment, fast. Best for Android users.
Reddit Toolbox - Desktop (Windows/Mac), optional login, read-only but with data export, fast. Best for research and marketing.
Which One Should You Use?
It depends on what you need:
- Just want cleaner browsing? Start with old.reddit.com or RES
- Privacy focused? Try Teddit or Libreddit (if you can find a working instance)
- Mobile user? Stealth or Infinity depending on your needs
- Need to analyze Reddit data? Reddit Toolbox is what I use
Honestly, there is no perfect solution. Reddit keeps making it harder for third-party tools to work. But the options above still function as of December 2025.
The Elephant in the Room: API Changes
I should mention why so many Reddit viewers are dying.
In 2023, Reddit changed their API pricing. What used to be free now costs money. A lot of money for apps with millions of users. This killed apps like Apollo, RIF, and many others.
The tools that survive now either:
- Use unofficial methods (like scraping the .json endpoint)
- Work read-only (no need for authenticated API)
- Run locally (avoiding rate limits by using your IP)
This is why I built Reddit Toolbox as a desktop app instead of a web service. Your machine, your IP, no shared server that Reddit can block.
Final Thoughts
The official Reddit experience is not great in 2025. Too slow, too cluttered, too many ads.
But alternatives exist. Whether you want a cleaner web interface, a better mobile app, or a power tool for research, there is something out there.
Start with old.reddit.com and RES for the quick wins. If you need more, explore the other options.
And if you find a Reddit viewer I missed, let me know.
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