Reviewed by Francesco D'Alessio
Setapp Review (2024)
Best Features, Pricing, Alternatives & Verdict
Setapp wants to be the place to save you money and provide all the apps you need for a productive day in one subscription, much like Netflix but for apps. But does it live up to the standards and is it worth it for your productivity?
What is Setapp?
Setapp is a subscription service for apps ranging from work and productivity apps.
What is Setapp used for?
Setapp is a subscription tool you can download to use multiple different applications on your Mac or iOS device for just one price per month. Instead of paying different subscriptions or one-off prices for individual applications.
You can search for the right productivity tool for you within the search bar and then download the application, you can then organize your menu bar with all your apps to create a better workflow. Setapp is also great for creating your apps using code, cleaning your Mac, and linking to meetings from the menu bar.
Best Features of Setapp
Let's unpack the best bits of Setapp and what features make it good to use.
1. Range of Tools
According to Setapp, they have over 240 apps ranging from freelancer to productivity apps, this makes it a brilliant base for choosing options.
This vast array essentially turns Setapp into a one-stop shop, a kind of digital Swiss Army knife for software needs. This is a huge turn-on for many buyers who don't want to buy apps like Session, or CleanMyMac individually. Whether you're a creative professional looking for design tools, a productivity guru seeking task management apps, or a freelancer in need of versatile solutions, Setapp likely has you covered.
Setapp is super handy because it's like having a treasure chest of tools. Imagine you're a busy bee at work, and you suddenly need a new app to organize your files or spruce up your graphics. Instead of hunting around the internet and spending extra cash each time, you just pop open Setapp, and boom – you find what you need.
It's like having a magic toolbox where you find cool stuff you didn't even know you needed! This makes life easier, especially if you're someone who loves trying new apps without breaking the bank.
With Setapp, you get to explore loads of apps, all for one simple price. It's like going to an app buffet – you can try a little bit of everything and see what you like best.
2. One Subscription Fee
You pay once monthly with Setapp, meaning you don't pay for how much or how many tools you currently use. This is a popular feature for many people as a lot of people don't like paying the one-off costs for new tools, or maybe even investing in multiple subscriptions.
What makes Setapp particularly appealing is the convenience it offers. Instead of scouring the internet for individual applications, paying multiple subscriptions, and managing numerous accounts, Setapp streamlines the entire process. You get access to a wide variety of tools, all under one roof and for one subscription fee.
Developers on Setapp are paid for the use of the app, which makes it a compelling offer.
3. Plans for Team & Family
Setapp's family and team plans provide a comprehensive solution for collaborative and household software needs. The family plan is ideal for households looking to streamline their software usage across multiple members, offering a unified platform for everything from productivity to creativity tools.
And for the teams, particularly in small businesses or project groups, the team plan fosters collaboration and efficiency, ensuring that all members have the tools they need for success at their fingertips. For example, there's apps like Subjects, which helps track and monitor homework progression.
4. New AI Elements
There's a new element to Setapp, which allows you to utilize AI apps. Within the subscription, you have the ability to download them and get started.
However, when utilizing the AI functions, you need to be paying for the AI Plus subscription, which comes in the form of credits. You do get 10 credits to get you started, but largely, the pricing is an additional fee on top of your Setapp subscription.
For many people utilizing AI applications who don't want to use the ones already on the market because of the higher upfront cost, this might be a good addition. They can be accessed through the apps via Setapp. The pricing is a little bit deeper, but again, if you're looking for these types of applications, then it's a good option to have.
Using Setapp apps: Verdict
We downloaded a few applications to get started and give you an idea, and to be honest, I was impressed with the range of applications.
Now, there are over 240, so to download all of them and give you our opinion on all of them would take a little bit of time. So, we downloaded a few that we liked, such as Session, BusyCal, CleanShot X, PixelSnap, ClipDrop, NotePlan, and Taskheat, and we used them for a couple of days to give you an idea of which applications are good.
To be honest, these are really neat applications bundled into the package. They might not give you the complexity of some of the subscription-based applications here on Tool Finder, but largely they provide you with about a 75% experience, which, for many people who aren't really too worried about how productivity software works or how subscriptions for planned applications typically grow, then it's actually a good option.
For example, Session, something we reviewed here on Tool Finder before, is a really well-designed minimal application, and it's bundled into the Setapp app, which is accessible and gives you access to the pro experience, which for many people will be a lot cheaper than paying the $4.99 per month pricing that they offer on their website.
I really enjoyed using the app on Setapp, and to be honest, there are really good creators here, which allows the ecosystem to be filled with quality developer applications at a really reasonable price. We didn't really fully get into the AI applications to see what they do and whether they're worth it in terms of pricing, but largely, a lot of these apps were a decent bet if you don't want to pay the high upfront fees or any ongoing costs.
Are Setapp apps safe?
SetApp source developers and host them using their platform.
There's no evidence they are not safe.
How much does SetApp cost?
Setapp costs $9.99 per month, per user, minimum.
SetApp Pricing: Explained
Priced at $9.99 per user, per month for 1 macOS license and $12.49 per month, per user for iOS (4) and macOS license (1). For 1 macOS license, you pay $9.99, and with the $12.49 per month, per user for iOS (4 licenses) and macOS license (1 license).
SetApp Verdict: Is it worth it?
OK, so now it's time to give you the verdict on whether Setapp is good value for money and whether it's something I would invest in if I were looking for a set of applications to get me started.
To be honest, if I were starting again, freelancing, or launching a new business, or maybe even just wanted to get a good collection of solid productivity applications without the complexities of individual subscription applications, this is what I would go for. I really enjoyed how they've laid out the applications, and the inclusion of a new AI system, which helps you to narrow down your selection on what app to go for.
They always seem to keep the library of apps updated within Setapp, which gives you a good idea of what's available. They're also going to be releasing an iOS App Store, which is an alternative to the App Store, and will allow you to get access to iOS apps really easily, something that will take them to the next level.
But to be honest, this experience is actually a lot better than you might expect because they provide you with so many apps for such a good price. It does seem really beneficial to go with someone like this if you're in those situations I mentioned at the start.
Best SetApp Productivity Apps
Session, Craft and Timemator are all good SetApp productivity apps:
