Upvotes, Karma, and Subscribers on Reddit: How the System Works
Direct answer: on Reddit, the upvote is what decides a post's position: the more votes it gets in the first few hours, the higher it ranks in the subreddit. Every upvote also turns into karma on the poster's profile. Profile followers and subreddit subscribers are two other numbers, each with its own function — and there's a service for each one.
The short version
- An upvote raises the post's score and determines its position in the subreddit.
- Votes from the first few hours carry the most weight.
- Post karma and comment karma are separate counters on the profile.
- A profile follower and a subreddit subscriber are different things: one is you, the other is a community.
- Reddit doesn't publish the karma formula or the exact vote totals for each post.
- There's a service for all three numbers: upvotes, followers and subscribers.
How Does an Upvote Make a Post Rise?
Every post has a score, which is the balance between upvotes and downvotes. The default subreddit sort combines that score with time since posting: a new post that gets votes quickly jumps ahead of an older post with more votes. That's why the start is decisive — a post that moves off zero in the first few hours gets seen by more people, and more people vote.
That's where Reddit upvotes come in: orders start at 5 units, to match the quantity to the community's size. Check the top of the subreddit — if today's posts have 40 votes, a boost of 15 to 30 puts yours among them.
Post karma, comment karma, follower, and subscriber
| Number | What it is | Who it belongs to | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post karma | Vote balance on your posts | Your profile | Upvotes on Posts |
| Comment karma | Vote balance on your replies | Your profile | Upvotes on Comments |
| Followers | Whoever follows your user profile | Your profile | Profile followers |
| Subscribers | Who joined a community | The subreddit | Subreddit Subscribers |
Many subreddits require a minimum karma to allow posting, and it's comment karma that shows participation. Reddit doesn't publish the exact formula: any claim of "how many upvotes equal X karma" is an estimate.
Profile Followers: What Are They For?
It's the number that shows on your user profile, and what people see when they click your name after reading a post. A profile with followers projects the image of an established account. Reddit followers serve creator, brand and project profiles.
Subscribers: How Do You Get a Subreddit Off Zero?
A new community always faces the same problem: people arrive, see "37 members," and leave, because an empty community has no conversation. Subreddit subscribers increase the member count of the community you run, and from there every post and every invite convert better.
Frequently asked questions
What Is an Upvote on Reddit?
It's the up arrow next to every post and comment. It adds to the content's score, which determines its position within the subreddit, and generates karma for whoever posted it.
What's the difference between post karma and comment karma?
They're two separate counters on the profile. Post karma comes from the votes your posts receive; comment karma comes from the votes your replies receive.
Is a profile follower the same thing as a subreddit subscriber?
No. A follower follows a user profile and sees what that person posts. A subscriber belongs to a community and sees its posts in the feed.
When to Order Upvotes for a Post?
Right after posting. Reddit gives more weight to votes from the first few hours, so that's the window where upvotes push the post up the subreddit's list. The ideal amount is proportional to the community's size.
Can I Increase My Subreddit's Subscribers?
Yes. The subreddit subscribers service increases the member count of the community you run, so it doesn't look empty to people who arrive.
The next step
Post live: order upvotes right after posting. New profile: followers. Your own community: subscribers. The Reddit services guide shows the tiers for each.
For a stalled subreddit of your own or a brand-new profile, the Reddit services guide lays out what each one covers, and the quality and refill criteria explain timing and refill windows, which vary by service.
Read also: Guides by social network
Other articles in this series, each covering a different metric or platform.