Can you promote in r/software?
Anything software-related. Please follow our rules to avoid getting punished.
The short answer
Only mention your product sparingly and transparently (preferably open-source); participate normally first and use the Wednesday flair/thread with clear value if you must post about your software.
What works here
- Open-source project promotion
- Posting on the Wednesday/self-promo thread with flair and value
- Sharing releases that are open-source and usable without payment
What gets posts removed
- Direct advertising of commercial/closed-source software
- Posting outside the allowed day/flair or without substantive value
- Including paywalled downloads or obvious solicitation
Where this comes from
View the current official rules on RedditSpam/Self-Promotion rule
Explicit ban on promoting your own software unless it's open source; otherwise permanent ban; Wednesday exception requires appropriate flair and providing value.
Releases rule
Releases should be open-source and not behind a paywall; donations allowed but program must be usable without payment.
Sidebar 'No Spam/promotional posts'
Sidebar reiterates no spam or promotional posts pushing commercial software.
Official rules of r/software
- 01Piracy
- 02Troll/Abuse
- 03Spam/Self-Promotion
- 04Visit r/techsupport Before Posting
- 05Releases
- 06Karma requirement
- 07Low Effort
Based on the community’s official rules, analyzed July 8, 2026. Rules change; the official rules page is always the source of truth.
Read the Intoru research and correction methodology.
Intoru follows these rules for you.
It finds people in r/software and hundreds of other communities who are looking for what you sell, and drafts replies that fit each community’s rules, so you help first and never read as spam.
Find your buyers on Reddit