Apple said that the European Commission’s actions led to the closure of the alternative app store Setapp because the regulator did not agree to the company’s proposed changes to the rules for third-party App Stores on iOS.
Apple said that the European Commission’s actions led to the closure of the alternative app store Setapp because the regulator did not agree to the company’s proposed changes to the rules for third-party App Stores on iOS.
After the shutdown of Setapp, Apple accused the European Commission of «politically delaying» decisions and deliberately creating grounds for new fines. According to Engadget, the regulator is preparing to hold Apple responsible for the shutdown of the project, which was developed by the Ukrainian company MacPaw.
Setapp stopped working on iOS after the Digital Markets Act was introduced, which required Apple to allow third-party app stores from 2024. The company formally opened up this possibility, but at the same time introduced new financial and operational conditions. In particular, Apple set a fee of €0.50 for each install of the app after exceeding one million downloads, as well as a complex system of fees and reporting for third-party stores.
MacPaw explained that these conditions were incompatible with Setapp’s business model due to their complexity and financial burden. After that, the service was decided to be closed. The European Commission, according to Bloomberg, sees this as evidence that Apple has in fact failed to meet the key requirements of the DMA to create real competition.
Apple insists that it submitted a formal plan to the European Commission to amend its third-party App Store rules, including a new fee model, back in the fall. The company claims that the regulator has yet to respond, and that the refusal to approve these changes is being used to prepare new sanctions.
In response, European Commission representatives stated that they are in constant dialogue with Apple and are working to bring the iOS ecosystem into full compliance with the Digital Markets Act, taking into account the position of developers.
The Digital Markets Act imposes tough requirements on the largest technology companies and allows for fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover. In April 2025, Apple was already fined $500 million for violating rules on alternative payment mechanisms. The situation with third-party app stores remains one of the key points of conflict between the company and EU regulators.
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