Apollo for Reddit, known for its user-friendly design and easy accessibility, will cease operations at the month's end, as developer Christian Selig announced.
The app creator explained in a Reddit post that to avoid incurring charges, he would delete Apollo's API token, rendering the app unable to connect to the Reddit API.
Apollo For Reddit is Leaving Soon
With its streamlined interface and widespread popularity among Redditors, Apollo has become a go-to client for accessing Reddit. Some users have even expressed that they would stop using Reddit altogether if they couldn't access it through Apollo.
According to Android Headlines, Apollo boasts an impressive daily active user count of 900,000 and has been downloaded approximately 5 million times globally.
Selig recently raised concerns about Reddit's new API fees, revealing that the cost to run Apollo under the new model would amount to a staggering $20 million per year as a solo developer.
The API fees per user exceeded what Apollo users paid for the premium plan on the freemium app. Selig also highlighted the short 30-day timeframe provided by Reddit to transition to the paid programs, which limited his ability to adapt the app accordingly.
The situation between Reddit and Apollo took an unexpected turn when a Reddit employee publicly criticized Apollo, claiming that the app's API requests were inefficient, contributing to the high costs. However, Selig and other third-party developers defended Apollo, disputing the efficiency claim.
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Huffman Accuses Selig of Blackmailing Reddit
In a surprising twist, Selig alleged that Reddit employees, including CEO Steve Huffman, accused him of "blackmailing" the company by threatening to disclose the API issues unless he was paid $10 million. Selig provided a transcript and recording of the conversation to refute these allegations, demonstrating that his comments were lighthearted and not meant as blackmail.
Reddit subsequently apologized for the misunderstanding. Despite this, Selig claimed that Reddit moderators shared a transcript of a call in which the company continued to accuse him of blackmail.
"If running Apollo as it stands now would cost you $20 million yearly as you quote, I suggested you cut a check to me to end Apollo. I said I'd even do it for half that or six months worth: $10 million; what a deal!" Selig said in a report by Business Insider.
Reddit is expected to address the API changes in the coming days, including an AMA with Huffman. Meanwhile, Apollo for Reddit recently gained attention during Apple's WWDC 2023 event and received praise from Apple executive Craig Federighi. Unfortunately, Apple's recognition comes when Apollo is preparing to shut down.
Reddit Communities Continue to Protect Against High API Fees
While Apollo's closure is imminent, the Reddit community is not giving up without a fight. A protest against the API changes has been organized, with various subreddits planning to temporarily shut down for 48 hours, starting on June 12th.
Over 3,100 subreddit communities, including popular ones like r/aww, r/gaming, r/Music, r/Pics, and r/todayilearned, are participating in the protest.
Aside from Apollo, other third-party Reddit apps that will shut down soon are Sync and ReddPlanet.
