Redlib

A self-hosted Reddit front-end for signed-out reading that proxies every request, so subreddits load without ads, trackers or JavaScript.

4k stars, 322 forks Rust On GitHub since December 2023

View on GitHub How to run it

Redlib at a glance

Open sourceYes, AGPL-3.0No paid parts in the repository
Health50 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingDocker, LinuxOne-click in YunoHost, Unraid and 2 more
AppsLinux, including ARMBuilds in GitHub releases
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~10 daysMedian first reply; 19% of recent issues answered

What is Redlib?

Redlib serves Reddit content through your own server, so the visitor's browser never talks to Reddit directly: posts, comments and media are all fetched and relayed by the instance, and a strict Content Security Policy blocks any direct request. Pages carry no ads and need no JavaScript. It began as a fork of Libreddit, follows the look of Reddit's redesign and is written in Rust on the Hyper HTTP library. To stay within Reddit's rate limits it imitates the OAuth tokens and headers of the official Android app. Most signed-out features work, though a few are still missing. Settings live in optional first-party cookies, and release builds keep no logs.

Good fit if

  • You want to read Reddit threads through an instance you control, without tracking or advertising.
  • You use a redirect add-on such as LibRedirect and need a private destination for Reddit links.
  • You want pages that work with JavaScript switched off.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want to host communities where people post and vote, not just read Reddit: Lemmy.
  • You need a discussion forum for your own members: Discourse or NodeBB.

Before you adopt it

Redlib uses the AGPL-3.0 license, so anyone who runs a modified copy as a public service must publish the changes; the repository has no paid parts. It sits under the redlib-org organization, but a single developer wrote about three quarters of the commits in the last 90 days, out of four authors. Container images for amd64, arm64 and armv7 are on Quay.io, a compose file is included, and Linux binaries, systemd units and Podman Quadlets are documented. Because it depends on posing as Reddit's mobile app, a crackdown on such requests by Reddit could interrupt an instance.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 7 November 2026. Report a correction

How to run Redlib yourself

One-click install

Not listed in Umbrel, TrueNAS, CasaOS and Runtipi. Checked against each panel’s app catalog on 12 November 2026.

Ways to install

Docker files
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
compose.yaml: 1 service
Setup effort
1 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: the README on GitHub.

Redlib health: is it still maintained?

50 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythm1 release in 12 monthsLatest: v0.40.0, 22 October 2026
Issue repliesWithin ~10 daysMedian first reply; 19% of recent issues answered
Bus factorMedium riskThe most active of 4 authors wrote 74% of recent commits
  • Activity
    23 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 22 October 2026.
    17 / 30
  • Contributors
    4 people wrote the 23 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 74% of them.
    9 / 20
  • Releases
    1 release in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.40.0, on 22 October 2026.
    14 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 19% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 10 days.
    5 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. How the score works

Redlib security

Security advisories are the vulnerabilities the maintainers disclosed on GitHub, with the versions that fix them; many advisories can mean careful disclosure as much as weak code.

Security advisories1 published1 high; all list a fixed version

Latest advisories

Advisories read from GitHub on 12 November 2026.

Redlib license: is it open source?

Redlib uses AGPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. December 2023First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayAGPL-3.0.

Redlib for developers

Written in

  • Rust 65%
  • HTML 17%
  • CSS 12%
  • JavaScript 2%
  • Shell 2%
  • Other 2%

Getting involved

Good first issues1Open, labelled “easy first issue”Help wanted3Open, labelled “help wanted”
Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues186On GitHub
Authors, 90 days4Of 23 commits
Donations3 waysGitHub Sponsors, Liberapay, Buy Me a Coffee

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to Redlib

  • remark42comment engine 81 health · MIT · 5.6k stars
  • LemmyA decentralised discussion platform for communities. 74 health · AGPL-3.0 · 14.7k stars
  • MastodonYour self-hosted, globally interconnected microblogging community 88 health · AGPL-3.0 · 50.6k stars
  • MisskeyA completely free and open interplanetary-microblogging platform 81 health · AGPL-3.0 · 11.4k stars
  • HumHubHumHub is an Open Source Enterprise Social Network. Easy to install, intuitive to use and extendable with… 81 health · AGPL-3.0 · 6.8k stars

All 18 projects in Social networks & forums

Questions about Redlib

Is Redlib open source?

Yes. Redlib is published under AGPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Redlib still maintained?

Its health score is 50 of 100 (actively developed). It had 23 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 22 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 22 October 2026.

How do I run Redlib?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, including ARM and in one click from YunoHost, Unraid, Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts and 1 more. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is Redlib written in?

Redlib is written mainly in Rust (65% of the code), with HTML (17%) and CSS (12%), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to Redlib?

Close alternatives in the Social networks & forums category include remark42, Lemmy, Mastodon.