Curiosity is a free, open-source Reddit client for macOS built entirely in SwiftUI, giving power users a native, keyboard-friendly way to browse Reddit without touching a browser.
What is Curiosity?
Curiosity is a native macOS Reddit client that replaces the web app with a purpose-built SwiftUI interface — think sidebar-driven subreddit navigation, fluid post previews, and a genuine Mac aesthetic that feels nothing like Reddit's increasingly cluttered website. It is open-source and free to download from GitHub, with no subscription, no ads, and no tracking layer bolted on top.
The project grew out of a developer's frustration with Reddit's official clients and the general state of third-party options, and that motivation is visible in every interaction: the app leans into macOS conventions rather than fighting them.
What does Curiosity do best?
Curiosity shines as a distraction-free reading environment. The three-column layout — subreddits on the left, post list in the centre, full content on the right — is the kind of arrangement I wish every content app offered. You stay in one window, navigate entirely by keyboard, and the content loads without the surplus of banners, promoted posts, and GDPR pop-ups that have made reddit.com exhausting.
- SwiftUI rendering: text, images, and media render at native resolution with no Electron overhead, so scrolling stays at 120 Hz on ProMotion displays without a fan spin.
- Keyboard-first navigation: move between subreddits, threads, and comments without touching the trackpad — a genuine time saver when you live at the keyboard.
- Open source: the codebase is on GitHub; if a feature is missing or a bug bites, you can read the code, file a precise issue, or fork and fix it yourself.
- No account lock-in for reading: browse public subreddits without signing in — useful when you want a quick look without handing Reddit another authenticated session.
Is Curiosity free?
Yes — Curiosity is completely free. There is no Pro tier, no in-app purchase, and no patreon gate behind any feature. Because it targets Reddit's API, authenticated actions (voting, commenting, posting) require a Reddit account, but the app itself costs nothing to download or run.
Worth noting: Reddit's API pricing changes in 2023 reshaped the third-party client landscape dramatically, forcing apps like Apollo and Narwhal to shut down. Curiosity's longevity depends on whether the Reddit API access it uses remains viable for open-source projects — check the GitHub repository for the current status before you commit your workflow to it.
Who should use Curiosity?
If you consume Reddit for research, community knowledge, or niche hobbies and you find the website increasingly unusable, Curiosity is worth a serious look. It particularly suits developers, designers, and writers who already keep Reddit open as a reference tab and want to upgrade that experience to something that behaves like a real Mac app — complete with proper window management, system-level dark mode, and no browser cookie debates.
It is less suited to casual mobile crossover users or anyone whose Reddit workflow is heavily comment-thread-focused, since deep thread traversal and real-time notifications are areas where more mature clients (now largely gone) had years of polish that Curiosity is still building toward.
What are the best Curiosity alternatives?
The honest answer is that the third-party Reddit client market on macOS is thin after the 2023 API changes. Mango for Reddit is a paid option that survived the pricing shift and offers a more polished media experience. Reddit's own Mac Catalyst app technically exists but inherits the worst habits of the mobile UI. For power users who want to stay in the browser, Reddit Enhancement Suite plus a clean browser profile remains a pragmatic workaround. If you use Mastodon or other federated platforms, Ivory and Ice Cubes show what a properly maintained SwiftUI social client can become — and illustrate how much runway Curiosity still has ahead of it.
How does Curiosity compare to Reddit's official Mac app?
Curiosity wins on almost every Mac-native metric: it respects system fonts, responds to keyboard shortcuts, and does not feel like a phone app stretched onto a 27-inch display. Reddit's official Mac Catalyst app often ignores macOS window conventions, delivers push notifications that require the app to be active, and occasionally forces you back to a webview for edge-case content. Where the official app has the edge is reliability — Reddit controls the API surface it exposes to its own client, so official parity on new features tends to arrive faster. For a read-heavy workflow, Curiosity is the better daily driver; for full-featured moderation or posting, the official app (or the website) fills the gap.
