# Reddit Scraper - Comment Threads, No Login (`icoe-man/reddit-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Reddit posts with their comment threads from subreddits, searches, user pages or post URLs, with sort, time range and comment depth control. No login needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/icoe-man/reddit-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Moshe Zaudi](https://apify.com/icoe-man) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.70 / 1,000 comments

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Reddit Scraper - Comment Threads, No Login

Collect Reddit posts **together with their comment threads** from subreddits, searches, user pages and single post links, all in one run. Use it for market and product research, brand and trend monitoring, customer feedback or AI datasets.

- Mix subreddits, searches (Reddit operators work), user pages and post URLs in one run
- Comments come attached: up to 500 per post, 1 to 5 reply levels, sorted by top, best, new and more
- Sort posts by hot, new, top, rising or controversial, with time ranges for top lists
- No Reddit account, no developer app and no proxies to manage

### What you get

Every post comes as a `post` row:

```json
{
  "platform": "reddit",
  "type": "post",
  "id": "1a2b3c4",
  "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1a2b3c4/new_battery_design_doubles_capacity/",
  "title": "New battery design doubles capacity in lab tests",
  "text": null,
  "subreddit": "technology",
  "subredditSubscribers": 17000000,
  "author": { "id": "abc123", "username": "jane_doe", "profileUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/user/jane_doe/" },
  "createdAt": "2026-10-17T08:15:00.000Z",
  "score": 1543,
  "upvoteRatio": 0.95,
  "commentCount": 212,
  "awardCount": 0,
  "nsfw": false,
  "isVideo": false,
  "isGallery": false,
  "isOriginalContent": false,
  "imageUrl": null,
  "videoUrl": null,
  "language": null,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-17T16:09:00.000Z"
}
```

Each comment follows as a `comment` row:

```json
{
  "platform": "reddit",
  "type": "comment",
  "id": "kxyz123",
  "postId": "1a2b3c4",
  "postUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/comments/1a2b3c4/",
  "parentId": null,
  "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1a2b3c4/new_battery_design_doubles_capacity/kxyz123/",
  "text": "Great, now let's see it in a phone that ships this decade.",
  "language": null,
  "createdAt": "2026-10-17T09:02:41.000Z",
  "author": { "id": "def456", "username": "john_doe", "name": null, "profileUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/user/john_doe/" },
  "likeCount": 87,
  "replyCount": null,
  "depth": 0,
  "score": 87,
  "subreddit": "technology",
  "edited": false,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-17T16:09:00.000Z"
}
```

`depth` is 0 for top-level comments and grows with each reply level. Posts do not include flair.

### How to use it

1. Add Reddit URLs: subreddits (`reddit.com/r/technology` or just `r/technology`), posts (`…/comments/<id>/…`), user pages (`reddit.com/user/<name>`) or search pages. Add keywords under **Search terms**.
2. Pick **Sort posts by**, **Max posts per subreddit, user or search** and, under comments, how many comments per post and how many reply levels you want. Turn off **Include comments** for posts only.
3. Run it. Data we collected recently arrives instantly. New subreddits, searches and threads take 1-5 minutes each, and up to 3 are processed in parallel. Subreddits, users and searches we have not collected recently are limited to about 35 per run at 25 posts × 20 comments (more with fewer posts or comments), so split bigger jobs across runs. Beyond that, you get older previously collected data where we have it, or the input is marked limited in `OUTPUT`.

Calling it from an AI agent or with a short timeout? Start the run asynchronously and fetch the dataset when it finishes, or turn on **Previously collected data only** for an instant answer.

### Pricing

Pay only for what you get:

| | Free | Starter | Scale | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 1,000 comments | $1.20 | $0.99 | $0.85 | $0.70 |
| Per 1,000 posts | $3.50 | $3.20 | $2.90 | $2.70 |
| Per thread (post whose comments we collect) | $0.005 | $0.005 | $0.005 | $0.005 |
| Per subreddit, user or search | $0.025 | $0.025 | $0.025 | $0.025 |

Each subreddit, user or search costs its fee once. With **Include comments** on, every post also carries the thread fee, even when it has no comments. A post URL always carries it. Subreddits, threads and searches that cannot be collected are not charged.

**Example:** two subreddits, 50 posts each with up to 20 comments per post (100 posts, 2,000 comments) on the Starter plan cost 100 × $0.0032 + 2,000 × $0.00099 + 100 × $0.005 + 2 × $0.025 = **$2.85**. Without comments, 1,000 posts from 10 subreddits cost 1,000 × $0.0032 + 10 × $0.025 = **$3.45**.

Use **Maximum cost per run** in the run options to cap your spend. The Actor stops cleanly at that limit.

**Free plan:** you get previously collected data plus a small live allowance each day. Any paid Apify plan removes the limit.

### FAQ

**Is scraping Reddit legal?** This Actor collects publicly visible posts and comments only. Personal data is protected by laws such as GDPR, so only collect what you have a legitimate reason to process, and consult your lawyer if unsure.

**How fresh is the data?** The input form starts with **Reuse data collected within** at 720 hours (30 days) so the example finishes instantly. For your own subreddits, searches and posts, set it to 12 or less for recent data, or 0 to always collect live. API calls that leave it out use 12 hours. If live collection is not possible, for example when the free plan's daily allowance is used up, you may get older data with a note in `OUTPUT`; at 0 the input is reported as limited instead.

**Can I use it via API, Make, Zapier or n8n?** Yes. Use the Apify API or any Apify integration. Each run's results are in its default dataset, and `OUTPUT` in the key-value store has a summary per URL and search.

**Why did I get fewer posts than I asked for?** With comments on, very large requests are cut to fewer posts per subreddit, user or search: about 600 at up to 40 comments per post, 270 at 100 and 58 at 500. `OUTPUT` then has a note starting "Large request: collecting ...". Without comments you get up to 1,000 posts. A subreddit, search or date filter can also simply have fewer posts.

**Why is Only posts newer than ignored?** This Actor applies **Only posts newer than** only to subreddits sorted by **New**. For searches and user pages, sort by **New** or use **Top** with a **Time range** instead.

**How do user pages work?** A user link becomes a search for posts by that author (`author:<name>`), so the results follow Reddit search and may not include every post the user made.

**Can I filter by flair?** Posts do not include a flair field, but you can use Reddit's flair search operator in **Search terms**.

### Related Actors

- Reddit Comments Scraper - Full Threads & Depth
- Social Media Comments Scraper - FB, IG, TikTok, Reddit
- Facebook Comments Scraper - Reaction Breakdown
- Instagram Comments Scraper - Profiles & Date Range
- TikTok Comments Scraper - Profiles & Date Range
- Facebook Posts Scraper - Pages & Date Range
- Facebook Posts Search Scraper - Bulk Keywords
- Facebook Groups Scraper - Posts by Date
- Facebook Reels Scraper - Video URLs & Engagement

**Something is wrong?** Open an issue in the Issues tab.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Subreddits (https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/ or r/technology), posts (.../comments/<id>/...), users (https://www.reddit.com/user/<name>/) or search pages, one per line. A user link collects posts by that user. Up to 1,000 URLs and 200 subreddits, users and searches per run. Subreddits, users and searches we have not collected recently are limited to about 35 per run at 25 posts × 20 comments (more with fewer posts or comments), so split bigger jobs across runs.

## `searches` (type: `array`):

Keywords to search all of Reddit, one per line. Reddit search operators work, e.g. subreddit:technology or author:<name>. Each search has a small fee.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Order of the posts. Subreddits support Hot, New, Top, Rising and Controversial. Searches support Relevance, Hot, Top, New and Most comments. Leave empty, or pick one a listing does not support, to use Hot for subreddits and Relevance for searches.

## `time` (type: `string`):

Time range for Top and Controversial (subreddits) or Relevance, Top and Most comments (searches). Ignored for other sorts. Leave empty for the default range.

## `maxPostsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

How many posts to collect from each subreddit, user or search. Each post is billed, plus a small fee per subreddit, user or search. With comments on, large requests are cut to fewer posts: about 600 at up to 40 comments per post, 270 at 100 or 58 at 500 (the run's OUTPUT notes it).

## `includeComments` (type: `boolean`):

Also collect the comment thread of every post. Each comment is billed, plus a small fee per post whose comments we collect (post URLs always carry this fee).

## `maxCommentsPerPost` (type: `integer`):

How many comments to collect per post, across all reply levels.

## `commentDepth` (type: `integer`):

How many reply levels to collect: 1 = top-level comments only, 2 = comments plus their direct replies, up to 5.

## `commentSort` (type: `string`):

Which comments Reddit should return first.

## `onlyNewerThan` (type: `string`):

Skip posts created before this date. Use a date like 2026-01-31 or a relative value like "7 days". Only applies to subreddits with Sort posts by set to New; it is ignored for searches, users and other sorts.

## `maxDataAgeHours` (type: `integer`):

If we collected these posts and comments within this many hours, you get them instantly at the same price. The form starts at 720 (30 days) so the example finishes instantly: use 12 or less for recent data, or 0 to always collect fresh data.

## `cacheOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Return only data we already collected, without waiting for live collection. Useful for AI agents with short timeouts.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
  ],
  "sort": "new",
  "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
  "includeComments": true,
  "maxCommentsPerPost": 5,
  "commentDepth": 2,
  "commentSort": "top",
  "maxDataAgeHours": 720,
  "cacheOnly": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrls": [
        "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
    ],
    "sort": "new",
    "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
    "maxCommentsPerPost": 5,
    "maxDataAgeHours": 720
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("icoe-man/reddit-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "startUrls": ["https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"],
    "sort": "new",
    "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
    "maxCommentsPerPost": 5,
    "maxDataAgeHours": 720,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("icoe-man/reddit-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
  ],
  "sort": "new",
  "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
  "maxCommentsPerPost": 5,
  "maxDataAgeHours": 720
}' |
apify call icoe-man/reddit-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,icoe-man/reddit-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/8foAYfzWicUz9IliU/builds/LbeCK3F2J5MuWwz46/openapi.json