Shipaton 2026: RevenueCat’s $700K Mobile Hackathon Opens August 1

Shipaton 2026, RevenueCat’s global mobile hackathon, opens on August 1 and runs through September 30 — and this year the prize pool has climbed past $700,000. The competition is straightforward: ship a real app to a real app store during the event window and compete across nine award categories. Winners get cash, a Shippy trophy, and something genuinely rare — their app displayed on a Times Square billboard.

The event is organized by RevenueCat, the subscription infrastructure company whose SDK powers thousands of mobile apps. All submissions must integrate the RevenueCat SDK for in-app purchases, subscriptions, or ad monetization. Beyond that requirement, the field is wide open: iOS, macOS, and Android apps all qualify, provided the app is published for the first time during the hackathon window.

Ready to enter? Register for Shipaton 2026 on Devpost before the event opens on August 1.

Nine categories reward different kinds of builders

Shipaton 2026 is deliberately designed to avoid crowning a single type of winner. The nine award categories reflect the range of things mobile developers actually care about — revenue mechanics, design craft, social impact, and creative storytelling among them.

The Grand Prize goes to the app with the strongest traction and growth momentum. The Best Game Award targets mobile game developers specifically. For builders focused on social good, the RevenueCat Peace Prize rewards the app with the biggest positive impact. The RevenueCat Design Award recognizes exceptional product craft and animation quality.

Two categories stand out as particularly distinctive. The Catvertising Award celebrates creative and effective use of advertising as a monetization method — an acknowledgment that ads, done well, are a legitimate revenue strategy. The HAMM Award (Help Apps Make Money) goes to the smartest use of RevenueCat itself to drive revenue. Additionally, the #BuildInPublic Award rewards developers who document their journey publicly, a nod to the growing build-in-public movement.

Students get their own path through the Next Gen Award. This category removes the requirement for a paid Apple or Google developer account — applicants submit a video and open-source code instead. A verifiable academic email is required. Notably, student participants can also enter other categories simultaneously if they choose to submit an app store build.

Shipaton 2026 key dates and eligibility

The submission window runs from August 1 to September 30, 2026, with a final deadline of 11:45 PM Pacific Time on September 30. Winners will be announced on October 22, 2026. The full prize breakdown will be reflected on Devpost by August 1 — the current Devpost listing shows a partial amount while some categories are still being finalized.

Eligibility is global with a few exceptions. Residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, and Russia are excluded from participation or prize eligibility. Brazil and Quebec are explicitly included this year, a change from previous editions. Apps must be published for the first time during the hackathon window — an app already live on Google Play before August 1 cannot qualify by launching on the App Store afterward. The exception covers web apps: if a project existed only on the web before August 1, a new app-store version launched during the window qualifies.

One practical note from the FAQ worth flagging: app review typically takes several business days, and judges must be able to download and test the submitted app. RevenueCat recommends submitting to the stores at least a week before the September 30 deadline to leave buffer for review cycles or rejections.

IRL events and the broader ecosystem

Shipaton is an online competition, but it has developed a parallel network of in-person community events. Last year, builders organized Shipaton IRL gatherings in Tokyo, Seoul, Barcelona, London, Delhi, and St. Louis, among others. This year, organizers are expanding the campus event program specifically for student participants — schools and university clubs can host official Shipaton events to bring students together during the build window.

The sponsor list for 2026 includes ElevenLabs, Replit, Expo, Stripe, Sentry, JetBrains, OneSignal, Google AdMob, and Samsung Galaxy Store, among others — a lineup that reflects where mobile development tooling actually lives in 2026. Winners of eligible prize categories receive an invitation to App Growth Annual in NYC, alongside the trophy and billboard placement.

For developers who followed this year’s OpenAI Build Week — which drew 40,000 participants competing for $100,000 — Shipaton represents a different but complementary opportunity. Where Build Week rewarded AI-native app construction over a compressed sprint, Shipaton rewards shipping a complete, monetizing mobile product over two months. The longer window and nine-category structure make it accessible to a wider range of builders, including those who prefer to iterate in public rather than sprint to a single demo.

Registration is open now. Sign up on Devpost before August 1 to secure your Ship Kit — a package of resources and tools distributed to participants before the window opens.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Shipaton 2026 start and end?

The hackathon runs from August 1 to September 30, 2026. The final submission deadline is September 30 at 11:45 PM Pacific Time.

Do I need a RevenueCat account to enter Shipaton 2026?

Yes. All submissions must integrate the RevenueCat SDK for in-app purchases, subscriptions, or ads. Students entering the Next Gen Award category are exempt from the app store requirement but must still use the SDK if they submit a full app.

Can students participate in Shipaton 2026 without a paid developer account?

Yes. The Next Gen Award category allows students to submit a video and open-source code in lieu of an app store submission, removing the need for a paid Apple or Google developer account.

How much is the Shipaton 2026 prize pool?

The total prize pool exceeds $700,000 in cash across nine categories. The full breakdown will appear on Devpost when the event opens on August 1, 2026.