Setapp Mobile Founder Discovers You Can Build a Store, But Users Might Ignore It
KEY POINTS
- ā¢MacPaw, a Ukrainian developer, launched Setapp Mobile as an alternative EU app market after the 2024 Digital Markets Act.
- ā¢The service failed to attract users due to complicated business terms and will sunset on February 16, 2026.
- ā¢Users will lose access to any apps from Setapp Mobile upon closure, according to the official support notice.
Setapp Mobile, the valiant attempt by Ukrainian developer MacPaw to ride the EU's Digital Markets Act wave (because forcing Apple to open the gates must surely mean instant fans), is bidding farewell on February 16, 2026. The subscription app market, launched with EU-mandated fanfare, apparently couldn't persuade users to actually use it. MacPawās support page delicately blames 'still-evolving and complex business terms'āa corporate way to say, 'Turns out, no one wanted it.' So users get to lose access to all apps they paid for. Perhaps the biggest mystery is how a marketplace for apps can become as empty as a bank vault with a spellbroken security system.
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MacPaw opened an EU-mandated app store and watched users heroically ignore it until it shut down. Spoiler: permission doesn't equal downloads.
Launching an app store nobody buys from is like throwing a party and praying the wallflowers toss confetti.
Setapp Mobileās lifespan proves that even mandatory competition is no match for user apathy and baffling 'business terms.'
Source: Theverge | Published: 1/17/2026 | Author: Terrence OāBrien
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