Reddit CEO Confirms Paywall Will Go Into Effect In 2025

The paid content shift is one of numerous ways Reddit is trying to boost profits.

Reddit’s CEO said a paywall in its plans for 2025.

The social network’s leader, Steve Huffman, shared the news during a recent video Q&A about last year’s Q4 earnings. While calling the paid content a “work in progress,” he confirmed that it remains on the schedule for his year.

According to PC Mag, Huffman also deemed the paywall one of the “new, key features” it will roll out.

Huffman previously mentioned the paywall’s inclusion for the platform on a Q2 earning call last year. He assured alarmed Redditers that this paid content would not impact already popular subreddits. However, they would go into effect for newly created ones.

“I think the existing altruistic, free version of Reddit will continue to exist and grow and thrive just the way it has,” he said at the time. “But now we will unlock the door for new use cases, new types of subreddits that can be built that may have exclusive content or private areas—things of that nature.”

Reddit, which fosters a network of communities by hosting content threads, has also discussed new pathways to monetization. Considering the unofficial marketplaces already trending on the platform, the company has discussed ways for transactions to occur directly on its website.

However, Huffman still believes they are a “little ways off” from making direct transactions a reality. Reddit also launched a premium subscription that eliminates ads while scrolling through its user-created boards.

The move to acquire more profits comes after Reddit went public in 2023. With more eyes on its profitability, Reddit has investigated new ways to monetize its users. However, it has struggled to do so while maintaining the brand’s ethos. Most of its content has been free since its 2005 launch.

Furthermore, avid users have resisted these money-focused changes before. After beginning API charges in 2023, some protested by having popular subreddits go dark. However, Reddit kept the charges in place, claiming the move was financially necessary despite the backlash.

Another way Reddit has sought to boost profits is by sharing data from market research firms with Wall Street. This “social listening” approach led to a reportedly $60 million data licensing deal with Google in 2024.

While Huffman did not confirm exactly when the paywall will go live, this move may spark new resistance from its users as the company makes these financially viable shifts.