How does Setapp choose its apps? Detailed overview

Setapp evaluates every app that is submitted to ensure it meets internal review guidelines. 

The goal is simple — to do all the heavy lifting in curating, vetting, and supporting apps on their platform. They follow a standard review workflow to remove apps that don’t meet their review criteria. Only apps that are proven safe and useful make it through the curated collection. This way, you will never have to worry about an app’s quality, safety, and relevance.

Why users want trusted, vetted Mac apps 

Because Mac apps are not always safe. Despite Apple’s best efforts, some apps listed on the App Store can compromise your Mac experience. If you’re not careful, you might download insecure Mac apps that negatively impact Mac performance or compromise data security. Or, you end up getting annoyed by apps that paywall premium features that you thought they’d generously offer.

So, how to find trusted Mac apps?

Naturally, the answer lies in vetting the apps. However, the App Store has over 1.8 billion apps, including those compatible with Mac. From my experience, most users find the sheer number of Mac apps overwhelming. Even in a particular category, such as a productivity tracker, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of apps vying for your attention. 

Vetting apps manually is too time-consuming. You’ll need to spend time reading the app description, reviews, and vendor information to decide if the app is trustworthy. Unfortunately, not all users, especially those with busy schedules, can afford to do so. And that’s where they find Setapp useful.

Notarized by Apple, Setapp offers secure Mac app subscriptions so you can use apps confidently, knowing they’re safe. Before they make an app available, they thoroughly:

• Review
• Test
• Shortlist it for security, usability, performance, relevance, and other factors. 

In simple terms, Setapp acts as a filter that selects trustworthy apps and makes them available to you.  

For more details, visit the Setapp Trust Center to learn about all security aspects.

How the vetting process works at Setapp 

Setapp takes users’ safety and satisfaction seriously. Every app goes through multiple stages of careful inspection before it’s approved. Below, I share how Setapp chooses apps worthy for users. 

1. Discovery & evaluation

Generally, third-party developers submit their apps to Setapp for approval. Additionally, the team continually scouts the market for worthy apps to add to their collection.  For example, if subscribers show interest in an AI-powered scheduler that Setapp currently doesn’t have in its collection, they’ll find a suitable one. 

Either way, not all apps make it past the discovery stage. Only those that exhibit strong user experience (UX), clear value, and professional polish are considered. To give you an idea: 

• Setapp filters out apps that misguide users with inaccurate information or contain inappropriate content. 
• Seatpp doesn’t consider apps that implement in-app stores or pay-walled premium features. 
• Setapp rejects apps that compromise the user experience with intrusive ads or overly promotional features. 

But they don’t stop at rejecting apps that fall short in value. Setapp believes in creating a safe, fair, and harmonious Mac ecosystem. Therefore, 

2. Technical & UX testing

Next, Setapp goes hands-on to test the apps they shortlisted. For each app, the team runs several technical tests to affirm that it installs, launches, and runs smoothly on supported macOS. This means that if an app crashes or causes the Mac to lag during testing, they will remove it from the selected pool of apps. Of course, they might consider re-testing the app if the developer has addressed the bug.

Besides stability, the team tests the app for usability. Setapp aims to curate apps that simplify users' workflows, not complicate them. 

Here’s an example of how the team tests a VPN app:

• They check if connecting to a secure server is easy. (Smart Connect button, server choices, time to connect)
• They put features like the kill switch into testing to ensure the VPN truly secures users’ internet connection if the VPN connection drops. 
• They stream movies, play games, and make video calls over a secure connection to make sure the VPN is fast enough. 

Once the team is confident that the VPN app meets the testing requirements, escalate it for security and privacy review. 

3. Security & privacy review

Setapp is committed to offering safe, vetted Mac apps with a combination of automated and manual security checks. They run automated checks against security vendors to detect malware that might be hidden within the apps. According to Maria Polishchuk, Head of Developer Relations and Partnerships at Setapp, each app is thoroughly checked for:

• Hidden features that might compromise data security on Mac.
• Mac permission requests that exceed what the app requires.
• Defense evasion techniques that may render Mac vulnerable. 

Generally, apps that are made available on Setapp must be proven secure on the latest macOS versions. Any apps that display suspicious behavior, such as infecting a Mac with bots, trojans, or malware, will be identified in the test. Because Setapp doesn’t tolerate apps that flout any of the modern security conventions.

4. Update & maintenance requirements 

Setapp expects developers to continuously update the apps they submitted after approval. Therefore, any app updates should also be made available to subscribers. Otherwise, Setapp will remove apps that no longer enjoy support or those they deem outdated.

The reason is simple. Setapp wants users, or in this case, you, to have access to fresh, functional, and regularly updated Mac apps.

What types of apps are accepted? 

Setapp curates, tests, and approves apps that are proven to be functional, secure, user-friendly, and helpful. Conversely, Setapp rejects apps that are unsafe, manipulative, harmful, dysfunctional, or simply too complex to use. 

Below is a detailed comparison of the types of apps Setapp accepts or rejects: 

Why Setapp is your ultimate solution for Mac apps

Setapp provides a curated, secure, and easy experience for anyone looking to simplify their workflow on Mac. By offering over 250 apps in one subscription, Setapp takes the guesswork out of finding the right tools, ensuring every app is tested for functionality, security, and performance. Whether you're a content creator, entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to optimize your productivity, Setapp has you covered with the best Mac apps.

You can start your 7-day free trial today and experience how Setapp can transform your Mac usage.