B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

How Apollo grows

6 tactics and 8 figures from 1 interview.

Apollo is a Reddit app built by a solo developer who lived cheaply on savings until launch. It grew from an early beta posted in the Apple subreddit, then kept users close through its own subreddit, building what they asked for most each month. Its pricing moved from a $2.99 one-time upgrade to subscriptions with a lifetime option.

Apollo's founder posted an early build in the Apple subreddit and filled the beta with people left waiting; he said launch day brought many downloads and pro purchases, viable from day one.Apollo
He picked a $2.99 one-time pro price to match rival Alien Blue; he said it was enough for a solo developer but too low in hindsight.Apollo
After moving to subscriptions of about $10 a year, Apollo raised its lifetime price from $19.99 to about $30-40, and the founder reported the share choosing lifetime did not change.Apollo
Each month he built whatever users in Apollo's subreddit were loudest about, and when turning down popular requests he explained why; he said users mostly agreed.Apollo (1)Apollo (2)
He built full-time on internship savings while living with about six friends, with a set ship date; he said the savings were nearly gone by launch.Apollo

Summary written 2026-10-06 from the tactics below. Figures are as founders stated them.

About Apollo

What it is: iOS-first third-party Reddit client, the largest third-party Reddit app
Who it's for: Reddit users on iOS
Business model: paid pro upgrade, later subscriptions plus lifetime
Pricing: $2.99 one-time pro at launch (possibly $1.99 the first week); Later subscription around $10/year; Lifetime $19.99, then raised to about $30-40
Launched: Work began fall 2014; beta posted the following January; full release about 1.5-2 years later
Team: Solo developer; designers hired for custom app icons
Funding: bootstrapped
Outcome: Shut down in 2023 after Reddit's API pricing (about $20M/year for Apollo) with 30 days' notice

As described in the interviews, not independently verified.

Apollo's 6 tactics

Apollo · B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

Raise the lifetime price from $19.99 to $30-40

Take rate didn't change at all

After moving Apollo to subscriptions (about $10/year), the lifetime option launched at $19.99, only about two years of subscription. He later raised it to around $30-40.

Workedpricing

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18

Apollo · B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

Post an early beta in a popular subreddit, then launch to the waiting crowd

Beta filled up; lots of launch-day downloads and paid upgrades, profitable from day one

Posted an early build of Apollo in the Apple subreddit, where it took off and many people asked to beta test. The beta filled up, leaving a backlog of people who couldn't get in. After a long beta (1.5-2 years, with feature creep and testers asking for release), launched with a $2.99 pro upgrade.

Workedcommunitypr-launch

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18

Apollo · B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

Build each month whatever your app's subreddit complains about most

Founder says it shaped the app and worked well for about 9 years; no numbers

Ran a dedicated subreddit next to the app, so feedback had no friction. Instead of a formal roadmap, each month he put whatever users were most vocal about on the roadmap, built it, and repeated for years, while using the app heavily himself and keeping final say on direction.

Workedfeature-developmentcommunity

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18

Apollo · B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

Turn down popular feature requests by explaining why, not just saying no

Users mostly agreed once they heard the reasons

When a popular request didn't fit (e.g. restoring deleted Reddit comments from scraper caches), he explained the reasons users couldn't see, such as the safety of people who deleted comments that doxxed themselves, instead of silently refusing.

Workedfeature-developmentcommunity

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18

Apollo · B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

Charge the same $2.99 one-time price as the main rival app

Profitable from day one, but founder calls the price too low in hindsight

Picked a $2.99 one-time pro upgrade (possibly $1.99 in the first week) with little thought, because the incumbent Reddit app Alien Blue charged about $2.99.

Mixedpricing

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18

Apollo · B2C · Reddit app for iPhone

Live cheaply with roommates and build full-time on savings until a set date

Made it to a launch that paid from day one; savings almost gone

After graduating, skipped a job offer path and built Apollo full-time on Apple internship savings, living with about six friends to keep costs low. Treated it like a startup with a burn rate and a date by which the app had to ship.

Workedfinancing

Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18

Apollo by the numbers

Metric	Value	Context	Said in
time to milestone	1.5–2 years approximate	From posting the beta to full release	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 4:49
price	USD 2.99/one-time approximate	Pro upgrade at launch, matched to Alien Blue's price; possibly $1.99 for the first week	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 7:34
price	USD 19.99/one-time approximate	Lifetime price at the start of subscriptions ('for like the first year'), vs about $10/year subscription	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 25:56
price	USD 10/year estimate	Annual subscription price	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 25:56
price	USD 30–40/one-time approximate	Lifetime price after the increase from $19.99	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 25:56
conversion rate	+0% approximate	Change in lifetime take rate after raising lifetime price from $19.99 to $30-40	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 25:56
cost	USD 20M/year approximate	Reddit API fees Apollo would have incurred under the 2023 pricing; far beyond Apollo's revenue	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 42:26
time to milestone	30 days	Notice between Reddit announcing API pricing and fees starting	Sub Club by RevenueCat 2024-09-18 42:26

Topics

Reddit marketing for apps3 Community-led growth3 Pricing a subscription app2 Price tests and price increases1 Bootstrapping vs raising money1 Weekly, annual and lifetime plans1 Launching an app: waitlists, press and launch day1 Validating an app idea before building1

Interviews

The Advantages of Working On an App You Care About — Christian Selig, Apollo · Sub Club by RevenueCat · 2024-09-18