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Dating & Social · head to head

Reddit vs Steam

Reddit logo

Reddit

Dating & Social

The front page of the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Steam

Gaming

The ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Reddit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Reddit an ads-free experience requires the paid Reddit Premium upgrade; Steam publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Reddit and Steam actually diverge.

Attributes where Reddit and Steam differ
AttributeRedditSteam
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb
CategoryDating & SocialGaming
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Reddit

  • Subreddits
  • Upvoting/Downvoting
  • Comments
  • Awards
  • AMAs
  • Reddit Talk
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Only in Steam

Nothing recorded that Reddit does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Reddit

  • Following topic-based communities and discussion threadsnot Steam
  • Posting questions and getting answers from a subredditnot Steam
  • Ad-free browsing and community perks through Reddit Premiumnot Steam

Steam

No use cases recorded yet. See the Steam review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Reddit

  • An ads-free experience requires the paid Reddit Premium upgrade
  • Premium avatar gear, r/lounge access and custom app icons are locked to Reddit Premium
  • Some communities require a minimum amount of karma before you can post or comment
  • Premium subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the subscription ends
  • The iOS app requires iOS 16.0 or later

Steam

  • Publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue
  • Core purchases and library are tied to a single Steam account with no vendor-stated official resale or transfer mechanism for owned games

Pricing, plan by plan

Reddit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Browsing
    • Posting
    • Commenting
  • Reddit Premium$5.99/month
    • No Ads
    • Premium Awards
    • Exclusive Subreddit

Steam

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Steam review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Reddit if

  • You need subreddits.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want upvoting/downvoting.
Reddit review

Choose Steam if

Nothing in the data separates Steam from Reddit on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Steam review

Questions people ask

Is Reddit or Steam better?
Neither clearly leads. Reddit starts at Free and Steam at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Reddit or Steam?
Reddit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Reddit and On request for Steam.
Does Reddit or Steam run on more platforms?
Reddit runs on Ios, Android, Web. Steam runs on Web.
Can I use Reddit for free?
Yes. Reddit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steam starts at On request.
What is Reddit best used for?
Reddit is most often used for following topic-based communities and discussion threads, posting questions and getting answers from a subreddit, ad-free browsing and community perks through reddit premium. Of those, following topic-based communities and discussion threads and posting questions and getting answers from a subreddit are not what Steam is typically brought in for.
What can Reddit do that Steam cannot?
Reddit covers Subreddits, Upvoting/Downvoting, Comments, Awards.
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Related pages

More on Reddit

More on Steam

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