Recently, many users in Indonesia have been experiencing difficulties in accessing Reddit due to Internet Service Provider (ISP) restrictions (read: “New Stage of Internet Censorship in Indonesia: DPI & TCP Reset Attack”). This issue has led to the development of various solutions that allow users to bypass these restrictions and access Reddit seamlessly.
One such solution is libreddit, a web-based application that enables users to access Reddit without the need for a Virtual Private Network (VPN). In this article, we will explore the features and benefits of using libreddit to access Reddit.
Libreddit is, in itself, an unofficial proxy interface for the website reddit.com, functioning as a connector between you and the reddit.com site.
Libreddit instances
Libreddit instances is an engine that runs the libreddit program itself. This instance is usually operated by an individual, but there are also groups or organizations that operate a Libreddit instance.
Hereafter is a list of some instances you can use:
| URL | Location | Behind Cloudflare? | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| https://reddit.moe.ngo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | ✅ | |
| https://safereddit.com | 🇺🇸United States | SFW only | |
| https://lr.riverside.rocks | 🇺🇸United States | ||
| https://libreddit.privacy.com.de | 🇩🇪Germany |
For a more comprehensive and up-to-date list, please visit https://github.com/libreddit/libreddit-instances/blob/master/instances.md.
How to use libreddit
Using libreddit is extremely easy; all you need is a browser, visit one of the instances above. Once you’re on the front page of the instance you’ve chosen, the first thing you should do is select the subreddit you want to subscribe to.
This way, when you access the libreddit instance again in the future, the content that appears on the front page will be from the subreddits you have already subscribed to.
Here’s how: search for the subreddit you want to subscribe to using the search bar. For example, r/indonesia.
After entering the subreddit page, click the “Subscribe” button. Then, posts from the subscribed subreddit will automatically appear on the front page.
Advantages and Disadvantages
There are always pros and cons. I’d like to start with the disadvantages before moving on to the advantages.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage is that we can only browse or view content; we don’t have the option to log in (and therefore can’t interact with other users by leaving comments, upvoting, downvoting, etc.).
Advantages
- No need for VPN
To access
libreddit, you don’t need to install or connect to a VPN if your ISP blocks Reddit. Simply use a browser and access the Libreddit instance I mentioned above. - Ad-free With libeddit, you can browse postings on Reddit without ads.
- Faster From my experience, accessing Reddit using libreddit feels faster and more responsive.
- Privacy Libreddit only uses “Cookies” to store your “Settings” and subscribed subreddits. These Cookies do not save any personal information about you.
- SFW (Safe For Work) or +NSFW (Not Safe For Work)
Some
libredditinstances choose NOT to display NSFW content (SFW only), such as safereddit.com. So, you can feel more “safe” when browsing Reddit there.
Tips for Using the Privacy Redirect Plugin
When searching online using search engines like Google.com, content from Reddit frequently appears in the results. Nevertheless, due to our internet service provider (ISP) blocking access to reddit.com, we are unable to directly access those links.
That’s where the plugin browser “Privacy Redirect” comes in handy. Its job is to redirect (change) the original link to one that we’ve previously chosen.
For example, when a Google search result shows a link to https://reddit.com/r/indonesia, if we click on the link, the Privacy Redirect plugin will change it to our preferred Libreddit instance, such as https://safereddit.com/r/indonesia.
Currently, this plugin is available at Firefox Add-Ons, Chrome Web Store, and Microsoft Edge Add-ons.
To use it, simply install the plugin on your browser, enter “More Options” and input your preferred URL instance into “Reddit Instance”.
You can also easily toggle the redirect feature for each site using the on - off switch button as shown below:
Alternative to Libreddit
In addition to libreddit, there is another alternative that works in a similar way (as a proxy) called teddit. From a visual standpoint, libreddit is more similar to the new Reddit design, while teddit appears to follow the older Reddit design (old.reddit.com).
From a programming language perspective, libreddit uses Rust, whereas teddit uses NodeJS.
