Reeder

Reeder is the iOS and macOS RSS reader Silvio Rizzi has bootstrapped as a solo developer from Germany since 2009. It is consistently ranked the most beautiful RSS reader on Apple platforms, winning Apple Design Awards and appearing on every "essential iOS apps" list for 15 years. The app syncs with Feedbin, Feedly, NewsBlur, and other RSS services as backends while providing an objectively superior reading experience: custom typography, full-screen article view, smooth animations, and a minimal interface that puts the content front and center. Reeder grosses over $1M/year as a solo-developer operation — one of the clearest examples of the "small team, premium product" model in the App Store ecosystem. Silvio's approach is unhurried: he releases one carefully crafted major version every few years at a premium price ($9.99-$14.99), with the entire user base upgrading and generating a revenue spike. The app's reputation for quality is its only marketing: every "best iOS apps" roundup and productivity blog mentions Reeder, generating steady organic downloads without any paid acquisition.