Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Skiff VS Setapp

Compare Skiff VS Setapp and see what are their differences

Skiff logo Skiff

Simple & secure privacy-first notes and collaboration

Setapp logo Setapp

The one place for trusted apps. Hundreds of high-quality apps for your Mac and iPhone, including AI tools.
  • Skiff Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04
  • 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.

Setapp

Website
setapp.com
$ Details
paid Free Trial $14.99 / Monthly (1 Mac)
Release Date
2017 January

Skiff features and specs

  • Privacy Focused
    Skiff emphasizes user privacy with end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the user can access their data.
  • Decentralized Collaboration
    The platform supports decentralized collaboration, meaning users can work together securely without central servers that might be compromised.
  • Open Source
    Skiff's code is open source, allowing for transparency and the potential for community contributions to improve the platform.
  • Blockchain Integration
    The use of blockchain technology provides an additional layer of security and immutability, enhancing trust in data integrity.
  • User Control
    Skiff gives users control over their data by minimizing data retention and allowing for data export, ensuring users are not locked into the platform.

Possible disadvantages of Skiff

  • Complex Setup
    Due to its privacy and security features, the initial setup and onboarding process may be more complex compared to more conventional platforms.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Being a newer platform, Skiff may have a smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations with other tools and services compared to established competitors.
  • Performance Overheads
    The end-to-end encryption and decentralized nature could potentially introduce performance overheads, making the service slower compared to centralized alternatives.
  • User Experience
    The focus on privacy and security may sometimes come at the expense of user experience, potentially making the interface less intuitive for non-technical users.
  • Limited Market Adoption
    As a relatively new entrant to the market, Skiff may face slower adoption rates and limited user base initially, impacting collaboration opportunities.

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.

Analysis of Skiff

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Skiff is a good option for those looking for a secure and private communication platform. Its strong emphasis on privacy, ease of use, and comprehensive features make it a valuable tool for individuals and teams aiming to protect their data while engaging in online collaboration.

Why this product is good

  • Skiff is a privacy-focused platform offering secure email and collaboration tools. It is designed with end-to-end encryption to ensure that user data remains private and secure. Skiff is particularly appealing for users who prioritize privacy and data protection in their digital communications. The platform is also user-friendly, with features that facilitate smooth collaboration and productivity. Additionally, Skiff offers free tier options with substantial features, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Recommended for

  • Privacy-conscious individuals
  • Teams seeking secure collaboration tools
  • Users looking for an alternative to traditional email services
  • Individuals with a focus on digital security

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.

Skiff videos

Solo Skiff Review My HONEST Opinion! | Watch Before You Buy!!!

More videos:

  • Review - Boat Review - Carolina Skiff 21 LS
  • Review - 2015 Mako Pro 16 Skiff CC | Boat Review

Setapp videos

What's Setapp?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Skiff and Setapp)
Productivity
56 56%
44% 44
Project Management
0 0%
100% 100
Web App
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Skiff and Setapp.

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 Skiff and Setapp

Skiff Reviews

The best encrypted note taking apps
Skiff: Skiff is a privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted workspace that offers note-taking and collaboration, email (Skiff Mail), and file upload, storage, and sharing (Skiff Drive). Every email, file, and note on Skiff is end-to-end encrypted, keeping your personal information private to you. The company also offers a sophisticated technical whitepaper, open-source...
Source: www.skiff.com

Setapp Reviews

We have no reviews of Setapp yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Skiff should be more popular than Setapp. It has been mentiond 47 times since March 2021. 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.

Skiff mentions (47)

  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Skiff- Open source, end-to-end encrypted anonymous email service, no additional details asked at signup, free 10GB drive storage, one custom domain for your own website, free four aliases for your email address per account. Additional Crypto Wallet support for the E2EE environment. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Using aliases across multiple users
    Hello, I want to assign custom domain addresses to e.g. Family members. Shall the family member create already a skiff.com account, and then I assign a custom domain address to him? Source: over 2 years ago
  • I'm getting a certificate error whenever I try to connect
    Hi! I've very recently learnt of Skiff from Epic Murphy's new video on private email services. I wanted to try out the service, however, I get certificate error on any browser I try, both on my desktop and on my phone, whenever I go to skiff.com or any of the subdomains of the website. On my desktop, I've tried the website on Librewolf (Firefox fork), vanilla Firefox and Ungoogled Chromium. On my Android phone,... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Best process to migrate away from Google Workspaces
    Skiff.com can use your custom domain for free, and if you are max 5 people you can all have an address in the custom domain. That takes care of emails. And Skiff also has Calendar, Drive and Pages, but they are all a bit lacking when you're used to Google Drive stuff. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Open-source, MIT UI library
    Hello all! We at Skiff have released our open-source component library Skiff UI for building cross platform privacy-first apps. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
View more

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 / 3 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 / 4 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

What are some alternatives?

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

Google Docs - Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

Konfigure - APARTMENTS | VILLA | WORKSPACE | RETAIL

Bit.ai - Bit is a smart real-time document collaboration platform for teams to create interactive documents, manage digital content and track document insights.

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.

Apple iWork - iWork is an office suite by Apple.

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€‹