Popular Reddit App Apollo Shutting Down After Today, Pixel Pals Migration Feature Added

[tripsync]

Based on its popularity Apollo must provide value to Reddit users that Reddit doesn't. So it could be argued that Apollo in reality helps support Reddit's popularity.

I don't believe for a second that the majority of Apollo users wouldn't have used reddit if Apollo didn't exist. The value that Apollo provided was ad-free experience (which obviously is better than having ads) and a better UI. Apollo did not bring many *new* users to Reddit so arguably, Apollo is practically useless to Reddit in terms of increasing "popularity".

As far as the business model, what is Reddit losing when users access it through Apollo? Lost revenue from advertising, or paid subscribers?

Lost advertising.
Lost opportunity to monetize user data as AI startups can easily download structured data.
Slow/lack of adoption of new native Reddit features which could be new revenue streams and/or increased stickiness of the product against potential competitors.

 

[tripsync]

maybe people should stop replying the agressive anti-Apollo here...cause these anti-Apollo people just like and enjoy all the attention they get now.

"stop talking to people who have a difference of an opinion compared to yours" is not how a forum works IMO. I prefer to not live in an echo chamber but that's just me.

 

[tripsync]

It's interesting how I've been accused of "frothing in rage" in the other Apollo thread when in fact people are very angry with my comments in this thread. People are going through step 1 of the "five stages".

 

[NY Guitarist]

I don't believe for a second that the majority of Apollo users wouldn't have used reddit if Apollo didn't exist. The value that Apollo provided was ad-free experience (which obviously is better than having ads) and a better UI. Apollo did not bring many *new* users to Reddit so arguably, Apollo is practically useless to Reddit in terms of increasing "popularity".




Lost advertising.
Lost opportunity to monetize user data as AI startups can easily download structured data.
Slow/lack of adoption of new native Reddit features which could be new revenue streams and/or increased stickiness of the product against potential competitors.

Thanks for the info. Speculating about user numbers is wasted energy at this point.

In my experience, Reddit's UI is pretty bad, the video player even worse. I don't have an account for that reason, unlike MacRumors.

 

[svish]

Goodbye Apollo. Will miss the app.

 

[minik]

Really sad to see a great app went down like this.

 

[tripsync]

Speculating about user numbers is wasted energy at this point.

Well practically any number relating to Apollo making Reddit more popular is speculative either way unless you have some hard data?

 

[NY Guitarist]

Well practically any number relating to Apollo making Reddit more popular is speculative either way unless you have some hard data?

That was actually my point. We're both speculating and we'll probably never see hard data.

 

[NikkorAIS]

I was an Apollo user but mainly because I didn’t want to see the Reddit ads. I paid for the app but didn’t subscribe. I’m one of those subscription hating curmudgeons especially for things that don’t provide their own content. Apollo was just a nice UI front end. I don’t mind paying for upgrades though (people may argue it’s the same thing). I’m happy he didn’t force subscriptions though. Honestly, both parties left a bad taste in my mouth.

I’d consider myself an average user. I just downloaded the Reddit app, and it seems better compared to when I last tried it. I’m ok using this from now on. I’m not a moderator so I won’t be missing those tools from Apollo.

Btw, is the Apollo developer really charging 3.99 a month for pixel pals? Half a Disney+ subscription? Does that compute? Yikes.

 

[bgillander]

I don't use Apollo or any apps to view Reddit so I don't have an opinion about the Apollo app itself.

Based on its popularity Apollo must provide value to Reddit users that Reddit doesn't. So it could be argued that Apollo in reality helps support Reddit's popularity.

As far as the business model, what is Reddit losing when users access it through Apollo? Lost revenue from advertising, or paid subscribers?

You might want to research that one outside of this forum, since these Apollo threads have gotten so toxic that I’m surprised they haven’t marked them as “political”, and there is a lot of misinformation being stated as fact (simply based on the multiple obvious misrepresentations of the few details provided here and the last few articles.) I’d give you my opinion, but it is pretty much the same as your first two paragraphs.

 

[AppleWatchGuy]

I was an Apollo user but mainly because I didn’t want to see the Reddit ads. I paid for the app but didn’t subscribe. I’m one of those subscription hating curmudgeons especially for things that don’t provide their own content. Apollo was just a nice UI front end. I don’t mind paying for upgrades though (people may argue it’s the same thing). I’m happy he didn’t force subscriptions though. Honestly, both parties left a bad taste in my mouth.

I’d consider myself an average user. I just downloaded the Reddit app, and it seems better compared to when I last tried it. I’m ok using this from now on. I’m not a moderator so I won’t be missing those tools from Apollo.

Btw, is the Apollo developer really charging 3.99 a month for pixel pals? Half a Disney+ subscription? Does that compute? Yikes.

It does not compute. But unfortunately apollo has reached cult status evident even in this thread. All cult members feel obligated to contribute money when asked. For example I only found out today that apollo users paid and bought him the $7500 CAD XDR display Just because he asked for it even though he is a multi-millionaire himself. It’s honestly disgusting. Read more here

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/kf4ucn

 

[Isamilis]

It does not compute. But unfortunately apollo has reached cult status evident even in this thread. All cult members feel obligated to contribute money when asked. For example I only found out today that apollo users paid and bought him the $7500 CAD XDR display Just because he asked for it even though he is a multi-millionaire himself. It’s honestly disgusting. Read more here

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/kf4ucn

Wasn't it 3 years ago?

 

[RickDEGH]

Wife and I just deleted our 7 year old Reddit accounts today. So long Reddit, it was great until the last 2-3 months and your greed ruined it.

You’re not going anywhere; pretty soon you’re going to go back on there to look up something 😄

 

[AppleWatchGuy]

Wasn't it 3 years ago?

You mean since the he’s asked for more gifts? Probably. I don’t know. I don’t actually know much about this cult until now lol I thought it was just a regular app but boy was I wrong

 

[Isamilis]

You mean since the he’s asked for more gifts? Probably. I don’t know. I don’t actually know much about this cult until now lol I thought it was just a regular app but boy was I wrong

The reddit link is 3 years ago. I dont know the whole stories at that time (not interested as well). But I only saw, an indie developer with very good product just disappointed due to unfair changes: API significant increase and short window time to adjust everything (or remodel his business). I used Apollo for years and spend few hours a day on it. Disappointed yes, but that's all. People come and go. There will be Apollo's substitute - either by community or someone else. Or.. another competitor reddit platform.

I just don't think, now is the time for us to make judgement for him (Christian) considering today is his doomsday. What we know is limited to what we read on the news.

 

[boss.king]

Wife and I just deleted our 7 year old Reddit accounts today. So long Reddit, it was great until the last 2-3 months and your greed ruined it.

I purged my main account and deleted my two burner accounts a couple of weeks ago. Haven't been back since, don't really intend to go back ever. The only reason I haven't deleted my main account is that it uses the same handle I have on a bunch of other sites and so I don't want other people to take it.

 

[AppleWatchGuy]

The reddit link is 3 years ago. I dont know the whole stories at that time (not interested as well). But I only saw, an indie developer with very good product just disappointed due to unfair changes: API significant increase and short window time to adjust everything (or remodel his business). I used Apollo for years and spend few hours a day on it. Disappointed yes, but that's all. People come and go. There will be Apollo's substitute - either by community or someone else. Or.. another competitor reddit platform.

I just don't think, now is the time for us to make judgement for him (Christian) considering today is his doomsday. What we know is limited to what we read on the news.

Now is the best time more than ever because plenty of people are being taken advantage with his misleading refunding policy.

 

[bsolar]

I don't believe for a second that the majority of Apollo users wouldn't have used reddit if Apollo didn't exist. The value that Apollo provided was ad-free experience (which obviously is better than having ads) and a better UI. Apollo did not bring many *new* users to Reddit so arguably, Apollo is practically useless to Reddit in terms of increasing "popularity".

That's fair to believe but you have zero evidence supporting any of your claims.

Reddit itself did not ban third-party applications altogether, which means they do recognize some value in them that they provide to the platform. They own the platform and they could have simply banned them instead of making the API pay-per-use for them. This was Reddit's own statement on the matter, emphasis mine:

We’re committed to fostering a safe and responsible developer ecosystem around Reddit — developers and third-party apps can make Reddit better and do so in a sustainable and mutually-beneficial partnership, while also keeping our users and data safe.

In general, I still don't understand all of this emotionally charged reactions, with people angry on one side, gloating on other side... both Reddit and Apollo were and are making ultimately business decisions.

Apollo was using APIs provided by Reddit and never stole, hacked, misused or freeloaded off anything from Reddit as far as I understand. Reddit provided the API free of charge to allow a third-party ecosystem they did benefit from by making Reddit better, as they themselves stated. This is a value exchange, even if no money is involved.

Reddit owns the platform, they can change the rule at any time. Now Reddit decided to set a price for the API and some API users consider the new value proposition very much inadequate, which is perfectly fair on their side just as it's fair for Reddit to stick to the price they want. If the price is too high, few will buy but maybe that's Reddit's goal after all...

Neither side is deserving of any "fanboyism" IMHO.

 

[MecPro]

The biggest issue for me is Reddit forcing their app on you which is filled with ads and other sub-Reddit’s merged into one feed so you just get over consumed.

Honestly I’m done with Reddit unless I’m looking for something specific.

 

[Abazigal]

It does not compute. But unfortunately apollo has reached cult status evident even in this thread. All cult members feel obligated to contribute money when asked. For example I only found out today that apollo users paid and bought him the $7500 CAD XDR display Just because he asked for it even though he is a multi-millionaire himself. It’s honestly disgusting. Read more here

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/kf4ucn

I honestly doubt he’s a millionaire. He may have earned over a million dollars from the Apollo app over its lifetime, but that’s nowhere equivalent to his effective take home salary. Likely more than I make as a teacher, and I say he deserves every last cent.

There’s just not enough app developers who actually care two hoots about the end user experience.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Now is the best time more than ever because plenty of people are being taken advantage with his misleading refunding policy.

I don’t understand how you can possibly think this. It’s ok to have an opinion, as you have been stressing - but that doesn’t mean it makes sense.

The refund is automatic. It’s not misleading. It’s automatically applied. The dev was requested by the users to have a means to refuse the refund (this is not without precedent either).

That’s just that.

If you don’t agree with what the dev says about him being ‘out of pocket’ due to needing to pay back the subs, then fine. But it’s not misleading. It’s 100% true.

Even if he locked up the subs into a separate bank account until they became technically his money, then still - this money is coming out of his pocket. Now you can argue the morality of your interpretation of what he says all you want, but the fact of the matter the rug was pulled from under him. Again, you can argue the morality behind reddits actions too. Facts are facts though.

The biggest fact of all is that the refunds automatically go out to all of those who subscribed.

 

[bsolar]

Even if he locked up the subs into a separate bank account until they became technically his money, then still - this money is coming out of his pocket.

It's a pretty important detail since in some situations refunds actually might not come "out of the pocket" of the seller and might be covered by an intermediary instead.

In those situations the seller still gets the money (or parts of it) although the intermediary refunds it to the buyer.

 

[Parzival]

Well no. Plenty of subreddits I belong to are run by abusive moderators who don't even follow their own rules. This has been going on for several years, yet I still use reddit daily.

Which is an argument for better moderation, not more brain drain. The AskHistorians subreddit is a good example of the high quality a sub can reach with good moderation.

Moderators would have to actively do things to destroy reddit (such as setting the sub to NSFW which prevents ads from appearing). That I can see that happening.

Protesting by a group willing to put in countless hours of unpaid work should point out the obvious: they care about Reddit more than Huffman preparing for his IPO.

 

[d686546s]

It's fairly fascinating how a developer using a n API that Reddit i) provided for free, ii) knowingly so, iii) while encouraging third party apps because they provided a better experience for users is somehow "freeloading."

At the same time, the very same company clearly gearing up to sell content their users create for free on a service that is dependent on millions of dollars of unpaid labour to AI companies and the like is somehow completely justified business as usual.

It beggars belief.

 

[hagar]

Good. Apollo should stop freeloading off of Reddit's work.

Lets fix this:

Good. Reddit should stop freeloading off of the subreddit moderator’s work.
They are doing all the important work to build the communities.

There. That’s better.