Bridging the gap with Setapp
Setapp has come up with a model that bridges the gap between subscriptions and one time license fees. I think it’s a model that has a strong future.
The selection of apps is limited, but a lot of them are very popular ones that cost a lot more than the $9.99 per month or $99 annual subscription. Mike Thomas
You’ll have seen this already, Mike, but for readers who don’t subscribe to our weekly email newsletter: I also see a lot of value in the Setapp subscription service. What stops me buying in to it right now is that I already bought standalone, perpetual licenses for those apps I find useful from its selection.
I keep an eye on which developers add their wares to Setapp in the hope that someday it’ll be the best option for me. Here’s the rub when paying for apps: there’s an inflexible tendency toward offering one model or the other, but not both. Apps in Setapp aren’t tied into only offering subscriptions, though.