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Setapp VS Bubbles

Compare Setapp VS Bubbles and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Setapp logo Setapp

The one place for trusted apps. Hundreds of high-quality apps for your Mac and iPhone, including AI tools.

Bubbles logo Bubbles

Drop comment bubbles anywhere on the screen, on any website.
  • Setapp
    Image date //
    2026-06-25
  • Setapp
    Image date //
    2026-06-25
  • Setapp
    Image date //
    2026-06-25
  • Setapp
    Image date //
    2026-06-25
  • Setapp
    Image date //
    2026-06-25
  • Setapp
    Image date //
    2026-06-25

A unified marketplace for Mac and iPhone users to get hand-picked, trusted apps. Get over 260 apps for a flat fee with Setapp Membership, or purchase individual apps on flexible terms through Setapp Marketplace.

  • Bubbles Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22

Setapp

Website
setapp.com
Pricing URL
Official Setapp Pricing
$ Details
paid Free Trial $14.99 / Monthly (1 Mac)
Release Date
2017 January
Edit details

Bubbles

Website
usebubbles.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Release Date
-
Edit details

Setapp features and specs

  • Diverse Application Library
    Setapp provides access to a wide range of high-quality Mac applications across different categories, all from a single subscription service.
  • Cost-Effective
    For a monthly fee, users gain access to multiple paid applications, which can be more cost-effective than purchasing individual app licenses.
  • Updates and Upgrades Included
    All apps within Setapp come with automatic updates and upgrades included in the subscription, ensuring users always have the latest features and security patches.
  • Easy Installation and Management
    The Setapp platform provides a user-friendly interface for browsing, installing, and managing applications, simplifying the overall user experience.
  • Free Trial Available
    Setapp offers a 7-day free trial, allowing potential users to explore and evaluate the service before committing to a subscription.

Bubbles features and specs

  • Asynchronous Collaboration
    Bubbles allows team members to share feedback and updates without needing to be online at the same time, enhancing productivity across different time zones.
  • Multimedia Support
    Users can leave comments with text, video, and screen recordings, providing a richer communication experience compared to text-only platforms.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform is designed to be user-friendly, allowing even non-technical users to navigate and use it effectively.
  • Focused Feedback
    Bubbles enables pinpointed remarks on specific parts of a project, making feedback more precise and actionable.
  • Integration Capabilities
    It integrates with major productivity tools like Slack and Trello, which helps in keeping the workflows streamlined.

Possible disadvantages of Bubbles

  • Notification Overload
    Users might get overwhelmed by the frequency of notifications if not managed properly.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, initial setup and training might still be required to fully exploit its features.
  • Dependency on Internet
    The platform requires stable internet connectivity for effective use, which could be a limiting factor in regions with poor internet infrastructure.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any online collaboration tool, there could be concerns regarding data security and privacy, especially when dealing with sensitive information.
  • Limited Customizability
    The tool might not offer extensive customization options to fit very specific requirements of some users or organizations.

Analysis of Setapp

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Setapp is considered good for users who frequently use multiple Mac apps and value convenience and flexibility. It provides excellent value for money by offering a diverse selection of reliable and well-crafted applications. However, it might not be the best choice for those who only need a few specific applications or prefer to own their software outright.

Why this product is good

  • Setapp is a subscription-based service that provides access to a wide range of Mac applications for a single monthly fee. Users often find it beneficial because it offers a curated selection of high-quality apps without the need to purchase each one individually. It saves time and money for those who require multiple tools, ensuring they always have the latest versions without additional costs. Furthermore, it simplifies software management by centralizing the process of discovering, updating, and accessing various applications.

Recommended for

    Setapp is recommended for professionals, creatives, and productivity enthusiasts who use a variety of Mac applications regularly and appreciate the ease of access to a comprehensive software library without the hassle of individual purchases. It's also suitable for users who enjoy exploring new tools and apps to enhance their workflow.

Analysis of Bubbles

Overall verdict

  • Bubbles is a valuable tool for those seeking an innovative way to give and receive feedback on web projects. Its ease of use and integration capabilities make it a strong option for many teams.

Why this product is good

  • Bubbles (usebubbles.com) is appreciated for its ability to simplify feedback and collaboration by allowing users to leave video and audio comments directly on web pages. This unique feature is particularly useful for teams working remotely as it can save time and make communication more efficient. Additionally, it integrates smoothly with various project management tools, enhancing its utility in collaborative settings.

Recommended for

  • Remote teams looking to improve collaboration
  • Project managers needing streamlined feedback methods
  • Web developers and designers who require client input
  • Organizations aiming to enhance their internal communication

Setapp videos

+ Add

What's Setapp?

Bubbles videos

+ Add

Cidergeist Bubbles Review!

More videos:

  • Review - DIY Homemade Giant Bubbles for Kids Kit with Ryan ToysReview!!!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Setapp and Bubbles)

Setapp

Bubbles

Project Management
100 100%
Project Management
0% 0
Screen Recording
0 0%
Screen Recording
100% 100
Productivity
53 53%
Productivity
47% 47
No Code
100 100%
No Code
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Setapp and Bubbles.

What's the story behind your product?

Setapp's answer

Setapp was created in 2016 by MacPaw, the company behind apps such as CleanMyMac, ClearVPN, and more. The key idea behind Setapp was to give users a simple way to discover high-quality apps for Mac. Over the years, the catalog has grown to over 260 apps and now includes tools for Mac, iOS, and web. Setapp is localized in eight languages and has users all over the world. Here are the key dates:

November 2016: Setapp closed beta is launched for the press, opinion leaders, and influencers. December 6, 2016: Setapp Beta release. January 25, 2017: Setapp public release. August 6, 2020: Setapp let users install iOS apps. August 11, 2021: Setapp arrives on iPhone and iPad. March, 2026: Single app purchase via Setapp Marketplace is introduced. Now, Setapp includes 260+ apps, 50+ iOS apps, and about 10 web apps with more to come.

What makes your product unique?

Setapp's answer

Setapp's key differentiators:

-Curation. Setapp is a curated platform with trusted, hand-picked apps โ€” not a place filled with self-submitted apps.

-Professional focus. Setapp includes apps aimed at improving productivity and workflows for professionals who rely on their Macs. Setapp users range from developers and marketers to educators, healthcare experts, logistics and retail professionals, and more.

-Flexible access. Users have two ways to get apps: a single-fee subscription to 260+ fully unlocked Mac, iOS, and web apps; or individual app purchases via Setapp Marketplace, for those who need just a few apps rather than the full catalog.

-Security. Setapp holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2, and GDPR certifications. Apps are not permitted to display ads or include hidden in-app purchases.

-AI access. AI+ plans give access to all popular LLM models โ€” GPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok โ€” through a single gateway.

Setapp gives users apps they can count on. Itโ€™s not an endless store but a curated collection of apps worth usersโ€™ time and money.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Setapp's answer

-Quality over volume. The catalog includes only hand-picked, trusted apps. When downloading an app from Setapp, users can be sure it is high quality and safe to use.

-Trusted apps, no fillers. Every app is Apple-notarized, ad-free, fully unlocked, and has no features locked behind additional paywalls. Getting apps through Setapp means avoiding malware and unpleasant surprises.

-Save costs. Setapp Membership offers access to over 260 apps for a flat fee โ€” no need to subscribe to multiple individual apps and juggle subscriptions. In Setapp Marketplace, users can purchase hand-picked, trusted apps individually, with no need to double-check quality or security.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Setapp's answer

Setapp is actively used by professionals who rely heavily on their Macs and want to improve their workflows โ€” including developers, IT specialists, content creators, designers, marketers, writers, educators, students, and specialists in agriculture, logistics, retail, healthcare, and other fields.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Setapp and Bubbles

Setapp Reviews

We have no reviews of Setapp yet.
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Bubbles Reviews

Python & ETL 2020: A List and Comparison of the Top Python ETL Tools
Bubbles is another Python framework that you can use to run ETL. Unlike some other ETL frameworks, Bubbles uses metadata to describe pipelines as opposed to script-based. While Bubbles is written for Python, the author claims that it's not meant to be Python-exclusive in nature. A driving theme of Bubbles is that it's technologically agnostic, so you don't have to worry...
Source: www.xplenty.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Setapp seems to be a lot more popular than Bubbles. While we know about 15 links to Setapp, we've tracked only 1 mention of Bubbles. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Setapp mentions (15)

  • Ask HN: How to Sell as a Software Engineer?
    > I've reached the conclusion that software quality and even price matters much less than distribution, especially now. I highly doubt that is true. We don't yet know how end-users will make purchasing decisions now that almost anyone can build something that "works". Taking AI out of the picture: you still need to define the target market segment before you build anything. You still need to find a way to... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Show HN: BoringBar โ€“ a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS
    There could be 4x buyers at $10. Iโ€™d be one of the now, the dock is a constant annoyance. The app looks great, downloading the trial now. To the appโ€™s author Iโ€™d say get as many licensees as you can fast before youโ€™re Sherlocked or somebody vibecodes a clone out of โ€œwhy notโ€. I use many free and paid apps, little QoL types, like BetterDisplay, Coctail, etc and for me the included support is of little value. These... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Coders Coded Their Job Away. Why Are So Many of Them Happy About It?
    I used a bunch of tools from https://setapp.com/ and no longer subscribe. I used to pay for Linear for all my personal projects, built one with CC that perfectly fits my needsโ€ฆ I also built a myriad of small tools that help me automate bunch of busy work I used to do manually, both for professional and personal projects. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Italian Competition Authority Fines Apple $115M for Abusing Dominant Position
    > are there any real 3rd-party AppStores for iOS now "Always has been": Setapp. Very interesting model. Readily recommend devs subscribing to this collection, but non-devs as well if you're into "there's an app for that" and fatigued with IAP. https://setapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • The One Productivity Tool You Didn't Know You Can't Live Without
    I use Paste, a very feature rich clipboard manager for Mac with gorgeous UI. It's not free, but it comes along with a Setapp license that I got from work, so if you already have a license you can use it to install Paste. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

Bubbles mentions (1)

  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2021)
    Bubbles | Remote (US timezones) | Senior Full-stack Engineer | Full-time | https://usebubbles.com Bubbles is enabling the world to work asynchronously by building the next generation communication platform. Rather than being stuck in Zoom all day and having to work around other people's schedules, Bubbles enables you to work on your own time and at your own pace while still having the context you need to discuss... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Setapp and Bubbles, you can also consider the following products

Konfigure - APARTMENTS | VILLA | WORKSPACE | RETAIL

Loom - Loom is a screen recording extension for Chrome that gives people the ability to create and share media. Create your own videos using your camera, screen view, and audio. Read more about Loom.

Metavine Platform - Metavine Platform is a comprehensive Platform-as-a-Service that help businesses build agility and compete effectively in the digital world by enabling them to iterate and create apps quickly.

Tella - Capture your best work with video. Record in the browser, share instantly.

QuickBase - Quickbase provides a no-code operational agility platform that enables organizations to improve operations through real time insights and automation across complex processes and disparate systems. โ€‹โ€‹

ScreenStudio - Streaming, made easy!

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