11+ Advantages and Disadvantages of Reddit vs Quora: What You Need to Know [2023]

Reddit vs Quora: Which is the better social media site?

If you only had time to use one social media site (and many of us do), and your choices were Reddit vs Quora, which information-sharing site should you choose?

By the time you are done reading this article on Reddit vs Quora, you will have descriptions of each website, explanations of how they work, the similarities and differences of both Reddit vs Quora, and a review offering my opinion of the advantages and disadvantages of each site.

This guide to Reddit vs Quora will examine 3+ advantages of Reddit, 3 advantages of Quora, 3 disadvantages of Reddit, 2 disadvantages of Quora, 12 similarities, and 4 differences.

In other words, this article shares 26 important things you need to know about Reddit vs Quora including updated information.

Let’s dive in and assess Reddit vs Quora to determine the advantages, disadvantages, similarities, and differences of the two websites to determine which social media platform is better for you.

Reddit vs Quora: What are the Similarities?

Updated Information August 2021:

When it comes to Reddit vs Quora, both sites have seen changes since the original publication of this article.

For instance, both Reddit and Quora are making changes in the area of monetization. Reddit’s user base with 52 million daily users is huge. However, the site’s marketing efforts don’t match the potential of this staggering statistic. August of 2021 saw Reddit amping up its marketing efforts.

Also, Quora is now allowing members to charge for the information shared via their Quora Spaces. In addition, memberships can enroll in revenue-sharing plans.

There are many sites like Quora, and Reddit is one of them.

What do Reddit and Quora have in common?

• Both Reddit and Quora are information-sharing sites.
• Both Reddit and Quora are popular websites.
• Both Reddit and Quora are social media sites.
• Both Reddit and Quora have content-based communities.
• Both Reddit and Quora provide branding opportunities.
• Both Reddit and Quora provide the potential for traffic generation.
• Both Reddit and Quora have an upvote system that results in a boost in visibility for the content creator.
• Both Reddit and Quora frown on self-promotion.
• Both Reddit and Quora have recognition systems in addition to upvotes.
• Both Reddit and Quora allow people to follow you.
• Both Reddit and Quora allow blogging opportunities.
• Both Reddit and Quora have mobile apps.
• Both Reddit and Quora are free to use.

Reddit vs Quora: What are the Differences?

Reddit

UPDATE: July 2023

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has banned the use of 3rd party apps. No longer can Redditors use apps like Apollo in order to access Reddit. Reddit subreddits have gone dark in protest and claimed they will stay dark until June 30, 2023.

Steve Huffman is at odds with the subreddit moderators of the closed subreddits and is threatening to replace them.

More information about the Reddit protests can be found in this article about Steve Huffman’s net worth.

History of Reddit

Reddit was founded in 2005. By 2012, Reddit reached two billion page views a month (Source).

Reddit was named “Reddit” since the founders wanted people to be able to say, “I read it on Reddit.”

Reddit is called the “Front Page of the Internet” since so much information can be found on Reddit.

How Reddit Works

Redditors, as Reddit users are called, post links, photos, or videos.

In addition to being a discussion forum, Reddit is also known as a news aggregator.

The information you find on Reddit is divided into communities called subreddits. You will find subreddits on any topic imaginable.

It’s true: Recently, I saw a subreddit devoted to chicken nuggets. There are actually over 2.2 million subreddits on Reddit.

Some of the “mature, NSFW” subreddits don’t allow people in unless they are over 18 years of age.

In subreddits, people ask and answer questions, share frustrations or joys about a topic, and discuss the topic. Reddit’s subreddits are discussion forums organized around content niches. Some Reddit subreddits are AMA, (Ask Me Anything), but those are in a minority.

Some of the subreddits have moderation and some don’t.

When you check out a subreddit, you’ll see metrics like how old the subreddit is, how many members are in the subreddit, and how many members are currently active.

These metrics are important. You want to join an active subreddit. If one doesn’t work out, try another until you find a fit. Some of the hottest subreddits like the WallStreetBets subreddit (that recently made the news due to stock manipulation) have over nine million members.

Members can upvote each other’s content, downvote, or not vote at all.

You can use Reddit coins to buy awards for commenters that include Reactions, Medals, Premium Awards, and Animals.

Disadvantages of Reddit

UPDATE: June 2023

Reddit has poor management.

Reddit announced on June 6, 2023, that it plans on cutting 5% of its workforce.

The reasons cited include “a stalled IPO” and an effort to stop losing money.

Reddit layoffs come amid a trend toward firing tech employees.

Google and Amazon have also recently laid off workers.

Reddit is confusing.

Rules vary.

For instance, subreddits have different rules.

First, some subreddits allow self-promotion, and other’s don’t.

Next, you need to label your content with a Flair. The Flair states what type of content you are posting. In other words, you need to state if you are posting a discussion starter, a question, or a poll, etc.

When I first started at Reddit years ago, I thought I’d get lots of karma. The karma seems to have little effect when you use Reddit as it is supposed to be used, as a discussion forum.

Knowledge of Terminology is Needed

Top 10 terms you need to know to be successful on Reddit include:

• comment karma
• post karma
• subreddit
• upvotes
• downvotes
• flair
• AMA (Ask Me Anything)
• OP (Original Poster)
• Reddit coins
• Awards

Related Reading: 119+ Blogging Terms You Need to Know to Be a Better Blogger

Reddit Has a Toxic Vibe

Users criticize you with comments

People are quick to slam you if they don’t like what you’ve written.

I once posted information that was sort of a mini blog post. I thought I’d use the content to brand myself as someone knowledgeable in my niche.

Instead of being impressed, someone in the Just Start subreddit called for five moderators to remove my content which I ultimately removed myself.

I politely asked the woman what I did wrong. She responded I’d broken a rule. When I reviewed the rules, I couldn’t figure out which rule I’d broken.

Reddit Blogsnark

It’s true: The vibe at Reddit is so snarky, there are even subreddits devoted to being snarky!

Here are four of the Reddit Blogsnark subreddits:

• Reddit Blogsnark
• Blogsnark Uncensored
• Blogsnark Reddit
• Blogsnark Snark

One of the Reddit Blogsnark subreddits is simply called “Blogsnark.”

This is what you see when you go into the Reddit Blogsnark subreddit.

You find 5 tabs: Hot, New, Rising, Top, Gilded, and Wiki.

As you can see, the Blogsnark subreddit is an active group with over 77,000 members. Over 1,000 people were online at the time the screenshot was captured.

If you scroll through the Reddit Blogsnark subreddit, you will see gossip about bloggers. For instance, one of the threads asks other readers of a blog if a blogger’s relationship ended since her love interest is no longer mentioned on the blog.

Another thread discussed how anxious influencers are. When the thread offered a Harper’s Magazine article as evidence, I was actually impressed by what now seemed like credible claims and not the fluff I expected to see in a subreddit titled Reddit Blogsnark.

There are also snarky, critical comments. For instance, a thread criticized a blogger for recommending home improvements that weren’t financially realistic.

Another thread was actually flattering. A user commented she “needed to read this today” when referring to a blog post. I was surprised to find a complimentary thread in a subreddit called “Reddit Blogsnark.”

Clearly, you find all sorts of blogging-related content in the Reddit Blogsnark subreddit.

That is another difference between Reddit vs Quora. You won’t find a snarky Quora Space like the Reddit Blogsnark subreddit.

There are also “snark” subreddits unrelated to blogging. For instance, there is a 90 Day Fiancé Snark subreddit (r/90DayFianceSnark).

Caroline Calloway runs a Reddit Blogsnark subreddit devoted to celebrity gossip.

Let’s discover more about Reddit vs Quora.

Users criticize you with downvotes

On another occasion, someone asked for a recommendation for an SEO course. My Blogging Academy has SEO courses, so I recommended mine. Five people downvoted me.

On Reddit, unless the members of the subreddit know you, promotion is seen as spamming.

GOMI

Have you heard of GOMI? The acronym stands for Get Off My Internet.

The Blogsnark Reddit subreddits snark people and groups to such an extent, they tell them to “Get Off My Internet.”

One of these groups is single moms. If Blogsnark Reddit groups snark single mom bloggers, they’ll snark any blogger, and they do.

More information about single moms and GOMI can be found here: Single Mom Blogs.

You certainly won’t find single moms, or anyone, mocked on Quora. This is another difference between Reddit vs Quora.

Quora

History of Quora

Quora was founded in 2009 and became available to the public in 2010. One of the founders, Adam D’Angelo, originally worked for Facebook but left to create Quora, a question-and-answer site.

Quora is called “Quora” since the name comes from the word “Quorum” which means “to come to a consensus” or “come to an agreement.”

Quora users are called “Quorans.”

How Quora Works

Like on Reddit, you will find a great deal of information on Quora since Quora is a Question and Answer site.

People go to Quora primarily for two reasons, to get information and to offer information.

When you offer information and answer questions on Quora, you cite your credentials and experience that make you knowledgeable about topics.

When you go to get information, you type your question, and the site recommends people who would be knowledgeable to answer your questions based on their stated credentials.

In addition to being able to network one-on-one, you can participate in a content-based community.

If you want to try to monetize, Quora has a Partner Program.

Related Reading: Here you will find information about sites like Quora.

Differences Between Quora and Reddit

Community Names

Reddit’s communities are called “subreddits” while Quora’s communities are called “Spaces.”

Purpose

People go to Quora as opposed to Reddit since on Quora, they get one-on-one help finding information to answer their questions.

Moderation

Quora is heavily moderated while not all subreddits are moderated.

Links

Bloggers are discouraged from leaving links at Reddit. In contrast, bloggers can leave links at Quora if the links are to supplemental information.

V.Reddit

V.reddit is Reddit’s video host. Reddit is experimenting with letting users use V.reddit. If you don’t use Reddit’s platform, you can use YouTube to host your videos and post them to Reddit.

Quora does not have a comparable video platform.

R/Ask Reddit

The r/AskReddit subreddit is a place you can go at Reddit to get your questions answered.

Reddit vs Google

In contrast to Google, this is a place for discussion about the questions and answered that are offered.

Reddit vs Quora

In contrast to Quora, this one subreddit is to get questions answered, but at Quora, the entire site is for this purpose.

They have more AMA (Ask Me Anything) subreddits. r/AskReddit is just one example.

Would you consider this a similarity or a difference when it comes to Reddit vs Quora?

Disadvantages of Quora

Quora is Confusing

Sometimes, I get notified that my answer was sent to a large number of people. However, that doesn’t seem to result in any kind of a traffic boost or have any benefit at all.

Also, no one seems to know the minimum length of an answer. How long does it have to be to prevent the answer from getting collapsed? No one I know has that answer.

Quora gives recognition like “Top Writer.” What are the effects?

When it comes to Reddit vs Quora, clearly, both sites are confusing.

Quora has a Toxic Vibe

I find people accused of spamming who are genuinely trying to help users and not spam at all. When they get accused, their answers are collapsed and no one can see them.

When people try to appeal their ban, the result is usually a deaf ear. The powers that be may write back that they stand by their decision. That’s if you are lucky to hear back at all.

The staff at Quora accused me of plagiarism and collapsed my answer. I copied an excerpt from my own post. When I appealed I was copying my own writing, the staff never responded. My answer remains collapsed.

Next, have you ever been “flamed” by someone at Quora? I have. One of the critical commenters even admitted to “flaming” me. Note: Flaming means “posting insults online.”

Most of the time, people appreciate my answers. However, a few times people don’t agree with my answers and seem mad.

For instance, if someone asks my opinion of a social media site and expects me to bash a site I praise, the user responds angrily.

For the reasons stated, when it comes to Reddit vs Quora, both sites have toxicity.

Advantages of Reddit

UPDATE: August 2023

Cross-Posting on Reddit

Crossposting on Reddit refers to the act of sharing a post from one subreddit to another. When you come across a post that you find interesting or relevant in one subreddit, you can choose to crosspost it to another subreddit to share it with a different community. This allows you to reach a broader audience and engage with users who might not have seen the original post in its original subreddit.

The process of crossposting is relatively simple. When you find a post you want to share, click the “crosspost” or “share” button (the wording may vary depending on the Reddit app or website version you’re using).

In order to get the “Crosspost” option to generate as you see in the screenshot, I clicked “Share” and then “Crosspost.”

Then, choose the subreddit where you want to share the post. The post’s title, content, and the original poster’s username will be preserved, and a new post will be created in the selected subreddit. When users view the crossposted content, they can click on the title to view the original post and comments in the original subreddit.

Crossposting is a useful feature that encourages the sharing of interesting or relevant content across various communities on Reddit, fostering engagement and discussions among different user groups. However, it’s essential to follow the rules and guidelines of each subreddit when crossposting to ensure the post is relevant and adheres to the specific rules of the destination community.

UPDATE May 2022

You can see how I use three Reddit subreddits to boost my YouTube success by pressing the Play button.

Considering all the disadvantages of Reddit vs Quora, are there any more advantages to using these social media platforms?

Absolutely!

What are the advantages of using Reddit?

• Information Sharing
• Branding
• Traffic Generation
• Blogging Opportunities

Information Sharing

UPDATED INFORMATION November 2021

I find myself more dependent on Reddit subreddits for information all the time.

These are examples of how I turn to Reddit to get information:

• When I had an SEO problem, I turned to the SEO subreddit to see if they had the problem as well which provided peace of mind.
• When I have questions about my favorite TV shows, the relevant subreddit members answer.
• I discovered Reddit is a huge source of information about Cryptocurrency and I learn from the subreddits on this topic.

Related Reading: Best Crypto Reddit

Clearly, Reddit is an all-purpose social media platform.

When it comes to Reddit vs Quora, I turn to Reddit if I need the help of a group; I turn to Quora if I need the help of an individual.

As mentioned, Reddit is called “the Front Page of the Internet.”

According to Oberlo’s 2020 data, Reddit has over 2.2 million subreddits. Now, that’s a lot of information!

Note: When you go into a subreddit, check to see the recency of the information. If the community isn’t active, the last post could be weeks or even years old.

Look at the screenshot.

Under the name of the subreddit are the metrics you need to know to decide how active the subreddit is.

This particular subreddit, r/blogging, has 82,940 members. At the time I took the screenshot, 100 were online. These metrics show r/blogging is an active subreddit.

Branding

As social media marketers know, marketing on Reddit is difficult. Why? Redditors don’t know who you are and don’t want to give their money to strangers.

The best strategy you can use in hopes of ultimately making sales is to brand yourself as an expert in your niche on Reddit.

There are plenty of opportunities for this. You can show your knowledge by responding to a Redditor’s question or responding to the person’s comment. Add more information to the discussion. You’ll brand yourself as a knowledgeable source.

You can also brand yourself as an expert by creating a new post. Do not link to your content or products in this post. You want to look knowledgeable not salesy. If you do end up looking salesy, people will label you a spammer and downvote your content which will have the opposite effect.

Traffic Generation

I just wrote that Redditors don’t like marketers. This includes content marketers. Therefore, the question begs: Is it possible to generate traffic on Reddit?

Sure!

If you follow the branding tips, people might be interested in checking out your website.

Look:

On December 30, I received 49 pageviews from Reddit to my site, and that’s when traffic is normally slow around the holidays.

Reddit is in my Top 10 social media referrers coming in at Number 7.

Follow this strategy so you can generate traffic without looking like a spammer and getting downvoted:

Offer your link to people who sound interested.

For instance, I am a member of the Facebook subreddit where people complain they are in Facebook Jail. I tell them I wrote an article explaining how to get out of Facebook Jail, and if they would like, I will return to the subreddit with the link. People generally say yes.

I even sold a blogging course this way. Someone asked for a link to an SEO course. I explained I have many SEO courses in my Blogging Academy, and I’d return with the link if he would like. He requested the link, and I made a sale!

Reddit Blogging

Did you know you can blog on Reddit?

It’s true! Reddit blogging is possible.

Many subreddits allow you to create a text post. This is where you blog on Reddit.

Your Reddit followers and members of the subreddit where you posted will see your blog posts as they scroll through their Reddit feeds.

Advantages of Quora

April 2022 Update

In his Marketing School Podcast and on his video channel, Neil Patel, marketing guru, recommends Quora to boost traffic. Quora is free, passive traffic generation for you.

What are the advantages of Quora?

• Information Sharing
• Branding
• Traffic Generation
• Blogging Opportunities

Information Sharing

Like on Reddit, you can ask or answer questions on Quora.

Branding

I use this honor for branding. Being a Most Viewed Writer on Quora is a feather in my cap.

Traffic Generation

Look:

Quora lets you know when your post is sent out in the Quora newsletter. As you see in the screenshot, Quora also informs you as to how many people viewed your content.

Obviously, not all these people click your link. How much traffic can you generate from Quora?

Look once more:

As you can see from this Google Analytics screenshot, Quora accounts for half of all my social media traffic.

Quora Blogging

Quora used to have a place for you to blog, and the website still offers opportunities for Quora blogging. The difference is the name has changed. Instead of Quora blogging on your Quora blog, you blog at Quora in your Quora Space.

Contributors to your space can blog there as well. If you contribute to other Quorans’ Spaces, you can blog there too.

Reddit Quora

UPDATE: July 2023

I asked my Instagram followers which they prefer: Reddit vs Quora.

As you can see from the poll, the majority of Instagram respondents indicated that they prefer Reddit, 57% to 43%.

Reddit vs Quora Overlap: Did you know there is a Quora Reddit subreddit?

This is what you see when you enter the Reddit Quora subreddit. The subreddit has 4,290 members at the time of this writing. The purpose of the Reddit Quora subreddit is to vent about Quora and discuss other issues related to Quora.

This is how the members describe their Reddit Quora subreddit: “This is a no holds barred discussion sub. We do not represent Quora or affiliated with them at any level.” Above the description, the members state the Reddit Quora subreddit is a place for “Open Discussion.”

In fact, there is another Reddit Quora subreddit as well, but this is Reddit Quora subreddit has more members.

Update: July 2021

When it comes to Reddit vs Quora, there is more commonality.

Did you know there is an Insane People on Quora subreddit? Apparently, Redditors use this Quora Reddit subreddit to mock the questions people ask at Quora.

As you see, when it comes to Reddit vs Quora, there is a great deal of overlap.

Reddit vs Quora By the Numbers

This data shows the difference in popularity when it comes to Reddit vs Quora.

Reddit vs Quora: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Quora a copy of Reddit?

Not at all. Quora is a question-and-answer site while Reddit is a discussion forum and news aggregator.

Which is better, Quora or Reddit?

That depends on your needs. If you need a discussion forum, Reddit is the platform for you. If you want one-on-one help answering a question, go to Quora.

Wrapping Up: Reddit vs Quora

In closing, this post shared 12 similarities that Reddit and Quora share, 2 disadvantages of each site, and 10 terms you need to know to use Reddit.

In addition to sharing similarities and differences, the post shared the advantages and disadvantages of using Reddit vs Quora.

Since both sites have 12 of the same similarities, and they both have the same 2 disadvantages when it comes to Reddit vs Quora, how will you decide which platform to use?

Which is better: Reddit vs Quora? They have different benefits. When you want to discuss, go to Reddit. When you want to get a question answered, go to Quora. The answer to the question, “Which site is better?” is “Which site is better for you?”

Readers, please share so social media users know the differences between Reddit and Quora.

I look forward to your views in the comments section. When it comes to a comparison of Reddit vs Quora, can you suggest similarities and differences not mentioned in this post?