Apollo's developer plans to shut down the Reddit client on June 30, saying “Reddit's recent decisions and actions” make it impossible for Apollo to continue

Popular third-party Reddit app Apollo will be shutting down as of June 30, Apollo developer Christian Selig announced today.

MacRumors 2023-06-09 Juli Clover

Context & Ripple Effects

Apollo’s exit follows its developer’s warning that Reddit’s proposed API charges would make continued operation financially untenable, including a stated $20M annual cost estimate. The announcement makes the policy change tangible: a major client is choosing to leave rather than absorb the new access costs.

Related coverage later records that Apollo, Sync, and BaconReader did in fact close as enforcement approached, while a smaller ecosystem subsequently shifted toward paid subscriptions in the post-change third-party app market. This is an early inflection point in Reddit’s control of access to its platform and data.

First-order effects

Apollo users lose access to the client on June 30, and Christian Selig’s app business can no longer operate under Reddit’s revised conditions.
Reddit gains more direct control over how Apollo’s users access Reddit, rather than relying on a prominent independent interface.

Second-order effects

Other Reddit-client developers must reassess whether their products can survive the same API economics; later closures of Apollo, Sync, and BaconReader show that the pressure was not isolated to one app.
Users who still prefer third-party clients face fewer free choices, creating room for surviving apps to charge subscriptions, as the later paid-app ecosystem indicates.

Third-order effects

The episode points to access-layer power: platforms can use API pricing to convert an open developer ecosystem into a smaller, more controlled set of commercial partners.
If this approach persists, independent client innovation becomes contingent on platform-approved economics, with end users increasingly routed toward first-party experiences or paid alternatives.

The trend: Platforms are repricing API access as a strategic asset, trading broad third-party distribution for tighter control over user experience, data, and monetization.

Discussion

reddit reddit on reddit
📣 Apollo will close down on June 30th. …
@yattering.com @yattering.com on bluesky
Whoa. I hadn't heard about this. It sounds like Reddit is going Muskian. — Concerning.
@christianselig Christian Selig on x
Apollo will close down on June 30th. Reddit's recent decisions and actions have unfortunately made it impossible for Apollo to continue. Thank you so, so much for all the support over the years. ❤️ https://www.reddit.com/...
@stanikulechov @stanikulechov on x
We need Open and Permissionless social networks, thats the way to enable full access to build anything we could imagine without needing to rely on platforms https://twitter.com/...
@tomaxwell Thomas Maxwell on x
Reddit declined to comment when I asked about Christian Selig's discussions with the company over Apollo https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
@j0hnnyxm4s @j0hnnyxm4s on x
If you haven't read this long form post on what's going on with Apollo and the Reddit API, this story is a rollercoaster made of bananas. Worth a read for all. This needs an overdramatized direct-to-Netflix movie made about it. https://old.reddit.com/...
@rjonesy Ryan Jones on x
A shining star is lost - Reddit's leadership has killed @apolloreddit. @ChristianSelig has been a professional, kind, and generous leader throughout. But he's on the hook for $250,000 in refunds. Tip him $5 by buying “Apollo Pro”: https://apps.apple.com/... 🫡👾 https://twitter.com…
@ow @ow on x
lots of subreddits are planning to go offline in protest of this change and reddit's leadership is out here with thinly veiled threats that they'll just override community mods and force their hand if they do 🙈 https://www.reddit.com/... [image]
@snazzylabs @snazzylabs on x
From being headlined at WWDC by Federighi to being unfairly defamed by the CEO of the company you built your entire business on, this is no doubt a wild week for @ChristianSelig. Kudos on bringing the receipts, and screw Steve Huffman and Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/...
@timisenman Tim Isenman on x
A case study of how to, and how not to act in business relationships: Christian acting in perfectly good faith, and Reddit seemingly being temperamental assholes acting with no regard for his contribution to their platform's success. Long live Apollo ✊ https://twitter.com/...
@sdw Sebastiaan de With on x
Absolutely horrible news. Not only is Apollo a great app, Reddit's management is lying about, slandering and vilifying one of the nicest guys in our indie app world while unceremoniously killing off an app he worked on for many years. https://twitter.com/...
@jason_koebler Jason Koebler on x
Apollo is officially shutting down June 30: https://www.vice.com/... I think something that needs to be discussed MUCH more is the fact that apps like Apollo are disproportionately used by moderators, who are not paid by Reddit but bring it incredible financial value
@film_girl @film_girl on x
Fuck Reddit. @ChristianSelig is a mensch who has given the platform value and he's repaid with slander and lies. Despicable. https://reddit.com/...
@ow @ow on x
rip one of the best apps on my phone and probably my use of Reddit entirely https://twitter.com/...
@imhassan Imran Hussain on x
First Tweetbot and now Apollo. 😢 https://twitter.com/...
@mishaalrahman Mishaal Rahman on x
Twitch backtracked hard on its branded content guidelines the other day after pissing off so many content creators. I wonder how much more of a backlash it would take for Reddit to back down, or at least pull back a bit. Cause after reading this post, I feel like the backlash... …
@mtgcal @mtgcal on x
Finally I am free from Reddit https://twitter.com/...
@2irl4u @2irl4u on x
After being a daily user since 2008, I'm just about done with Reddit https://twitter.com/...
@martinsfp @martinsfp on x
The threat of A.I. model developers scraping content for training data has served as a convenient excuse to lock out difficult to monetise third-party apps. Feels like the end of an era. https://twitter.com/...
@brendonbigley Brendon Bigley on x
as we all know, the best way to IPO is to shamelessly defame the very people who prop your service and userbase up! astounding to me that after years of making poor products, reddit management's approach here is to destroy the apps making their website usable. https://twitter.com…
@lukemiani Luke Miani on x
Less than a month after getting a rather public shoutout in WWDC 😢 What a shame https://twitter.com/...
@firstadopter Tae Kim on x
Driving power users off third party clients who often create the best quality content on their social media platforms lowers overall usage and the number of quality posts. Such myopic short term financially motivated thinking by both Twitter and Reddit https://twitter.com/...
@samifathi_ Sami Fathi on x
Christian, this is devastating. You're one of the most talented developers out there. You've forever changed this community and the community of indie devs. I can't wait to see what's next for you. Massive love to you man! https://twitter.com/...

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