Setapp turns 7, and this is what long-time users have to say about it
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7 years ago, Setapp was born. A small — only 61 apps — but kicking and screaming (after all, even MacRumors wrote about it) app platform, Setapp has been an ambitious project from the start. All these wonderful years later, we are grateful for every day our users trust us to hand-pick great apps to help tackle their daily tasks.
To make this year's celebration memorable, we reached out to those users of Setapp, who have been with us from those very first months and asked them to share their Setapp stories. While we can't possibly share them all here, we did our best to include the most telling highlights that paint a bigger picture.
P.S. Full disclosure, we’ve made a few minimal edits to our interviewees' quotes for clarity and to remove typos. Now, let's dive in!
I'm a Buddhist, so I have no expectations. If I did, Setapp would have met them in pricing, and exceeded them in service.
I was exposed to apps I would never have considered
Initially, many users flocked to Setapp because it offered a simple one subscription to apps they already used. Desmond Fuller was one of them.
"In the beginning, I had many of the apps in Setapp I already owned," shares Desmond. "Over time, that changed, and I was exposed to apps I would never have considered," he adds.
Since installing/uninstalling is so easy, I have been able to use certain apps for a "season" and then remove them. This flexibility gives great freedom from the guilt of paying money for an app that you might only use a few times.
While there are more than 240 apps on Setapp, Desmond names one that keeps surprising him — menu bar manager Bartender. "I owned this before Setapp but it continues to get better each year," he explains.
Desmond’s most used app feature though is taking screenshots with CleanShot X:
Biggest bargain and most awesome playground
Klaus Roth is an active retiree and a computer enthusiast. He initially used Setapp for business but continues to love it in retirement.
"I sometimes worry how I would cope without Setapp," he shares candidly. "Say, to do with, oh I don't know, the war in the Ukraine, maybe?" he elaborates. "Every morning my day starts with a launch of CleanMyMac," he adds before listing about a dozen more apps he uses off Setapp frequently.
"I am of the conviction that Setapp is the biggest bargain and most awesome playground available for computer enthusiasts like me!" he concludes.
Klaus' most used app feature is managing files with Path Finder. "Path Finder beats the Finder in every which way. I don't want to imagine ever working without it," he explains.
Setapp has been contributing a good set of my daily drivers
Musician, photographer, and software developer Vincent Reynolds joined Setapp to explore new apps and keep his favorite ones current. "Setapp has been there, contributing a good set of my daily drivers, as well as the occasional app that I didn't need at all right up until the moment I did," he shares.
Vincent’s most used feature is converting in Permute:
When it comes to apps that keep surprising him, Vincent admits: "No surprises, although the virtually complete lack of disappointments is somewhat surprising, now that I think about it."
When new apps are announced, I feel like I’m getting something for free
Creator Neil Grabowsky joined Setapp to save money and time. "Every month when new apps are announced I feel like I’m getting something for free," he shares.
Neil’s most used app feature is managing clipboard with iOS version of Paste app:
Setapp has allowed me to use some of the best apps out there without trials or limitations.
When it comes to an app that keeps surprising him, calculator-converter Numi took the cake. "I love Numi. I never knew how often I used a calculator until I installed Numi. And it’s so much better than just a calculator," he says.
Setapp is one of my first-to-installs on a new Mac
We are closing this selection of stories with something that makes us very proud — when Setapp is among the first apps to be installed on a user’s new Mac.
Setapp is one of my first-to-installs on a new Mac.
Matthew’s story with Setapp began when he was on the fence about paying for CleanMyMac X and iStat Menus “without trying them for a while”. “I'm very proud to be an early adopter of Setapp!” says Matthew. “As a web developer and now creator of content for TTRPGs [tabletop role-playing games — ed.], my working life hasn't changed too dramatically — I'm still a work-from-home dude with a laptop, but Setapp has offered me solutions to challenges I've met along the way many many times.”
While managing his menu bar icons with Bartender is Matthew’s most used feature, he says CleanShot X is the app that keeps surprising him on Setapp. “It's a miracle, and the developer only makes it better and better, adding new but not cumbersome features.”
Setapp through the years
Curious how Setapp changed over these 7 years? We couldn’t have possibly put all of the significant events into a short highlight reel of a list, but we did compile some that we thought can be fun and easy to flick through:
- 2023 — Setapp introduces Family plan
- 2022 — Setapp joins efforts to support Ukraine amidst russian invasion
- 2021 — Setapp introduced curated app collections
- 2020 — Setapp goes cross-platform and brings apps for iOS
- 2019 — Setapp wins Best SaaS Product for Productivity in 2019 SaaS Awards
- 2018 — Setapp is voted Consumer Product of the Year on Product Hunt
- 2017 — Setapp app collection reaches 100 and launches its annual plan
Still not on Setapp? Give it a try for free! Jump onto Setapp's 7-day free trial now and try out the amazing apps on Setapp. Explore the tools for your daily tasks on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Easily install and use apps, and enjoy using hand-picked tools under a single app subscription.
And don't forget to wish Setapp a happy birthday on socials: Facebook, Discord, X, Instagram, YouTube.
