One of the first alternative app stores in the European Union has closed

One of the most popular alternative app stores to emerge in the European Union has been shut down as a result of the region’s Digital Markets Act. The Setapp Mobile store, from Ukraine-based developer MacPaw, first launched in September 2024, and offers dozens of apps across categories like productivity, finance, video, photos, creativity, and more.

Its model provides consumers with access to all of Setapp’s mobile applications through a $9.99 monthly subscription, provided the user’s Apple ID is associated with an EU member state.

Now, the company says that all apps will be removed from Setapp Mobile by the end of the sunset date, February 16, 2026. The company told TechCrunch that apps available on Setapp Desktop will not be affected.

News of the closure, which was announced on Setapp’s support website, was first spotted by MacRumors.

MacPaw stated that “complex, still-evolving business terminology that did not fit within Setapp’s current business model” was the reason behind its decision.

The “complex business terms” referred to here are the complex set of fees that Apple charges for apps that operate under its new EU business terms, which includes the controversial Core Technology Fee that has charged developers €0.50 for every first annual install of over a million in the past 12 months.

The tech giant revised its fee structure last year to avoid further penalties for non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), but instead of simplifying the fees, it made them more complex.

One consequence of these constant changes is that developers cannot properly plan how to grow and monetize their business. It also notes that the fees, as they stand, do not make operating an alternative app store in the EU a viable option.

In a statement shared with TechCrunch, Setapp said it found its business model was not “viable,” as business conditions continued to change. The statement stated:

“Setapp Mobile was a bold and innovative project aimed at providing iOS users in the EU with access to alternative app markets – creating a new app ecosystem where both developers and users can thrive. We are proud of what we have accomplished with it over the past two years and continue to believe strongly in this vision. As a result of still-evolving business circumstances, we have decided that it is not possible to further develop or support Setapp Mobile within Setapp’s existing business model. While we are disappointed that Setapp Mobile has been discontinued and has let our user and developer community down, European Union, we look forward to continuing the development of other innovations.

There are still other alternative app stores operating in the EU, including, most notably, the Epic Games Store from the maker of Fortnite, and the open source AltStore.