Just created a Reddit account and realized you can't post anywhere?

Yeah, that happened to me too. I had a perfectly good question about a Chrome extension issue. Went to post it in the relevant subreddit. Boom: "Your account doesn't meet the minimum karma requirements."

I tried another subreddit. Same thing. And another. Same.

I spent 20 minutes trying to find ONE place where Reddit would let me post as a new user. Eventually gave up and asked my question on Twitter instead.

The karma system makes sense in theory - keeps out spam bots and low-effort content. But in practice? It's a chicken-and-egg nightmare. You need karma to post. You need to post to get karma. New users are stuck in purgatory.

Good news: there are ways around this. Here's what I figured out.

Subreddits With No Karma Requirements

Let me save you the frustration. These subreddits let you post with a brand new account (as of December 2025):

General Help & Questions:

r/NoStupidQuestions - ask anything without getting roasted
r/TooAfraidToAsk - similar vibe, slightly more personal questions
r/Advice - life advice from strangers (hit or miss)
r/findareddit - literally designed to help new users find the right subreddit
r/NewToReddit - beginner-friendly community that explains how everything works

Gaming:

r/gaming - the mega-general gaming sub
r/patientgamers - people who play games years after release
r/gamingsuggestions - ask for recommendations

Tech & Software:

r/techsupport - tech problems, pretty helpful community
r/software - general software questions
r/opensource - open source project discussions

Creative:

r/writing - for writers at any level
r/art - share and discuss art
r/photography - camera stuff

Lifestyle:

r/casualconversation - just chatting about life
r/self - personal stories and reflections
r/offmychest - venting space

Business/Career:

r/Entrepreneur - some posts allowed for new accounts
r/smallbusiness - business owner community
r/careerguidance - job and career questions

Quick caveat: subreddit rules change constantly. What works today might not work next month. Always check the sidebar rules before posting.

Subreddits With Very Low Karma Requirements (Under 100)

These need some karma, but not a crazy amount:

r/AskReddit - usually needs around 50 karma
r/memes - low threshold for comments, higher for posts
r/pics - pretty accessible after initial karma building
r/videos - similar to pics

Most niche hobby subreddits also have reasonable thresholds. r/coffee, r/buildapc, r/fitness - places where the community actually wants new voices.

Why The Karma System Exists (And Why It's Annoying)

Before you get too frustrated, it helps to understand why this exists.

Every popular subreddit gets hammered with spam. Crypto scams, dropshipping ads, weird promotional posts, bot-generated content. Without karma requirements, moderators would spend all day deleting garbage.

The karma threshold is basically proof that you're a real person who has engaged with Reddit before. It's not perfect, but it filters out most of the noise.

That said, for legitimate new users? It sucks. I get it.

The Fastest Way to Build Karma

Here's my no-BS guide to getting enough karma to post where you actually want:

Step 1: Comment on rising posts in big subreddits

Go to r/AskReddit, sort by "rising." These are posts that are gaining momentum but haven't blown up yet. Leave thoughtful comments. Not "lol same" - actually contribute something.

Why rising? Posts that are already hot have thousands of comments. Nobody will see yours. Rising posts are actively being read by people who upvote good responses.

Step 2: Answer questions you actually know about

Go to r/NoStupidQuestions, r/explainlikeimfive, r/answers. Find questions related to things you actually understand. Leave helpful, clear answers.

This works because people in those subreddits actively upvote useful information. You're providing value, not just farming points.

Step 3: Share genuine opinions in hobby subreddits

Are you into mechanical keyboards? Join r/mechanicalkeyboards and share thoughts on posts. Fan of a specific video game? Find its subreddit and engage.

The key word is genuine. Redditors can smell karma farming from a mile away. If you're just copy-pasting generic comments, you'll get downvoted or ignored.

Step 4: Post in no-karma subreddits first

Use the list above. Share something real. Ask a genuine question. Get some initial engagement.

Once you have 50-100 karma points, most subreddits open up to you.

Timeline expectation: Active engagement for 3-5 days should get you past most karma thresholds. If you're really active and lucky with a couple popular comments, could be faster.

The Karma Traps to Avoid

Some things that seem like they'd work but actually backfire:

Posting in karma-farming subreddits. Places like r/FreeKarma4U exist, and yes, you can get upvotes there. But many subreddits specifically check for this and will ban you for "karma manipulation." Not worth it.

Asking for upvotes. Against Reddit rules everywhere. Don't do it.

Commenting on everything. If you leave 50 comments in an hour, you'll trigger spam filters. Slow and steady wins this race.

Getting into arguments. Even if you're right, arguments lead to downvotes. Downvotes reduce karma. Pick your battles.

For Marketers and Business Owners

Okay, let's be real. If you're reading this because you want to promote your product on Reddit, here's the truth:

Building karma just to spam your product link will fail. Reddit's community is aggressively anti-promotional. Even with karma, if your post history is just ads, you'll get banned.

The right approach takes longer but actually works:

Build karma by genuinely engaging with communities related to your product. Not promoting - just being a helpful member. Answer questions. Share experiences. Be a real person.

Then, when someone asks for recommendations in your category, you can naturally mention your product as one option among several. Your post history shows you're a community member, not a drive-by spammer.

I know, this sounds like a lot of work. It is. But the alternative - getting ignored or banned - is worse.

If you're doing Reddit marketing at scale and need to track which posts are worth responding to, having a system helps. I use Reddit Toolbox to filter posts across multiple subreddits by keywords and comment count. Lets me find the actual opportunities without scrolling for hours. But that only matters once you've built enough karma to actually participate.

Quick Checklist for New Reddit Users

Here's your action plan:

Create account with a normal-looking username (no brand names)
Set a profile picture and fill out bio (makes you look real)
Start in no-karma subreddits from the list above
Comment on rising posts in big subreddits
Answer questions you actually know the answer to
Be patient - 3-5 days of engagement usually gets you past thresholds
Avoid karma-farming shortcuts (they backfire)

The Bigger Picture

Here's something that took me a while to understand:

The karma system isn't just a barrier to entry. It's Reddit's way of making sure everyone in the conversation has skin in the game.

When you've spent time building karma, you're less likely to do something that gets you banned. You've invested in your account. You care about your reputation.

This creates a different dynamic than other platforms. Twitter lets anyone @ anyone instantly. Reddit makes you earn the right to participate in certain spaces.

Frustrating at first? Absolutely. But it's also why Reddit discussions tend to be (slightly) higher quality than YouTube comments or Twitter replies.

Embrace the learning curve. Once you're past the initial karma hurdle, Reddit becomes a genuinely useful platform - for research, for marketing, for connecting with niche communities.

And hey, at least now you know which subreddits will let you post today.

Good luck out there.

Reddit Subreddits That Don't Require Karma in 2025 (Complete List)