Narwhal developer believes they can keep the third party iOS Reddit app running with a subscription.

Copy and pasted from Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/getnarwhal/comments/14kt9wj/narwhal_is_not_going_anywhere_subscriptions_and/?utm_name=ioscss

Hey all, I want to give you an update on what is happening with Narwhal. I’ve been talking with Reddit a lot about the API changes and what it will mean for Narwhal.

Narwhal is not going anywhere on July 1st. It will continue to operate as it has for many years (except it will not have ads anymore). Over the next few months, I am going to be adding subscriptions into Narwhal 2. The subscriptions will be there to cover the cost of using the Reddit API. I am still figuring out what to do for heavy power users, but there may be a base plan which includes X number of API requests/month and you can top up your balance with another purchase. The subscription will likely be in the $4-$7 range to start. It may change based on total usage of the app (either up or down) to cover the costs of using the reddit API.

Yes, this means Narwhal 2 is finally going to see the light of day. Is it perfect? No. Is it as finished as I wanted it to be before I released it? No. But it makes the most sense to put subscriptions in Narwhal 2 instead of the current app.

TLDR; Narwhal is not going anywhere on July 1st. Subscriptions will be coming over the next few months.

Ask me anything in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer! Also, let me know if this is something that you actually want me to do. Are you willing to subscribe to continue using Narwhal?

Thank you everyone!

  • CapgrasDelusion@kbin.social
    35·
    1 year ago

    Up to $7 per month to browse Reddit? I guess if people are willing to pay it then that’s their business. I’m happy over here, personally.

    • HandsHurtLoL@kbin.social
      3·
      1 year ago

      I would have been willing to pay reddit $3 directly if it meant avoiding ads entirely before all of this blew up.

        • HandsHurtLoL@kbin.social
          5·
          1 year ago

          Ehh, don’t interpret me as being in favor of HOAs, but like, if $3 helped me connect with a huge userbase over the hobbies I enjoy, I’m willing to pay it to live in a gated online community.

          My hobbies are not tech related. I have not found a new home or sense of community on kbin. That’s just the reality of what I’ve lost by boycotting reddit on principle. In my offline world, I have paid to be a member of hobby communities just to offset the costs of organizing events and reserving group spaces. Arguably, I’m paying for the privilege to go there and “share content” through my presence. This isn’t a big deal to me if I’m engaging the platform.

          $3 would be a steal if I were a power user. $3 might be not worth it if I’m just a lurker.

  • comedy@kbin.social
    27·
    1 year ago

    I wish the narwhal developer luck, but I just imagine his math is off, and when the time comes for a big world event, where power users will be F5-ing and interacting through the app, Reddit will fuck him hard on the pricing. Additionally, power users are going to be his primary audience; after all, most people know the official app sucks, but only the most dedicated will pay for something different. It just doesn’t seem feasible.

  • darknavi@vlemmy.netEnglish
    22·
    1 year ago

    Good luck to them. Reddit’s API pricing makes no sense for scaling between power users and casual users.

    The fact that they didn’t just bundle 3rd party apps into reddit premium is mind boggling to me.

    • kbity@kbin.social
      13·
      1 year ago

      The way they’ve handled this whole situation heavily suggests they don’t want a fair share of the revenue from third-party apps, they want those apps to die. Especially considering how aggressively the official app is pushed on the mobile site, which is now borderline useless. I’m guessing it slurps up a lot of sensitive, monetisable data that third-party alternatives don’t send them.

    • DarthYoshiBoy@kbin.social
      5·
      1 year ago

      I had reddit premium before, and I’d have picked it back up in a second if it had been the cost to keep using RiF. Shame that they never intended to allow 3rd party apps to keep going. They’re going to hold Narwhal up as an example that they’re working with 3rd parties while doing nothing of the sort in any real terms. They’ll likely turn the screws so hard on the Narwhal dev after the heat cools that Narwhal dev is going to wish they had just bailed before Reddit bent them over the barrel.

  • 👍Maximum Derek👍@social.fossware.spaceEnglish
    19·
    1 year ago

    This might be a tough one were I still using Reddit. I want to pay devs who do good work but I don’t want my money to, in turn, pay Reddit so they can claim my content as their own.

    • letsroll@kbin.social
      6·
      1 year ago

      True – at that point you’re paying reddit for the privilege of helping them succeed, and you wonder was it worth it? After all the lies you were told, you’re not so sure, but as their foot presses down on your hands you go back to work, ignoring their long shadows as sunset falls and they murmur to each other, “type faster, monkey.”

  • Guadin@k.fe.derate.me
    18·
    1 year ago

    Reddit must be laughing hard. They wanted to kill off all 3rd party apps but are now going to make a nice buck while still achieving allmost the same. Well played… well played…

  • Jcb2016@kbin.social
    15·
    1 year ago

    Who cares, narwhal app sucks narwhal 2 is probably promising. they will change or the price will fluxuate depending on the api calls power users use. What’s the point. you will be browsing and worrying about rate limits and if you have to pay more even though you just paid for the subscription.

  • ninjakitty7@kbin.social
    11·
    1 year ago

    I already couldn’t imagine paying a subscription for an app, but for that money to be going to reddit after the shit they pulled is unthinkable. I’m surprised users even want to support it at all. I do wish them well though, as Narwhal served me well for years.