Setapp Mobile, MacPaw’s ambitious alternative iOS app store for European Union users, will close its doors in February after just over a year of operation, the service said Thursday.
On a support page, MacPaw cited Apple’s “still-evolving and complex business terms that don’t fit Setapp’s current business model” as the reason.
Setapp Mobile shuts down, blaming Apple’s complex EU marketplace terms
The Ukraine-based developer’s message appeared to suggest the widely criticized marketplace model resulting from the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is not financially sustainable under current conditions. The shutdown affects only the iOS version of Setapp in the EU. The company’s established Mac subscription service will continue operating normally.
Setapp Mobile launched in open beta in September 2024 as an early responder to EU legislation forcing Apple to allow alternative app stores within EU borders. The service shuts down February 16, 2026. It marks an early setback for third-party app distribution on iOS in the EU.
What Setapp Mobile offered, and what users should do
Setapp Mobile provided EU-based iPhone users with a unique value proposition. They could access more than 50 premium iOS apps through a single monthly subscription, with no in-app purchases or advertisements. The service offered a simplified alternative to traditional app purchasing, bundling multiple paid applications into one payment.
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Setapp Mobile’s closure highlights the hurdles facing alternative app marketplaces in the EU, despite the Digital Markets Act requiring Apple to permit third-party distribution channels. The most prominent challenge appears to be Apple’s Core Technology Fee and associated business terms, which critics argue make it difficult for competing stores to achieve profitability.
Epic Games, which operates the most well-known alternative marketplace on iOS, absorbs the fees that EU developers would otherwise pay when distributing through the Epic Games Store. However, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has publicly stated this approach is “not financially viable” long-term.
Sweeney characterized Apple’s fee structure as “ruinous for any hopes of a competing store getting a foothold.” And that prediction seems to hold true with Setapp Mobile’s closure.
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Source: Setapp Mobile shuts down EU iOS app marketplace | Cult of Mac
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