The developer of the third-party Reddit app Apollo, Christian Selig, announced today that the app will be shutting down permanently on June 30th, 2023. This decision was made following Reddit’s decision to impose exorbitant fees on developers seeking access to its API, as previously reported in May 2023. Selig had revealed then that Reddit was demanding $12,000 for a mere 50 million requests, an annual charge translating to an astronomical $20 million, which was a financial burden too substantial for Selig to bear and keep the app running.
Despite vehement protests from Reddit users and moderators who depend on third-party apps, Reddit has remained unwavering in its pricing strategy. Apollo, being the top third-party Reddit app, will have no choice but to shut down permanently. Selig’s diligent negotiations with Reddit in the recent days to reach a reasonable resolution fell flat, as Reddit refused to reconsider its API pricing.
The loss of Apollo is a significant one for Reddit users who have relied on it for a more robust feature set compared to Reddit’s own official app. Selig had cultivated a loyal following by continuously enhancing the app’s features and incorporating user feedback. Although Selig has suggested that Apollo’s code can be improved to optimize usage and long-term efficiency, Reddit has given him a mere 30-day deadline to implement the changes, transition to a subscription model, and migrate users, which Selig considers an impossible task. Also, the ill-timed nature of Reddit’s announcement regarding the new API pricing structure has compounded the challenges Selig faces in aligning Apollo with Reddit’s new API pricing structure, making the app’s shutdown even more inevitable.
As the countdown to Apollo’s closure begins, legions of devoted users are left to mourn the impending loss of a cherished app that has played a vital role in their Reddit experience. Meanwhile, the future remains uncertain for Selig, who must now navigate the aftermath of this unexpected turn of events.
Selig has also offered comprehensive details regarding his decision to shutter Apollo and possesses transcripts and audio recordings of his interactions with Reddit, which lay bare the events that precipitated this grievous decision. He hopes that by sharing his experience, other developers may learn and prepare themselves for similar circumstances in the future.
The impact of API price increases extends beyond Reddit, as other apps have also faced the consequences. One notable example is Twitter, which experienced a significant shift in its API access policy following Elon Musk’s takeover. The bird app made the decision to discontinue its previously free API access and replaced it with a paid tier, affecting a multitude of third-party apps in the process. This change has had far-reaching implications for developers who relied on Twitter’s API services to enhance the functionality of their apps.
It is unclear what the future holds for Reddit’s API pricing strategy and the developer community dependent on accessing it. The loss of Apollo serves as a cautionary tale for other third-party Reddit app developers who may likewise face impossibly high API fees, leading to the shutdown of their apps. The Reddit community is left to grapple with the consequences, uncertain if a comparable third-party app will arise anytime soon.