I am moderating a niche technical sub on reddit and don't see that much of bots. They are probably targeting "high value" subs.

As for alternatives, it depends on what you are looking for. E.g., if you don't need to comment / post, a feed reader with all your favorite discourse forums can cover a lot of ground.

All the niche technical subs are still wonderful. r/printedcircuitboard has taught me so much!