Setapp Review: How the Membership and Standalone Apps Work

Setapp, made by MacPaw, gives you two ways to get apps. Setapp Membership is one subscription that unlocks the whole catalog of 300+ Mac, iPhone, iPad, and web apps. A single app is one Mac app that you subscribe to or buy on its own through the same Setapp account. Membership usually makes sense when you would use several of the included apps, and a single app makes sense when you only need one or two.

This review is based on Setapp’s own plan tables and help articles as of October 2026, not on hands-on testing. Prices are in US dollars before tax and can differ by country, so confirm them on the Setapp pricing page before you pay.

Setapp at a glance

Setapp is a curated app platform. Instead of selling every app in a store listing with its own license key, it reviews apps before adding them and then delivers them through one desktop program called Setapp desktop. You browse, install, update, and remove apps from that one window.

• What you get with Membership: access to 300+ apps for one monthly or annual fee, starting at $14.99 per month.
• What you get with a single app: one of 80+ selected Mac apps, billed on its own, with terms set by that app’s developer.
• What both share: full versions of the apps with no ads and no in-app purchases, according to Setapp.
• Free trial: Membership has a 7-day trial for new users. A single app may or may not have one.
• Where to get it: only from setapp.com. Setapp says it is not listed in the Mac App Store or the iOS App Store.

What you need before you start

• A Mac running macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later. Setapp recommends macOS Ventura 13.0 or later. On older versions Setapp still runs, but it may look and behave differently from current instructions.
• About 300 MB of free disk space for Setapp desktop, plus space for each app you install.
• An internet connection.
• A Setapp account. You can sign up with an email address, or with a Google or Apple account. Setapp emails a one-time code to confirm it.
• Payment details. You add these when you pick Membership or buy a single app.

Each app in the catalog also has its own minimum macOS or iOS version. Check the Overview tab on the app’s page at setapp.com before you count on it. Setapp lists the full details in its system requirements article.

How Setapp Membership works

Membership is the original Setapp model. You pay one flat fee and can install as many of the included apps as you like. Updates arrive through Setapp, and you never enter a license key for an individual app.

The catch is that Membership is access, not ownership. Setapp states that when a canceled account is deactivated, Setapp desktop and its apps stay installed on your Mac but you can no longer use them. Your subscription is what keeps them working.

The plans differ mainly by how many devices they cover. Setapp’s plan table currently lists these prices:

Plan	Devices covered	Monthly billing	Annual billing
Mac	1 Mac	$14.99 per month	$107.88 per year
Mac + iOS	1 Mac and 4 iOS devices	$18.99 per month	$134.88 per year
Power User	4 Macs and 4 iOS devices	$22.99 per month	$161.88 per year

The annual Mac plan works out to $8.99 per month, but you pay for the full year at once. Setapp also lists a Two Macs plan, an iOS plan that you register for from an iPhone or iPad, and AI+ plans with larger allowances of AI credits. AI credits are the units that AI features inside Setapp apps use up. The credit allowances differ between monthly and annual billing, so read the current Setapp subscription plans table if those features matter to you.

Two rules are easy to miss. First, Setapp’s Terms of Use do not allow you to share an individual plan with other people. Second, Setapp does not sell extra device seats. On a one-Mac plan, signing in on a second Mac disconnects the first one automatically.

How single apps and standalone apps work

Setapp uses two similar terms, and they do not mean the same thing:

• Single app: any app you subscribe to or buy individually on Setapp instead of joining Membership.
• Standalone app: a single app that is not included in Membership at all. It always needs its own purchase or subscription. Setapp marks these with a Standalone App badge in Setapp desktop and on the web Marketplace.

So a Membership does not automatically cover every app you see on Setapp. If an app carries the standalone badge, you pay for it separately even as a member.

Single apps follow different rules from Membership:

• Mac only. Setapp says single apps are currently available for macOS only. To use an app on both a Mac and an iPhone or iPad, you need Membership.
• Billing depends on the developer. Options can include a monthly, 3-month, 6-month, or yearly subscription, or a one-time purchase. Not every app offers every option.
• Device count depends on the developer. You choose the number of Macs at checkout, and the price changes with it.
• Each app is billed separately. You get one invoice per app, all stored in your Setapp account.
• Setapp desktop is still required. A single app only works and updates while Setapp desktop is installed and you are signed in.

Warning: if you buy a single app, do not delete your Setapp account later. Setapp states that you can only open a single app with your Setapp sign-in, and that applies to one-time purchases too.

Membership or single app: which one fits?

Setapp’s own guidance is to add up what you would spend on individual apps and compare the total with the Membership price. A simple way to do that:

1. List the paid Mac apps you already use or would realistically buy this year.
2. Search for each one on Setapp and note whether it is in Membership, sold as a single app, or both.
3. Add up the single app prices for the ones you need, using the billing period you would actually choose.
4. Compare that total with the Membership plan that covers your devices.

Membership is the better fit when:

• You use several of the included apps regularly.
• Your app list changes often and you like to try new tools.
• You want the same apps on a Mac and an iPhone or iPad.
• You prefer one predictable bill.

A single app is the better fit when:

• You only need one or two apps.
• You need an app for a short project and a 1-month or 3-month term is offered.
• You want a one-time purchase and the app offers one.
• You need a device count that Membership plans do not match.

You can also combine the two, or switch in either direction at any time. Setapp allows a Membership and single app subscriptions on the same account, which is how members use standalone apps. Its single apps FAQ covers the details.

How to try Setapp Membership

Before you start: the trial rolls into a paid subscription. If you do nothing, Setapp charges you for the next billing period on the default Mac plan when the 7 days end.

1. On your Mac, go to setapp.com and choose the trial for the plan you want. Signing up from a Mac gives you the Mac plan by default. To start on another plan, click Start 7-day free trial under that plan on the pricing page.
2. Enter your email address, or sign up with Google or Apple. Type in the one-time code that Setapp emails you, then click Sign in.
3. Agree to the policies and click Continue.
4. Download the Setapp installer. It normally lands in your Downloads folder.
5. Double-click Install Setapp. Setapp desktop is added to your Applications folder.
6. Open Setapp desktop and sign in.
7. Open an app’s page. Get with Membership means the app is part of Membership. Buy Now means it is sold as a single app.
8. Click Install. When the button changes to Open, the app is installed and ready.

How to buy a single app

You need a Setapp account with valid payment details first.

1. Open the page of the app you want, in Setapp desktop or on the web Marketplace.
2. Click Buy now. If the developer offers a trial, you will see Try free instead.
3. Select the number of devices. The price updates to match.
4. Choose the billing cycle the app offers, such as a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription, or a one-time purchase.
5. Click Continue and complete the payment.
6. In Setapp desktop, click My Apps to find and open the app.

Subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel them. If you later join Membership and the same app is included, cancel the single app subscription so you do not pay for it twice.

Using Setapp apps on iPhone and iPad

iOS apps are part of Membership only, and only on plans that include iOS devices, such as Mac + iOS or Power User. Not every Setapp app has an iOS version.

1. In Setapp desktop on your Mac, open the app’s page. Click All Apps and then iOS Apps to see everything available.
2. Click Get iOS App. If the button is missing, the app is not available on iOS.
3. Scan the QR code with the built-in Camera app on your iPhone or iPad. The App Store page opens.
4. Install the app from the App Store. Setapp says you do not pay the App Store price on top of your Setapp plan.
5. Back on your Mac, click Next Step and scan the second QR code to activate the full version.

You should see a confirmation that the app was activated. Apps installed during a trial lose that activation if you cancel, and Setapp says they keep working in free mode.

How to cancel, uninstall, or ask for a refund

Warning: uninstalling Setapp does not stop billing. Setapp states that your subscription stays active after an uninstall, so cancel first.

Cancel a trial:

1. Sign in to your Setapp account on setapp.com and open the Subscription page.
2. Click Cancel trial at the bottom of the page.
3. Answer the short survey and confirm. Setapp may show an offer first, so keep going until you see confirmation that the trial was canceled.

Cancel a paid Membership:

1. Open the Subscription page of your Setapp account and click Manage subscription.
2. Click Cancel subscription at the bottom of the page.
3. Complete the survey and confirm.

Your account stays active until the end of the billing period you already paid for. Setapp’s steps are in its cancel subscription article. You can undo a cancellation by signing in to your account and renewing.

Cancel a single app subscription: in your Setapp account, go to Purchases, select the app, open Subscription settings, and click Cancel subscription.

Remove one app: in Setapp desktop, click My Apps, select the app, click the arrow next to Open, and choose Uninstall. Remove Application keeps your files and data. Uninstall Completely removes the app’s data too.

Remove Setapp itself: open Setapp and choose Help > Uninstall, then pick Uninstall Completely or Keep Applications. Kept apps cannot be used once Setapp is gone.

Refunds: Setapp’s refund article lists three conditions. You must have canceled, you must not have installed or opened any Membership app during the billing period in question, and you must apply within 30 days of the last payment for annual subscriptions and one-time purchases, or 14 days for other subscriptions. Eligibility can vary by country, and AI credit purchases are not refundable.

Limits to know before you pay

• Apps can leave the catalog. Setapp says a removed app keeps working while it stays installed, but it gets no more updates and cannot be reinstalled after you remove it. Setapp emails affected users before a removal.
• Not every app is on every platform. Some apps are Mac only, and some are iOS or web only.
• The education discount is narrow. It is 20% off the annual Mac + iOS plan, for new subscribers who sign up with an eligible school email address.
• Plan changes do not restart the trial. An upgrade applies right away and you pay the difference. A downgrade starts at the next billing period.

Setapp is also not a replacement for basic Mac upkeep that macOS can already do. If your main goal is clearing storage, start with our guide on how to delete junk files on a MacBook Air before paying for a cleanup app.

Troubleshooting common Setapp problems

• An app shows Buy Now instead of Install. It is being offered as a single app. Check for the Standalone App badge. If the badge is there, Membership does not include it.
• An app shows View app instead of Install. Setapp uses that label when the app is not available for macOS. It may be an iOS or web app.
• There is no Get iOS App button. Either the app has no iOS version or your plan has no iOS device slots. Check your plan in your Setapp account.
• Cancel trial is missing. The trial has already ended and a paid period has started. Use the paid cancellation steps instead.
• Setapp stopped working on your first Mac. A one-Mac plan moves to the newest Mac you sign in on. Check the device management section of your Setapp account, or upgrade to a plan with more Macs.
• Setapp is still there after you dragged it to the Trash. Setapp provides a separate uninstaller for this case, linked from its uninstall help article.

Frequently asked questions

Do I keep Setapp apps if I cancel Membership?

No. After a canceled Membership reaches the end of its paid period, the apps remain installed on your Mac but Setapp says you cannot use them. Renewing the subscription restores access.

What is the difference between a single app and a standalone app?

A single app is any Setapp app you pay for individually. A standalone app is a single app that is not part of Membership, so even members have to buy or subscribe to it separately. Standalone apps carry a Standalone App badge.

Can I use one Setapp Membership on two Macs?

Only on a plan that covers more than one Mac. Setapp lists a Two Macs plan, and the Power User plan covers four Macs. On a one-Mac plan you can move Setapp to a different Mac by signing in there, but the first Mac is disconnected.

Is Setapp safe?

Setapp says every app is checked by its review team against quality, safety, and privacy guidelines before it is added, and that each new version is reviewed again. It also says it collects anonymous usage data so developers can see app usage statistics. Setapp is operated by MacPaw, the company behind CleanMyMac.

Is CleanMyMac included in Setapp?

Setapp lists CleanMyMac among the apps available on its platform, including as a single app. The Mac App Store edition is a separate product, which we cover in How to Get CleanMyMac X on the App Store.

The takeaway

Setapp Membership is good value when you will use several included apps across the devices your plan covers, and poor value when you only want one. Single apps fill that gap, with the trade-off that they are Mac only and still depend on Setapp desktop and your Setapp account. Start by checking the What is Setapp overview, price the apps you actually need both ways, and set a reminder for the day before any trial ends.