Setapp review 2026: prices, Mac apps for crypto users, refunds and country limits

Setapp is worth it if you work on a Mac every day and would otherwise pay separately for two or more of its apps, such as CleanMyMac and ClearVPN. The Mac plan costs $14.99 a month plus tax, billed in US dollars. It is not available in Russia or Belarus, lists no crypto payment and gives no perpetual licenses.

POOL BTC is an independent comparison site. We are not Setapp or MacPaw, we do not run a mining pool, and nothing here is investment advice. Figures come from Setapp's official pages, its support center and Apple's Apple One page, checked on 2026-10-14. Where a claim rests on a third party, or Setapp's own pages disagree, we say so.

What is Setapp, and who runs it?

Setapp is a subscription catalog of Mac apps run by MacPaw, the company that also makes CleanMyMac, Moonlock and ClearVPN. The site footer names MacPaw Way Ltd, Limassol, Cyprus. Setapp launched in 2017. You pay one fee and can use any app in the catalog for as long as the subscription is active.

There are two products under the name. Membership is the subscription. Setapp Marketplace sells single apps, works with Setapp Credits and has a 30-day refund window.

The catalog size depends on which official page you read. The about page says "300+ handpicked apps" in one place and a "270+ library" in another, a support article says "260+ curated apps for macOS, iOS and web", and the pricing page just says "hundreds". If you are doing the math, use the lowest figure. The number of users is not stated on the official site (checked 2026-10-14).

For someone who mines or trades from a Mac, these apps were in the catalog on 2026-10-14:

• iStat Menus shows CPU, disk, network, temperatures and fans. It watches your Mac, not your ASICs, so the miners still need their own web interface or the pool dashboard.
• CleanShot X handles screen capture, useful when you want a record of a payout page or a support chat.
• ClearVPN is MacPaw's own VPN.
• CleanMyMac covers system upkeep. Its listing page shows that some users reported problems with version 5.7.1.
• Proxyman, Bartender, Paste and Craft are also listed.

How much does Setapp cost in 2026?

Setapp has three monthly plans, priced in US dollars with tax on top: Mac at $14.99, Mac + iOS at $18.99 and Power User at $22.99. They differ in how many Macs and iOS devices you can use and in the number of AI credits. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.

The annual option is harder to pin down. The pricing page promises you can "save up to 40% yearly" but shows no annual price in dollars. A Setapp blog post says up to 40% in one place and 10% in its FAQ, and still carries an old $9.99 banner. The annual USD price is not stated on the official site (checked 2026-10-14).

Prices went up on 2026-06-10. Setapp's support center says the new plans cost more but include more AI credits. Earlier members keep the old price only on their current plan, so switching plans puts you on the new pricing.

Students get 20% off the Mac + iOS annual plan with an educational email, paid upfront. A Teams plan exists, payable by bank transfer, but we could not find its current price. The Family plan stopped taking new members in March 2025.

Does the subscription pay for itself? Setapp's listing pages show standalone prices for three apps: CleanMyMac at $9.95 a month, ClearVPN at $10.99 a month and Bartender at $19.99 a year. CleanMyMac plus ClearVPN comes to $20.94 a month by our arithmetic, against $14.99 for the Mac plan. If you only want CleanMyMac, buying it alone is cheaper. We did not check these prices on the developers' own sites.

Who is Setapp a good fit for, and who should skip it?

Setapp suits people who spend the working day on a Mac and pay for several utilities at once, for example a system cleaner and a VPN. It suits you less if you need one app, want to own software outright, want to pay with crypto or live in Russia or Belarus, where the service is not offered.

It may suit you if you:

• would pay separately for at least two apps in the catalog;
• can do your testing inside the 7-day trial;
• want a Mac monitor such as iStat Menus next to your pool and exchange tabs.

You are probably better off elsewhere if you:

• use one app and nothing else from the catalog;
• want a license that keeps working after you stop paying;
• want to pay in crypto or in your local currency.

Setapp will not tell you whether your miners are profitable. For that, enter your hashrate, power cost and fees in the mining calculator.

Which countries can use Setapp, including Russia, the CIS and Latin America?

Setapp states that it has terminated its services in Russia and Belarus. Trade press reported in March 2022 that sales and downloads stopped there, while existing subscribers kept access until their paid term ended. We found nothing that reverses this. For other CIS countries and Latin America, no restriction is stated, but none is ruled out either.

The statement sits on an undated Setapp page about the war in Ukraine. We found no published list of supported countries and did not review a sanctions clause in the full terms.

For Argentina and the rest of Latin America there is no stated restriction and no local pricing. Setapp says its "fees are charged in US dollars worldwide", and your bank converts any other currency. Your card's exchange rate and any foreign transaction fee come on top, and that part depends on your bank.

How can you pay for Setapp, and can you get a refund?

Setapp accepts Apple Pay in Safari, PayPal and cards: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, JCB, Maestro and Diners Club. Bank transfer is for Teams only. Crypto is not on the list, so we treat it as not accepted. Refunds exist, but only if you did not install or open any Setapp app in the period you want refunded.

If most of your money is in crypto, you will have to move some of it to a card first. Before swapping coins through an exchanger, read our article on AML checks and choosing an exchanger on BestChange.

Setapp's published refund policy:

EU statutory rights may override these terms. Purchases through Apple or a reseller follow their policy instead. In practice the 7-day trial is your testing window: open one app in a paid period, and that period is no longer refundable.

Is Setapp safe, and what happens to your apps when you cancel?

Setapp has a SOC 2 Type 1 audit, according to the German site Sir Apfelot; we did not see it confirmed on Setapp's own pages. Type 1 checks how controls are designed at one point in time. Setapp publishes a vulnerability disclosure policy, and we found no reported Setapp data breach. The apps are rented: cancel, and they stop opening.

Not finding a breach does not prove there was none, and we found no independent security review of Setapp. One old MacPaw issue is on record, CVE-2019-5011 in the CleanMyMac X helper tool. It concerned that product, not Setapp.

What happens to your apps:

• Updates arrive through the Setapp desktop app.
• After you cancel, access continues to the end of the paid period. Then the apps stay on your Mac but will not open.
• Deleting the Setapp app does not cancel billing.
• An app can leave the catalog if its developer retires it, changes its business model or makes it free. Setapp emails members first. Your installed copy keeps working while you are subscribed, but once uninstalled it cannot be installed again.

iOS is a loose end. Setapp Mobile, the alternative iOS marketplace in the EU, closed on 2026-02-16 after an announcement on 2026-01-15. MacPaw cited complex marketplace business terms that did not fit its model, while MacRumors said it was unclear whether Apple's Core Technology Fee was the main factor. The plans still list iOS devices, but how iOS apps are delivered now is not stated in the sources we read.

How do you start with Setapp?

You need a Mac, a supported country and a card, PayPal or Apple Pay that can be charged in US dollars. Pick a plan, use the 7-day free trial to test the apps you need, and cancel before it ends if they are not worth the fee. Each step below follows Setapp's own pages.

1. Check that you are not in Russia or Belarus.
2. Open the Setapp invite link and choose Mac, Mac + iOS or Power User.
3. Start the 7-day free trial.
4. Add a card, PayPal or Apple Pay in Safari. Charges are in US dollars.
5. Install and update apps through the Setapp desktop app.
6. Test the apps you plan to use during the trial, because opening an app in a paid period rules out a refund for it.
7. If you decide against it, cancel under Account, Subscription, Manage subscription, Cancel.

The invite link is our referral link. If you start a paid subscription through it and pay for the first month, you and we each get one month free. It does not work for inviters on Family or Teams plans.

What are the risks of using Setapp?

• Lock-in. There is no perpetual license. Stop paying and the apps stop opening.
• Removals. Disk Drill, Clop, Canary Mail and SnippetsLab have already left the catalog, though older reviews still recommend them.
• Price changes. Prices rose on 2026-06-10, and the old price holds only on your current plan.
• Closed products. Family closed to new members in March 2025, and Setapp Mobile shut down in February 2026.
• Strict refunds. One opened app in a paid period cancels the refund for that period.
• Inconsistent numbers. Official pages disagree on the app count and the annual discount.

How does Setapp compare with buying apps separately, Apple One and Setapp's own alternatives?

Buying apps one by one is cheaper if you need one or two, though some of them are subscriptions too. Apple One costs more and bundles Apple services rather than Mac productivity apps, so it does not replace Setapp. Setapp Marketplace sells single apps, and the Family plan is closed to newcomers.

Setapp gave low demand as the reason for closing Family and froze membership changes on 2025-04-25.

FAQ

How much does Setapp cost per month in 2026?

Mac is $14.99 a month, Mac + iOS is $18.99 and Power User is $22.99, plus tax, billed in US dollars. Prices rose on 2026-06-10, and earlier members keep the old price only on their current plan.

Is there a Setapp free trial?

Yes, all three plans start with a 7-day free trial. Do your testing there: once a paid period starts and you open any Setapp app, that period cannot be refunded.

Can I use Setapp in Russia or Belarus?

No. Setapp states that it has terminated its services in Russia and Belarus. In March 2022 sales and downloads stopped, while existing subscribers kept access until their term ended.

Can I pay for Setapp with crypto?

Crypto is not among the listed payment methods. You can pay with Apple Pay in Safari, PayPal or major cards. Fees are charged in US dollars worldwide, and your bank handles conversion.

What happens to my apps if I cancel Setapp?

Access continues until the paid period ends. After that the apps stay installed but will not open. Deleting the Setapp app does not cancel billing, so cancel the subscription in your account.

How does the Setapp referral work?

The person you invite starts a paid subscription and pays for the first month, and then you both get one month free. The current support article mentions no cap on invites, though older blog posts mention a limit of six. Inviters on Family or Teams plans are excluded.

This article contains a referral link: we may receive a reward if you register through it. It does not change the figures or conclusions.