RevenueCat has launched the 2026 edition of the RevenueCat Shipaton, one of the largest global developer competitions for mobile app creators, product engineers, and technical founders. Moving beyond standard weekend hackathons, the Shipaton rewards the ability to engineer, iterate, and ship a production-grade mobile app ready to generate recurring revenue.
Featuring a prize pool surpassing USD 740,000 in cash, cloud infrastructure credits, and product acceleration perks, developers compete across categories spanning edge AI utilities, subscription tools, and indie micro-SaaS.
Event Overview
- Format: 100% Online, open to builders worldwide.
- Submission Deadline: October 1, 2026 at 17:00 EDT.
- Technical Scope: Native iOS/Android or cross-platform (Flutter, React Native) mobile applications utilizing the RevenueCat SDK for subscription management and paywalls.
Prizes
- Grand Prize Winner — USD 100,000 cash + USD 25,000 in growth credits and dedicated architecture mentorship
- Best AI-Powered App — USD 50,000 cash + cloud credits
- Best Consumer Subscription App — USD 50,000 cash
- Best Design & User Experience — USD 30,000 cash
- Best Indie Solo Developer — USD 25,000 cash
- Vertical Category Awards (×50) — Cash prizes ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 10,000 per specialized category
Requirements and Submissions
- RevenueCat SDK Integration: Projects must actively integrate the RevenueCat SDK with an operational paywall or subscription tier.
- Testable Application: Public link to TestFlight, Google Play open testing, or a verified functional demo.
- Demo Video: A technical walkthrough and demo under 3 minutes highlighting user value and monetization architecture.
Official Links
- RevenueCat Shipaton 2026 on Devpost — Official registration, judging criteria, and submission portal.
- RevenueCat Developer Docs — Documentation for paywall templates, webhooks, and in-app purchase flows.
