But if you’re here, you probably already know all about Reddit, and just want to know the best Reddit app for you. Right? So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into it.
Best Reddit Apps for Android
1. Alien Companion for Reddit
Alien Companion is a relatively new app on the scene, which although being completely free, offers a lot of features such as offline support, SD card support, customisable navigation, Tablet support, etc. This app wants to bring access to Reddit to offline users, and it achieves that as you can load nearly all Reddit features like images, posts, comments, etc. without access to the internet, although the content has to be synced beforehand. It even allows you to comment and vote on Reddit threads while you are offline, and later when you connect to the Internet, it automatically posts them. The Developer describes the app as a combination of Reddit Sync and Reddit Offline. The app is still in beta, so you can expect more features in future. Bottom-line: The only completely free app on the list with great offline support.
2. BaconReader
BaconReader was one of the first Reddit apps on the Play Store, and the time spent in development has certainly helped with its features. It includes colour-coded comments threads, which you can collapse with just one touch as well as full moderator tools if you manage a Sub-Reddit of your own, amongst other features. Although it isn’t the prettiest Reddit app on the list, I would say it serves the most function. It also supports a night mode which can change automatically depending on the time, so you can protect your eyes if you like lurking on Reddit late at night. Unfortunately, if you’re a fan of Android’s material design, you won’t find it on this app. Bottom-line: Feature-packed app, but lacks Android’s Material design.
3. Reddit is Fun
For a new-comer to Reddit, this is the first app I would recommend. Reddit is Fun looks like an app version of the Reddit’s website with some additions fuelled by the Android material design. One good thing about the app is, how it supports synccit (http://synccit.com/), which means you can access all your Reddit history on both desktop and mobile, or any other platform which incorporates synccit in the future. Reddit is fun also includes Tablet support. Bottom-line: A great app for newcomers to Reddit. Supports synccit, so all history is backed up on the cloud.
4. Relay
Like the other Reddit apps in the list, Relay also sports a Material design and has a lot of features like – the ability to add multiple accounts, themes with night mode, the option to switch between comments and links quickly, etc. But unlike the other apps here, it strives when it comes to gesture support; so if flicking your finger here and there is your thing, go for Relay. The slide for actions effect is one of the coolest features available on the app. It was previously known as Reddit News, and some of you may still recognise it by that name. It also has the option to hide any posts which you have already gone through. Bottom-line: Beautiful app, with plenty of features under the hood.
5. Slide for Reddit
Slide for Reddit is another browser for Reddit, which incorporates the Material design, and is packed with many features which other competitors don’t have, such as a low data usage mode, four different view modes, etc. Slide is one of few apps for Reddit on the Play Store which is entirely ad-free. But unfortunately, unless you upgrade to the full version, there are many features that you’ll be unable to access (like support for Ad-block inside the app). You can also load content in offline mode (it needs to download content beforehand). Bottom-line: Completely Ad-free even on the free version, but many features not unlocked unless you upgrade to pro.
6. Sync For Reddit
This is another popular Reddit client, which was previously known as Reddit Sync. The app has quite a beautiful material design and is pleasant to look at. One of the major advantages of using Sync for Reddit is how you can customise nearly every option in the app. If you’re using a phone which also has an AMOLED display, I would recommend using this app. Since AMOLED light up depending on the pixels being used at that point of time, using this theme can help save battery. At the same time, it will also mean that the Black levels on the screen will be impressive. Bottom-line: You should try this App first if you have a device with an AMOLED display. Good if you like to use Reddit with one hand, due to its good gesture support.
Wrapping up
The official Reddit application wasn’t on this list because even with official support, it is far from being the best. Although, all the apps here are free, there is also an option to pay for the ad-free version (slide is ad-free even on the free version, but the free version lacks many features). The only exception is Alien Companion, which is entirely free to use and the free version is also the “pro” version. But that’s in beta, so let’s see how it turns out in future. I have used three apps on the list (BaconReader, Relay and Sync), for longer than a few months and the other three for a couple of days. For the past year, I have been using BaconReader to browse Reddit. If you’re looking for a simple, feature-packed app, then go for BaconReader. That said, Alien companion will my second choice, as it is completely free, with all features included. As every Reddit user’s browsing/posting pattern will differ greatly to one another, so there can’t be a one app suits all situation. Relay for Reddit should also be checked out, as it looks beautiful and has some features that no other apps have. See the Comparison Table for Best Reddit Apps for Android
