One of the first third-party app stores on iOS is preparing to open in the European Union. the software company MacPaw has announced which will launch its Setapp store in beta on Thursday, with an official launch planned for April.
Setapp is currently is only available on macOS and offers users access to over 240 third-party apps for a $9.99/month subscription. Some examples of select apps available through Setapp include music software. n-Track Studioproject planner mental nodeand productivity app Session.
The new app store on iOS will feature a “variety of carefully curated apps, including fan favorites from the Setapp catalog.” In addition to business and productivity tools, Setapp on iOS will also offer design software, utility apps, productivity services, and more.
Setapp's new iOS app store will also be available with a subscription, but it's unclear how much it will cost. MacPaw spokesperson Alyona Gorbatko says The edge, “Pricing will align with standard subscription pricing models, but has not yet been defined.” If you're interested in trying out the new iOS store, you can sign up for the waitlist at Setapp website.
Apple's previous rules against downloading made it impossible for third-party app marketplaces to operate on the iPhone. Setapp, in particular, offers a unique approach to the app store business, making all of its apps available through a single monthly subscription instead of users paying individual fees for the apps they want.
“We are charting a new path for the software industry towards a better and more diverse application ecosystem,” MacPaw CEO Oleksandr Kosovan said in a statement. “We carefully curate our collection, ensuring every app, every feature, and every update aligns with our philosophy of meaningful efficiency.”
In January, Apple announced that it would allow third-party app stores on iPhones as part of its efforts to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will come into force in March with the release of iOS 17.4. This will allow iPhone users to download alternative app stores from the marketplace website, where they can find apps that may not be available in Apple's App Store. Like third-party apps on macOS, any app distributed through an alternative store will need to be “notarized” by Apple.
Although Apple is loosening some of its restrictions, there are still some concerns about whether third-party app stores will be able to succeed. Critics argue that Apple is preventing developers from putting their apps on a third-party store because they will have to agree to a different set of commercial terms. The new rules impose a “basic technology fee” that charges 50 euro cents per installation once an app reaches 1 million downloads annually in the EU, which could hit popular freemium apps especially hard.
