8.2 KiB
Libreddit
An alternative private front-end to Reddit
Libre + Reddit = Libreddit
- 🚀 Fast: written in Rust for blazing fast speeds and safety
- ☁️ Light: no JavaScript, no ads, no tracking
- 🕵 Private: all requests are proxied through the server, including media
- 🔒 Secure: strong Content Security Policy prevents browser requests to Reddit
Like Invidious but for Reddit. Browse the coldest takes of r/unpopularopinion without being tracked.
Contents
- Screenshot
- Instances
- About
- Comparison
- Installation
- Developing
Screenshot
Instances
Feel free to open an issue to have your selfhosted instance listed here!
| Website | Country | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
| libredd.it (official) | 🇺🇸 US | |
| libreddit.spike.codes (official) | 🇺🇸 US | |
| libreddit.dothq.co | 🇺🇸 US | ✅ |
| libreddit.insanity.wtf | 🇺🇸 US | ✅ |
| libreddit.kavin.rocks | 🇮🇳 IN | ✅ |
| spjmllawtheisznfs7uryhxumin26ssv2draj7oope3ok3wuhy43eoyd.onion | 🇮🇳 IN |
A checkmark in the "Cloudflare" category here refers to the use of the reverse proxy, Cloudflare. The checkmark will not be listed for a site which uses Cloudflare DNS but rather the proxying service which grants Cloudflare the ability to monitor traffic to the website.
About
Elsewhere
Find Libreddit on...
- 💬 Matrix: #libreddit:kde.org
- 🐋 Docker: spikecodes/libreddit
- :octocat: GitHub: spikecodes/libreddit
- 🦊 GitLab: spikecodes/libreddit
Info
Libreddit hopes to provide an easier way to browse Reddit, without the ads, trackers, and bloat. Libreddit was inspired by other alternative front-ends to popular services such as Invidious for YouTube, Nitter for Twitter, and Bibliogram for Instagram.
Libreddit currently implements most of Reddit's (signed-out) functionalities but still lacks a few features.
How does it compare to Teddit?
Teddit is another awesome open source project designed to provide an alternative frontend to Reddit. There is no connection between the two and you're welcome to use whichever one you favor. Competition fosters innovation and Teddit's release has motivated me to build Libreddit into an even more polished product.
If you are looking to compare, the biggest differences I have noticed are:
- Libreddit is themed around Reddit's redesign whereas Teddit appears to stick much closer to Reddit's old design. This may suit some users better as design is always subjective.
- Libreddit is written in Rust for speed and memory safety. It uses Actix Web, which was benchmarked as the fastest web server for single queries.
Comparison
This section outlines how Libreddit compares to Reddit.
Speed
Lasted tested December 21, 2020.
Results from Google Lighthouse (Libreddit Report, Reddit Report).
| Libreddit | ||
|---|---|---|
| Requests | 22 | 70 |
| Resource Size | 135 KiB | 2,222 KiB |
| Time to Interactive | 1.7 s | 11.5 s |
Privacy
Logging: According to Reddit's privacy policy, they "may [automatically] log information" including:
- IP address
- User-agent string
- Browser type
- Operating system
- Referral URLs
- Device information (e.g., device IDs)
- Device settings
- Pages visited
- Links clicked
- The requested URL
- Search terms
Location: The same privacy policy goes on to describe location data may be collected through the use of:
- GPS (consensual)
- Bluetooth (consensual)
- Content associated with a location (consensual)
- Your IP Address
Cookies: Reddit's cookie notice documents the array of cookies used by Reddit including/regarding:
- Authentication
- Functionality
- Analytics and Performance
- Advertising
- Third-Party Cookies
- Third-Party Site
Libreddit
For transparency, I hope to describe all the ways Libreddit handles user privacy.
Logging: In production (when running the binary, hosting with docker, or using the official instances), Libreddit logs nothing. When debugging (running from source without --release), Libreddit logs post IDs and URL paths fetched to aid troubleshooting but nothing else.
DNS: Both official domains (libredd.it and libreddit.spike.codes) use Cloudflare as the DNS resolver. Though, the sites are not proxied through Cloudflare meaning Cloudflare doesn't have access to user traffic.
Cookies: Libreddit uses optional cookies to store any configured settings in the settings menu. This is not a cross-site cookie and the cookie holds no personal data, only a value of the possible layout.
Hosting: The official instances (libredd.it and libreddit.spike.codes) are hosted on Repl.it which monitors usage to prevent abuse. I can understand if this invalidates certain users' threat models and therefore, selfhosting and browsing through Tor are welcomed.
Installation
A) Cargo
Make sure Rust stable is installed along with cargo, Rust's package manager.
cargo install libreddit
B) Docker
Deploy the Docker image of Libreddit:
docker run -d --name libreddit -p 8080:8080 spikecodes/libreddit
Deploy using a different port (in this case, port 80):
docker run -d --name libreddit -p 80:8080 spikecodes/libreddit
C) AUR
For ArchLinux users, Libreddit is available from the AUR as libreddit-git.
Install:
yay -S libreddit-git
D) GitHub Releases
If you're on Linux and none of these methods work for you, you can grab a Linux binary from the newest release. Currently, Libreddit does not have Windows or macOS binaries but those will be available soon.
E) Repl.it
Note: Repl.it is a free option but they are not private and are monitor server usage to prevent abuse. If you really need a free and easy setup, this method may work best for you.
- Create a Repl.it account (see note above)
- Visit the official Repl and fork it
- Hit the run button to download the latest Libreddit version and start it
In the web preview (defaults to top right), you should see your instance hosted where you can assign a custom domain.
Deployment
Once installed, deploy Libreddit (unless you're using Docker) by running:
libreddit
Specify a custom address for the server by passing the -a or --address argument:
libreddit --address=0.0.0.0:8111
Building
git clone https://github.com/spikecodes/libreddit
cd libreddit
cargo run