Setapp Planning to Launch Alternative App Store for iOS in Europe

App subscription service Setapp today announced plans to launch an alternative app store for iOS and iPadOS in 2024.

Setapp Europe Feature 1
The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers. The DMA will have a significant impact on Apple's platforms, and it could result in Apple being forced to make major changes to the ‌App Store‌, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more.

Apple is expected to be compelled to allow users to download apps from outside its official ‌App Store‌. Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the ‌App Store‌, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees.

Apple is believed to be planning to implement sideloading support in iOS 17 to comply with the new European regulations by next year. Apple must comply with the DMA or it risks fines of as much as 20 percent of its global revenue.

Setapp offers a large collection of Mac apps in a single subscription service. The company's new app store for iOS and iPadOS will ensure that users can access universal Setapp apps on other devices, as well as a range of apps new to the Setapp catalog from over 30 developers.

Users interested in being among the first to try Setapp's alternative app store once it is available can now sign up to a waiting list. It will be available in the European Union only.

Top Rated Comments

Spaceboi Scaphandre Avatar
9 months ago

re: DMA - I think that is a dumb move. I am not comfortable having a "side load" on my iPhone due to security issues.
Well it's a good thing YOU DON'T HAVE TO. Just like on Android it is completely optional. You don't want to sideload, you don't have to. Keep the toggle off and stick with the Apple App Store. But it's there if you want to ever change your mind and want to venture outside of the walled garden.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
9 months ago

re: DMA - I think that is a dumb move. I am not comfortable having a "side load" on my iPhone due to security issues.
Yeah, this is a dumb move by the DMA. No iPhone user should be forced to get their apps from Setapp and....

Wait a second. You're not being forced to use Setapp. Or sideload. Or do anything. This is being provided as an option to Apple's App Store.

Option ('https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/option'):
1. an act of choosing
2. the power or right to choose : freedom of choice
3. something that may be chosen: such as
a : an alternative course of action
b : an item that is offered in addition to or in place of standard equipment



Don't feel comfortable using Setapp? Don't use it, use the Apple App Store instead.

Crazy that consumers would complain about having more options.

Attachment Image
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Akrapovic Avatar
9 months ago

If you are in America, it won’t bother you then and you can stay nice and comfy. For us in Europe, this will provide greater flexibility and usability for our IOS devices.

Setapp are based in Cork in Ireland!! Yay!!!!
SetApp are Ukranian (they're MacPaw). The company is registered in Ireland for tax purposes.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
9 months ago

Wrong. There's much more opportunities for fraud on mobile devices. There's much devices available. More verifications won't do it. Just watch fraud videos on YouTube. So much people are still clicking on email links. It's a business on itself.

Yes very true. Leave the Walled Garden at your own risk. I’ve heard one identity theft hack will negatively affect you and your credit for the rest of your life. No thanks!
I agree. Just look at all scam/fake apps and the fraud being perpetrated on the Google Play Store.

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/02/21/indie-developer-scam-clone-app-store/

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/09/scam-apps-ios-making-millions-revenue/

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/03/30/bitcoin-scam-app-costs-iphone-user-life-savings/

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/09/26/ios-app-store-ad-fraud/

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/03/18/apple-hit-with-lawsuit-from-developer

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/02/21/indie-developer-scam-clone-app-store/

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/04/07/developer-highlights-scam-apps-iap/


Oh, wait. This is Apple's App Store. ?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iZac Avatar
9 months ago
I hope the UK is still considered part of ‘Europe
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spaceboi Scaphandre Avatar
9 months ago
Forget Setapp. How about Cydia? I'd kill for Cydia to finally become a legit alternative app store, no longer requiring jailbreaking
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....
Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri

Apple Releases Open Source AI Models That Run On-Device

Wednesday April 24, 2024 3:39 pm PDT by
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code. As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
apple id account

Apple ID Accounts Logging Out Users and Requiring Password Reset

Saturday April 27, 2024 12:41 am PDT by
There are widespread reports of Apple users being locked out of their Apple ID overnight for no apparent reason, requiring a password reset before they can log in again. Users say the sudden inexplicable Apple ID sign-out is occurring across multiple devices. When they attempt to sign in again they are locked out of their account and asked to reset their password in order to regain access. ...
macbook pro purple february

Best Buy Introduces Record Low Prices on Apple's M3 MacBook Pro for Members

Thursday April 25, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy is discounting a collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, this time focusing on the 14-inch version of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a...
macos sonoma feature purple green

Apple's Regular Mac Base RAM Boosts Ended When Tim Cook Took Over

Friday April 26, 2024 6:34 am PDT by
Apple used to regularly increase the base memory of its Macs up until 2011, the same year Tim Cook was appointed CEO, charts posted on Mastodon by David Schaub show. Earlier this year, Schaub generated two charts: One showing the base memory capacities of Apple's all-in-one Macs from 1984 onwards, and a second depicting Apple's consumer laptop base RAM from 1999 onwards. Both charts were...