Tested for 21 days on the Power User plan · September 2026

Setapp Review (2026): Is 270+ Bundled Apps Worth It?

One flat subscription for hundreds of Mac and iOS apps, checked against the one-shot native tools we usually recommend.

· · Native desktop tools
Summary

Setapp bundles 270+ Mac and iOS apps for $14.99-$22.99/month. After 21 days on the Power User plan, our verdict: it is genuinely cheap once you use 3+ bundled apps ($4.60/app in our test), but it is a subscription, not ownership, apps can leave the catalog, and the client checks in online periodically. G2 rates it 4.6/5, Trustpilot 4.4/5. Worth it for multi-app, multi-Mac users; skip it if you want just one tool.

6.8 /10

Setapp bundles 270+ Mac and iOS apps, CleanMyMac, Bartender, TablePlus and Ulysses among them, for one subscription starting at $14.99 a month. After three weeks on the $22.99 Power User plan, the math only works if you actually run three or more of the bundled apps: across five installed apps that is $4.60 per app a month, cheaper than most solo licenses. Run just one, and you are paying for a catalog you did not ask for.

Value for heavy users
8/10
Value for light/single-app users
4/10
Install & update friction
8/10
Ownership model
3/10
Catalog quality consistency
6/10
  • One installer manages updates and licenses for all 270+ apps, no separate updater per app
  • Flagship bundled apps (CleanShot X, TextSniper, Paste) hold 97-99% approval in Setapp's own catalog data
  • Power User tier covers 4 Macs for $22.99/month, cheaper than 4 separate CleanMyMac licenses alone
  • Subscription-only: stop paying and every bundled app locks, unlike the one-shot native tools we usually cover
  • Setapp can remove an app from the catalog with only an email notice, so a workflow built on it can break later
  • Needs a periodic online license check, a soft phone-home this site does not endorse elsewhere

7-day free trial, cancel before it ends and you pay nothing

Methodology

How we tested

Tested for
21 days
Plan paid
Power User plan ($22.99/month)
Version tested
Setapp macOS app 9.x, catalog snapshot 270+ apps, September 2026
Test period
2026-08-28 → 2026-09-18
Test categories: Install & update friction • Catalog breadth vs. price • Individual flagship app quality • License & network behavior • Subscription vs. one-shot economics

I put the Power User plan on two Macs (a 14-inch MacBook Pro on M3 and a Mac mini on M2) for 21 days starting August 28, 2026, and installed 11 apps off the catalog's Top Rated filter: CleanMyMac, Bartender, CleanShot X, Paste, iStat Menus, TablePlus, Ulysses, Downie, Permute, TextSniper and AI Dente Pro. I used six of them daily and left five installed but untouched, to see what a realistic mixed-use subscriber actually gets for the money.

Alongside hands-on use, I cross-checked pricing directly on setapp.com/pricing (captured September 18, 2026), read Setapp's own support documentation on app removals and refunds, and pulled independent review aggregates from G2, Capterra, Trustpilot and Product Hunt to sanity-check my own impressions against a larger sample than one reviewer's three weeks.

Should you buy this?

YES if you...

  • You already pay for three or more of Setapp's bundled apps separately and want one bill
  • You run more than one Mac and are tired of juggling separate license keys across machines
  • You like trying new utilities without a per-app purchase decision each time

NO if you...

  • You want exactly one app; buy that app once instead of $14.99/month for the whole catalog
  • You've built a workflow around no-subscription tools and won't accept an app disappearing mid-project
  • You work offline for long stretches and cannot risk a subscription check failing at the wrong time

Setapp pricing (September 2026)

Mac

$14.99 /mo + tax

270+ apps, one Mac

  • 1 Mac
  • 1,000 AI credits/month
  • 7-day free trial
  • Cancel anytime
Most popular

Mac + iOS

$18.99 /mo + tax

Everything on Mac, iPhone and iPad

  • 1 Mac + 4 iOS devices
  • 1,000 AI credits/month
  • 7-day free trial

Power User

$22.99 /mo + tax

For multiple Macs

  • 4 Macs + 4 iOS devices
  • 2,000 AI credits/month
  • 7-day free trial

ROI breakdown: At 5 bundled apps actually used on the Power User plan, that is $4.60 per app per month, versus roughly $9-15/month if you subscribed to CleanMyMac, Bartender and TablePlus individually. Setapp wins in raw price past 3 apps in regular use; below that, buy the one app you need.

Hidden costs & gotchas
  • Annual billing (up to 40% cheaper per month) still auto-renews at full price unless you cancel
  • AI credits (1,000-2,000/month) run out fast if you lean on Setapp's AI+ tools, forcing a top-up
  • Marketplace apps outside the membership are billed separately on top of your plan

Real user ratings, pulled straight from each platform

Checked directly in September 2026. None of these are our own scores.

G2
4.6/5
34 reviews
Capterra
4.5/5
39 reviews
Trustpilot
4.4/5
244 reviews
Product Hunt
3.8/5
14 reviews
Testing

What we measured

Catalog size
270+ apps bundled Setapp official count, September 2026
Cost per app used
$4.60 /app/month $22.99 Power User plan divided across the 5 apps we used daily
G2 rating
4.6 /5 (34 reviews) g2.com/products/setapp, checked September 2026
Trustpilot rating
4.4 /5 (244 reviews) trustpilot.com/review/setapp.com, checked September 2026
Free trial
7 days, no charge if cancelled first Setapp pricing page
Refund window
30 days after last payment if unused Setapp support: Refund policy article
Compare buying CleanMyMac, Bartender and iStat Menus individually against the $22.99 Power User plan.
Those three alone run roughly $10-15 a month across their own separate subscriptions. Power User covers them plus 267 more apps and 4 Macs for $22.99, so the bundle wins in raw price once a third app is added.
Setapp Membership pricing page: Mac $14.99/mo, Mac+iOS $18.99/mo, Power User $22.99/mo, 7-day free trial
Filter the All apps catalog to Top Rated and check whether the highest-ranked bundled apps actually earn their spot.
CleanShot X and TextSniper both sit at 99% approval, Paste and Downie at 98%, CleanMyMac and Bartender at 97%. The top of the catalog is genuinely well-reviewed; that consistency does not hold further down the list.
Setapp All apps catalog view showing CleanMyMac, Bartender, CleanShot X, Paste, Downie, iStat Menus with approval percentages

Pros & cons

Pros

  • One updater replaces ten Setapp's own agent installs, updates and re-licenses every bundled app. No separate updater, license key, or renewal email per app.
  • The top of the catalog is genuinely strong CleanShot X, TextSniper, Paste and Downie all sit at 97-99% approval in Setapp's own in-app ratings, and each also holds up as a legitimate standalone purchase outside the bundle.
  • Multi-Mac pricing beats stacking individual licenses The Power User tier covers 4 Macs for $22.99/month. Buying CleanMyMac alone across 4 Macs individually would already cost more than that by itself.

Cons

  • Subscription-only: nothing survives non-payment Cancel and every bundled app locks immediately, including ones you configured deeply. Compare that to the one-shot, no-renewal native tools this site usually covers.
  • Setapp can remove apps from the library with only an email notice Setapp's own support documentation confirms apps do leave the catalog. You keep access if already installed, but new installs and updates for that app stop.
  • Requires a periodic online license verification to keep working Fully offline use is not guaranteed indefinitely. The app needs to confirm your subscription is active, which is the opposite of the no-telemetry native tools we prefer to recommend.
  • Catalog quality drops noticeably past the top 20 apps Product Hunt and G2 reviewers both flag filler additions in the wider library. Breadth is real, but not every one of the 270+ apps deserves a slot.
Verdict

Final verdict

6.8 /10

Setapp is infrastructure, not a tool. It does not do one job, it manages 270+ apps that each do one job, and whether that is worth $14.99 to $22.99 a month depends entirely on how many of them you would otherwise pay for separately. Our math says the bundle wins past three apps in regular use; below that, buying the one native tool you actually need, on its own one-shot license, almost always beats the subscription.

The top of the catalog, CleanShot X, TextSniper, Paste, Downie, CleanMyMac, Bartender, is genuinely good software, and the single install/update/license layer removes real friction if you run more than a couple of them. What it cannot remove is the subscription model itself: cancel and everything locks, apps can leave the catalog with an email as the only warning, and the client needs to phone home periodically to confirm you are still paying.

Recommended for: multi-Mac households and anyone already renting three or more of the bundled apps individually. Not recommended for: anyone who wants one specific tool, or anyone who has standardized on no-subscription, no-telemetry native software and does not want to make an exception.

Value for heavy usersValue for light/single-app usersInstall & update frictionOwnership modelCatalog quality consistency
  • Value for heavy users 8/10 Genuinely cheap past 3-4 apps used
  • Value for light/single-app users 4/10 Just buy the one app you want
  • Install & update friction 8/10 One agent, zero separate updaters
  • Ownership model 3/10 Subscription only, no perpetual license
  • Catalog quality consistency 6/10 Strong at the top, thin further down
See single-app alternatives

Common questions

Is Setapp worth it in 2026?
Only if you actually run three or more of the bundled apps regularly. Across five apps we used daily, the Power User plan works out to $4.60 per app a month, cheaper than most individual subscriptions. Run one app, and a standalone purchase is almost always cheaper.
How many apps does Setapp include?
270+ Mac and iOS apps as of September 2026, spanning system maintenance, writing, development, and menu-bar utilities. Setapp also runs a separate Marketplace where you can buy or subscribe to individual apps without the full membership.
Does Setapp work offline?
Installed apps keep working offline day-to-day, but Setapp needs to periodically confirm your subscription is active online. If that check fails for long enough, access can be affected, which is worth knowing if you work disconnected for extended periods.
Can I lose access to an app I depend on?
Yes, in one specific way. Setapp's own support documentation confirms apps sometimes leave the catalog, usually because the developer stops supporting it on the platform. You get an email notice first and keep using an already-installed app, but new installs and further updates stop.
Is Setapp cheaper than buying apps individually?
It depends on your app count. Our comparison: CleanMyMac, Bartender and iStat Menus bought separately run roughly $10-15/month combined; the $22.99 Power User plan covers those three plus 267 more apps and up to 4 Macs. Past three apps, the bundle usually wins.
Is Setapp Mobile shutting down affecting the Mac subscription?
No. MacPaw closed Setapp Mobile, its separate EU iOS alternative app store, on February 16, 2026, citing marketplace economics. That closure did not touch the core Setapp Mac membership reviewed here, which continues operating as before.
What happens if I cancel Setapp?
All bundled apps lock immediately once the subscription ends, since access is rented, not owned. This is the single biggest philosophical difference from the one-shot, no-renewal native tools this site typically recommends.
Does Setapp offer a free trial or refund?
Yes: a 7-day free trial on every tier (cancel before it ends and you are not charged), plus a 30-day refund window after your last payment if you never actually used the subscription following the trial.

Update log

  1. Initial publication after a 21-day Power User plan test across two Macs.
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