Setapp: The New App Subscription Service Improving User Experience

Developers have been using a subscription-based model to deliver software for quite some time. Today, most subscription software runs in the cloud – even design applications like Photoshop and Illustrator.

While software subscriptions have been around for a while, many software developers haven’t launched a subscription model due to a lack of infrastructure to support renewals. To support application developers in adopting this growing trend, in 2017, Flexera announced the release of the first ever software monetization platform to include renewal management.

Now that supportive infrastructure for renewals is in place, we’re seeing more useful and innovative subscription services emerge. One, in particular, is Setapp – a subscription service that provides access to more than 60 apps.

Setapp delivers a better app experience

MacPaw, a leading app developer for Mac, recently released a subscription service called Setapp that provides users access to 60+ apps. Setapp’s primary function is to provide app developers with a simple way to distribute their apps to Mac users. With a captive audience, no marketing is required. The subscription model provides developers with a stream of revenue without having to charge for upgrades or implement annoying in-app ads. All apps are hand-picked by the Setapp team, so developers don’t need to worry about competing with similar, subpar apps.

On the user side, each subscriber pays a small monthly fee to access an abundance of high-quality apps in a highly organized environment. Setapp helps users discover new apps they might not have found anywhere else. It also gives users access to some of the best Mac apps for less than they would cost individually. There are no charges to upgrade an app, there are no ads, and it comes with a 7-day free trial.

Setapp provides access to standard, essential apps

Setapp comes with some popular basic apps like CleanMyMac. The latest version, CleanMyMac X, has evolved into an essential part of every Mac user’s anti-virus protocol. CleanMyMac has been around for over a decade and has been recently upgraded with anti-malware features. Despite its popularity with over five million users, not all Mac users know about it. Setapp will change that.

CleanMyMac’s upgrade to an anti-malware tool is a big deal. Contrary to popular belief, Macs can and do fall victim to malware, spyware, and viruses. In 2015, the problem reached an all-time high, according to a report from Bit9 and Carbon Black. During a 10-week study, over 1,400 malware samples were analyzed. Six major pieces of OSX malware were discovered, one of which stole Bitcoin login credentials via cracked AngryBird applications, and another was a trojan targeting government organizations.

Another essential app available through Setapp is CloudMounter. Not all Mac users have thousands of dollars to spend on new laptops with high capacity hard drives. For those still using older machines with smaller drives, CloudMounter allows makes it possible to mount files from the cloud as local disks.

The best feature is the integration with Finder. Individual drives in the cloud will be listed right inside the Finder window as if it were a local disk. Since the app integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, those drives will also appear in the Finder window for quick access.

XMind is yet another important app users can access through Setapp. This app makes mind mapping simple and distraction-free with Zen mode. All mind maps can be exported to PDF or Evernote for user convenience.

Discover new apps without wading through the mud

The biggest frustration users have when trying to find a new app is choosing the right one. There are so many apps that all claim to perform the same tasks. Some are free while others aren’t. Users can browse app stores and still come up empty-handed or confused.

Setapp is like a hand-curated subscription box for the digital world. MacPaw is a trusted name in app development, so launching Setapp was a smart move that Mac users will appreciate.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes