Reddit users have been mourning the shutdowns of some of its third-party applications because of the company's new API pricing. The latest API pricing plans will make the apps using its Application Programming Interface (API) much more expensive to operate. However, Narwhal, a popular Reddit app, will still hang around despite this.
(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 16: In this photo illustration, The Reddit logo is displayed on a computer screen on December 16, 2021 in San Anselmo, California.
Narwhal Remains on Reddit
According to The Verge, Narwhal will remain one of Reddit's third-party applications even after the new API pricing kicks in on July 1. Narwhal developer Rick Harrison, who goes by det0ur on Reddit, said Narwhal "is not going anywhere on July 1."
Harrison announced this news in a post on the r/getnarwhal subreddit. While it will not have ads anymore, he noted that Narwhal will continue to operate "as it has for many years." This is good news for Narwhal fans. However, Harrison was not that optimistic about the future of the app.
Also Read: Reddit Mods Removed After Allowing NSFW Content As Part of Their Protests-Why?
What Will Change on Narwhal App?
In the coming months, it was reported that there will be some changes in Narwhal, including adding subscriptions as part of "Narwal 2" to cover the new costs of using Reddit's API.
Rick Harrison said the subscriptions will likely cost $4 to $7 monthly but will have a 30 to 60-minute trial when you first download the app. 9To5Mac reported that this is one of the massive changes in the app to continue its operations
He told The Verge: "The main thing that changed between the beginning of June and now is mostly coming to terms with the changes. Narwhal is going through massive changes in order to continue."
Harris also told the outlet that he plans to measure API calls per user in the coming weeks to determine the final subscription price. However, he remained mum when asked if he had worked out some deal with Reddit.
On the other hand, Reddit spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt noted that the company does not reveal private business agreements or discussions.
The new API pricing would reportedly cost third-party apps $20 million annually to continue operating its business, which many indie developers could not afford.
According to Harrison, Narwhal 2 represents a "complete rewrite" that will come with an updated design and new functionality. Apollo is one of the most famous third-party Reddit apps to shut down because of the API price change.
Apollo developer Christian Selig previously said the price that Reddit gave him "was $0.24 for 1,000 API calls," totaling around $20 million yearly.
"I quickly inputted this in my app, and saw that it was not far off Twitter's outstandingly high API prices, at $12,000, and with my current usage, would cost almost $2 million dollars per month, or over $20 million per year," Selig earlier wrote in his post on Reddit.
Engadget reported that Selig has also accused Reddit of slandering him during calls with some of the site's moderators following an alleged misunderstanding.
Related Article: Reddit to Bring Better Accessibility to Moderator Tools in the App Amidst Third-Party Apps Shut Down
