Here at Setapp, we care about the apps you use and how to better cater to your needs. This is why we held a Mac user survey this past April to find out how Mac users pick apps for daily use and what they value most about them. Whether you are a curious Mac user, a happy Setapp subscriber, or a developer looking to make your existing or planned app more desirable for users, we are excited to share our findings in today’s post!
What’s more, this is the first report of its kind (that we know of) that helps shed light on users’ preferences when it comes to apps for Mac. For app developers, this can be an invaluable insight into the thinking of the end users. We hope to assist them in discerning just the features and characteristics that are bound to set their apps apart in a highly competitive market.
Without further ado, let’s get into the results.
On average, the number of apps installed across the surveyed users was 31. Out of these, people estimated that they use about 12 on a daily basis.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/RJttuv7MyFgQabFQ3TbPZ6IdvgGEnAnKRwv4AgLIlmYt5vSZ7O4-8eSdehv8aB2oASrRFJNKp0ML3dq1x7hkmw7sNhtGQ1x69JDJUDp9ZzpUgpI_BXUTEEtmY_phB7W_oxfDtFcr
Importantly, we’ve asked the respondents to share their Mac app spending over the last 12 months. We got an average of $36.
14% prefer subscriptions, while more than double — 36% prefer one-time app purchases. 38% were open to options picking an “it depends” answer for their app purchase preferences in this regard.
We’ve also found that users prefer native apps and apps designed specifically for Mac. Plus, apps make them feel more productive.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sE_tjhARNML26lK-S5GOkHcXQPh6UNX8d0JH9DCmKGr-CPCUkk2rvnmDxqD39-nds9J8DCMFh1ILBqm6NgjZlhve8UwpMDsIIu52fUsYIR_bQRLp6nldI5UwRGmE3edXT3KB9_Le
Most users also agree that they’d miss their Mac apps if they weren’t using a Mac anymore.
We found that users list quite a few things when it comes to reasoning over buying or not buying a specific app. For 50% of the surveyed an app doing what it does, i.e its actual purpose, is important.
44% also noted that the app price needs to fit their budget. An option of free trial seems to stand a chance of swaying the decision for 38% of the surveyed.
Almost one in four (24%) valued a recommendation by a friend or coworker. Nearly as potent were discounts and promotions, making it onto the list of factors influencing their purchasing decision for 23% of the respondents.
20% consider app developer’s reputation when deciding on an app.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Mi-mUArS0yauTXRVr-CDinhMIuDWK8HZTa9Ejmn1EubYypYK6TeA2NM31kD4kgK83Rf1BI-HaKBPVaNXIL3arWme2fi8HMyUX0WMVKu2pK1siWZ29RQF__TgVd3OxE_srtccADjy
Factors that are more likely to negatively influence users’ purchasing decision included presence of free alternative (for 38% of the surveyed), price (42%), lack of regular use (38%), and negative online reviews (37%).
Our survey also showed that security is a vital value factor when selecting apps for 57% of the surveyed. App features were the second most important factor with 47% agreeing. Another important criteria when choosing apps to use was user experience and interface, as noted by 44%.