Setapp Review

Setapp is a software subscription service that charges users a monthly fee to access a collection of Mac applications. The program has received appreciation for both the excellent caliber of its app selection and its affordable price. To help you decide if Setapp is the correct service for you, this Setapp review will examine both the service’s pros and cons.

What Is Setapp?

The subscription-based service Setapp is provided by MacPaw. CleanMyMac X, a well-known Mac optimization program, was made by this company. For a little monthly fee, the membership gives users access to dozens of expensive programs.

To do this, MacPaw sets up a license agreement with these app developers, who are then compensated with royalties depending on user downloads and usage. Setapp is legal and gives you, the customer, control over how much (or how little) value you get from your monthly subscription.

Setapp Overview

The development team at MacPaw built Setapp in 2016 (official launch: February 2017). Since MacPaw concentrates on developing outstanding products for macOS, that operating system is the main focus of their app store platform. They upgraded the system with iOS apps in 2020.

Setapp has more than 100 apps and more than 300,000 users in its first year of operation. More than 230 apps for iOS and macOS are available, and there are more than 1 million users globally (as of November 2019).

Setapp operates under a different business strategy than a conventional app store. It’s organized more like a streaming media platform. Users gain access to all of the material, or in this case, apps, on the platform for a single monthly cost.
The service is made to give iOS and macOS users a way to identify programs that will fit into their everyday routines. Users can search the platform by task rather than by app because of the way it is set up. For instance, if you type “note-taking” into the search bar, a list of note-taking apps will appear.

The most popular tasks are featured in several curated lists that are also included in Setapp. Get things done, Boost security, and Venture upgrading toolkit are now the top three collections shown. The apps are carefully chosen and presented in an intuitive layout so that users may spend less time looking for them and more time working.

Setapp: A curated App Store

Setapp has a few features that I love. To begin, it has a very simple, Mac App Store-like interface.
Then there’s a slew of apps worth checking out, including AdGuard, CleanMyMac, Clear VPN, AnyTrans, and others. Furthermore, they are all neatly classified as follows:

• Lifestyle
• Creativity
• Developer Tools
• Productivity
• Mac Hacks
• Writing & Blogging
• Education
• Maintenance
• Task Management
• Personal Finance

Furthermore, it organizes the app into collections such as Get things done, Streaming and gaming, Write it all out, and more, ensuring easier app discovery.

Setapp appears to have an app for every task. The best part is that there is something for everyone. Let me illustrate with some examples.

Setapp features review

As previously mentioned, Setapp is a subscription-based service with recurring monthly/annual fees. A membership provides users with:

• a subscription to handpicked iOS and Mac apps
• no restriction on the number of applications you can install one cross-platform suite with top-notch applications for every need
• new app additions without a membership fee increase
• no cost updates
• no advertisements
• a free trial is offered
• user-friendly desktop software for finding apps
• apps that can be found by task (such as “edit PDF”)
• available team strategies
• simple cancellation and renewal

Setapp Review | User Experience

With Setapp, getting started is really simple. To download the desktop application and create your account, go to setapp.com. Even if you are sure you want to continue with a premium subscription, I still advise using the free trial option. Any download or account registration option you choose directs you to the free trial, thus you are sort of forced to do it.

You must enter your email address or log in with Facebook or Google. After being prompted to choose a password, the Setapp installer will immediately begin downloading after you choose to continue. You will click “Sign in to use apps” and enter your credentials if you need to sign in again.

Any apps installed via Setapp must be running on the Setapp desktop application in order to function. The wonderful thing about Setapp is that even if you close the main window, the app will still work and run from the menu bar. You can perform a quick search or launch the full Explorer window from the menu bar icon.

The Setapp shop has a much smaller selection of apps than the Mac App Store. This is mostly due to the fact that Setapp is quite selective about which apps are added to the collection. Typically, there won’t be any similar-functioning apps in the same category that are available for download. For instance, Setapp only offers one VPN service.

Setapp Review | Pricing

Both the iOS and macOS operating systems support Setapp. Teams and personal pricing are available. The team tier was created for several users within the same organization, whereas the personal story is intended for lone people.

Personal: Users can purchase a standalone macOS subscription or a bundle that also covers iOS platforms. An additional option is a Power User subscription if you own multiple Mac computers. Users can receive a 10% discount if they choose to pay annually instead of monthly.

• Mac (1 Mac) → $9.99/mo
• Mac + iOS (1 Mac, Available on iOS devices) → $12.49/mo
• Power Users (4 Mac, Available on iOS devices) → $14.99/mo

Teams: Setapp also has a subscription plan for teams. Each additional device will cost $2.49 per month under these plans, which are good for one device per user each month.

• Monthly → $9.99/mo
• Annual → $8.99/mo

The Setapp sales staff may create a unique price structure for major multinational corporations or nonprofit groups as well.

You can try the system out for free for 7 days (for individuals) or 14 days (for teams) before making a purchase. If you decide not to continue with a premium membership after the trial has ended, you may easily cancel the subscription.

Is it worth it?

According to my prior experience, sure. The cost of the subscription is, in my opinion, justified. Through Setapp, I have been actively utilizing ten different apps. $282.92 is the sum of their combined costs. Some of those app fees are one-time payments, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always get updates. Members with the Setapp membership have access to such a feature.

One of those apps costs $80 by itself, and another one requires a $65 yearly subscription. I am saving 58% off the list pricing of just those 10 apps by subscribing to Setapp, and I would save 62% if I paid annually as opposed to monthly.

Setapp Review: final thoughts

You might want to have a look at Setapp if you’re searching for a new approach to managing your Mac programs. If you’re like me and prefer a fully featured program over a lite version, then give Setapp a try. This subscription model might not be ideal for everyone. Thanks to Setapp, I am now regularly using several programs that I have wanted to use for years.