Apify $1 Million AI Coding Challenge: Quick Overview
The Apify $1 million challenge, a significant AI coding competition, runs from November 3rd until January 31st, 2026. Participants build and publish up to five "actors"—containerized automations running on the Apify platform, taking inputs and producing structured outputs for business solutions.
The prize structure is robust:
- Judged Prizes: Top three win cash, $30,000 for first place.
- $1 Million Pool: Earn $2 per monthly active user per actor (max $2,000 per actor), encouraging long-term revenue.
- Weekly Prizes: An additional $2,000 weekly.
Apify provides comprehensive support: AI coding instructions, templates, and CLI tools for local development and deployment. AI tools can streamline creating powerful data scrapers, like a Google Maps lead generator. Publishing requires a deployed actor with a comprehensive readme, input schema, categories, SEO, a demo, and a public profile with billing. Successfully published actors can generate continuous revenue on the Apify store. Resources include a sign-up link and a Discord channel for expert Q&A. 🤝
Final Takeaway: This challenge offers a unique opportunity to develop valuable AI automations, monetize skills, and establish lasting business assets through a major innovation competition. 🚀