Shipaton 2026: RevenueCat’s Hackathon — Deadline, Rules, Prizes and How to Ship in Time
Shipaton (often searched as “RevenueCat hackathon” or misspelled “shipathon”) is RevenueCat’s annual competition for builders who ship real apps to real app stores — not demos, not prototypes, actual public releases with actual monetization wired in. For 2026, the submission window runs August 1 through September 30, and the requirement is specific: a brand-new iOS or Android app, published to the App Store, Google Play Store, or Samsung Galaxy Store, with the RevenueCat SDK integrated for either in-app purchases or ad monetization.
We’re covering it here because the format lines up almost exactly with how we build: fast, focused, monetization designed in from day one rather than bolted on at the end. If you’re weighing whether to enter with four weeks left, or you’ve already registered and are figuring out how to actually hit the window, here’s what the rules require and how we’d sequence the build.
1. Shipaton 2026 Rules That Actually Matter
2. Shipaton Prizes: What’s Actually at Stake
As of September 3, shipaton.com lists $740k+ in cash prizes across 21 categories — the figure has climbed steadily since launch as sponsors join, so treat any specific number (including ours) as a snapshot and check shipaton.com directly before you rely on it. Beyond cash, winners get a Times Square billboard feature, a trip to New York for an awards event, and press coverage through outlets like 9to5Mac and 9to5Google.
3. Four Weeks Left: How We’d Sequence a Late Entry
The original eight-week plan is below for reference, but with the window closing September 30 the honest version is a four-week sprint: one week to scope ruthlessly (one core loop, one entitlement, one paywall), two weeks to build with Claude Code and wire RevenueCat on day one rather than at the end, and one week for store review, the demo video and submission assets. App Store review alone can eat several days — submit to the store by roughly September 22 to leave room for a rejection.
Treating RevenueCat integration as the last thing you do before submitting. Every category — Build & Grow, HAMM, Catvertising — rewards a monetization strategy that was designed alongside the product, not stapled on the night before the deadline. Scope your entitlement model in week one, the same way we’d approach it on a paid engagement.
The build-speed side of this is the same discipline we lay out in our six-week Claude Code MVP guide, compressed to fit inside the Shipaton window. The monetization side is the same entitlement thinking as our RevenueCat React Native integration guide and paywall design piece, just under more time pressure.
4. Shipaton 2026 FAQ
When is the Shipaton 2026 deadline?
Submissions close September 30, 2026 at 11:45pm PT. The app must already be live on the App Store, Google Play or Samsung Galaxy Store by then.
Can I enter Shipaton with an existing app?
No. It has to be a brand-new app whose first public release happens inside the August 1 – September 30 window. Updates to previously released apps don’t qualify.
How much are the Shipaton prizes?
shipaton.com listed $740k+ in cash prizes across 21 categories as of early September 2026, plus a Times Square billboard, a New York awards trip and press coverage. The pool has grown over the summer, so check the official site for the current figure.
Do I need a subscription, or does ad revenue count?
Either. The requirement is the RevenueCat SDK integrated for in-app purchases or for ad-revenue tracking — the Catvertising award specifically rewards the ad route.
Is it “Shipaton” or “Shipathon”?
Shipaton — one “h”. It’s a play on “ship” and RevenueCat’s cat branding, not “marathon”.
Racing the Shipaton clock?
Tell us your app idea and your timeline and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s scoped to actually ship before September 30.