Setapp Mobile to shut down in the EU

Ukrainian-based developer MacPaw has announced that it will shut down Setapp Mobile, its alternative app store for iOS, on February 16, 2026. First launched in September 2024, the marketplace offered dozens of applications across categories such as productivity, finance, video, photo, and creativity. The service allowed consumers to access these mobile applications for a $9.99 monthly subscription, provided the user’s Apple ID was associated with an EU member state. MacPaw has stated that all applications will be removed from Setapp Mobile by the sunset date, though applications available on Setapp Desktop will remain unaffected.

The decision to shut down the marketplace stems from the complexity of Apple’s fee structure in the EU, which was established under the Digital Markets Act—the EU regulation governing digital markets. Specifically, MacPaw pointed to Apple’s Core Technology Fee, which is Apple’s fee structure for apps in the EU. Under these terms, Apple charges developers a Core Technology Fee of €0.50 for each first annual install over a 1 million threshold in the past 12 months. MacPaw indicated that these still-evolving and complex business terms do not fit Setapp’s current business model, making it difficult for developers to plan, grow, and monetize their offerings.

In a statement, the company reflected on the decision: “Setapp Mobile was a bold, breakthrough project that aimed to provide EU iOS users with access to alternative app marketplaces — creating a new app ecosystem where both developers and users could thrive. We are proud of what we have accomplished with it over the past two years and still believe passionately in this vision. As a result of still-evolving commercial conditions, we have determined that it is not viable to continue development or support for Setapp Mobile within Setapp’s current business model. While we are disappointed to discontinue Setapp Mobile and let down our user base and developer community in the EU, we are looking forward to pursuing the development of other innovations.” Despite this shutdown, other alternative app stores, such as the Epic Games Store and the open-source AltStore, continue to operate in the EU.

Why it matters

The closure of Setapp Mobile highlights the ongoing friction between developers and Apple’s fee structure in the EU. It suggests that for some companies, the financial and operational costs of operating under the Digital Markets Act framework remain prohibitive.