Setapp Mobile, a third-party app store for iPhone users in the European Union, has entered open beta with 50 apps focused on productivity and lifestyle. Many of these apps, such as the Tripsy itinerary planner and MindNode mind mapping tool, are also available on Apple’s official App Store.
However, MacPaw, the company behind Setapp, promotes its platform as providing a simplified experience and a performance-based compensation system that benefits developers more fairly than Apple’s model.
Initially launched as an app marketplace for macOS, Setapp expanded its services to iOS users, responding to changes introduced by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. This legislation forces Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces on iPhones, opening the door for services like Setapp to reach iOS customers for the first time.
Setapp Mobile Beta Launches a New Third-Party App Store for iPhone Users in the EU
To join the Setapp Mobile open beta, users need to have iOS 17.4 or later and an EU-based Apple ID. The platform offers a seven-day free trial for its monthly $9.99/€9.49 “iOS Advanced” plan, giving subscribers access to apps on both iPhone and Setapp’s desktop or web marketplace.
Although many of these apps are free on the Apple App Store, Setapp users benefit from the convenience of an integrated marketplace under a single subscription.
In early hands-on reviews, such as one by *The Verge*, installing apps via Setapp was found to be somewhat cumbersome, a common issue among third-party iOS platforms. However, Setapp Mobile promises to improve this by allowing users to install apps directly from their iPhones without additional steps, making it easier than earlier versions or other alternatives.
With its launch, Setapp Mobile presents a new option for iPhone users and developers in the European Union. It represents a potential shift in how apps are accessed and distributed, offering competition to Apple’s App Store by providing users with a streamlined app marketplace and developers with a more equitable compensation structure.
