How we pick the best apps for you
4 min read
Choosing the right app for Mac or iOS can be overwhelming. With thousands of options out there, it's hard to tell which ones really deliver on their promises. Plus, it's tough to navigate the use cases — what works for one person might not work for you.
That's where we come in — to pick the best apps for you. Our team of professional macOS and iOS reviewers brings years of experience to recommend tools that solve your problem, work reliably, and respect your privacy.
This article reveals how we identify the apps you can trust and that are worth your time.
Why can I trust you?
We've been professionally testing apps for over 8 years. It all started with the creation of Setapp, a curated collection of apps for macOS and iOS that now includes over 250 powerful, high-end tools. Setapp has been awarded several G2 badges, proving that real users have a great experience with it and trust us.
We've created — and continue to develop — a rigorous system for selecting apps to add to the Setapp collection.
When we created the blog, we adapted the selection criteria to third-party apps that we recommend to our readers. As a result, behind every recommendation you receive on the Setapp blog stand:
- 8+ years of experience in selecting quality apps
- Long hours of testing each tool as regular users
- Prioritization of real-life cases
How do you choose the apps you recommend on your blog?
Many macOS and iOS issues can be solved with the built-in tools your device already offers. That’s why we always review native apps first. We never recommend third-party — especially paid — tools that simply duplicate what your Mac or iPhone can already do. When we do suggest alternatives, we compare them to built-in features and offer solutions that range from simple to advanced so you can choose what best fits your needs and budget.
Before any third-party app lands in our recommendations, it goes through 4 stages.
1. Search for a topic
We always start with a use case. We explore search queries, forums, and requests from our users and readers. We find out what challenges, problems, or tasks they are facing and start working on solutions.
2. Develop quality criteria
The criteria for defining the quality of an app include:
- Functionality. Does the app solve the user's need and do it well?
- Performance. How fast and reliable is the tool? Does it freeze or crash?
- Interface. Is the tool intuitive and easy to use?
- Privacy and security. How does it handle user information?
3. Search for apps
We monitor app stores, developer media, and communities such as Product Hunt, GitHub, TechCrunch, and StackShare. We also check forums, like thematic subreddits, and other sources. In addition, we’re constantly in touch with Setapp users who give us their feedback, requests, and suggestions.
4. Testing apps
We treat every app as both a regular user and a researcher.
- We test apps on real tasks. If it's a time tracker, we spend hours using it to track our real tasks. If it's a writing app, we create an article using it.
- We bring in experts. Sometimes, additional expertise is required. For example, when creating a collection of SQL apps, we consult developers for their input. Some articles are written exclusively with the help of our highly specialized colleagues.
- We check the flow. We determine whether the interface is intuitive, whether the most important elements are easily accessible, etc.
- We study user feedback. Feedback helps us spot nuances that we might have missed. It also gives us an idea of whether the app is evolving. If a bug from a month-old review has been fixed, that's a good sign.
- We look at pricing. We look at whether the user is getting enough value for the money paid.
Finally, we choose the best apps and add the most relevant ones to the article. In our reviews, you’ll usually find a list of pros and cons for each app — we always emphasize the nuances that you should pay attention to.
Are you biased towards Setapp apps?
We focus on the reader's benefit, not the source of the app. We only recommend Setapp apps if they help the reader solve a problem. If a Setapp app has certain nuances (for example, it solves the reader's request only partially), we always mention it.
In the app reviews on our blog, you'll always find alternative tools — both paid and free — from different developers.
Do you make any profit from mentioning third-party apps?
No, we don't make any money from affiliate links or mentions of third-party apps.
Can you guarantee that all apps are free or have no hidden fees?
No, we recommend both paid and free tools.
For Setapp apps, we guarantee that subscribers get access to the entire collection of premium apps without ads or hidden fees.
As for third-party apps, we check their pricing during testing and report if they have paid features. We don’t recommend apps with unfair pricing or hidden fees, but we can’t guarantee that developers won’t change their policies later.
Can I trust your recommendations?
Every recommendation we share is backed by thorough testing and the real-world experience of our macOS and iOS reviewers. We provide a range of solutions and tools — from basic to advanced — all of which we trust and would use (or currently use) in real life ourselves. We’re here to help you find what works best for you, but the final decision is always yours.
