Raise your hand if you’re quietly paying for a screenshot tool, a clipboard manager, a colour picker, AND a PDF compressor — all separately.

I did that for years. Then I found Setapp, and I stopped.

I’m Emma Kate. I help graphic designers confidently build WordPress websites for clients, without code or overwhelm. Part of that is having the right tools. And Setapp has been on my Mac for four-plus years doing a lot of quiet, unglamorous, essential work.

What is Setapp?

Think Netflix, but for Mac apps. One monthly subscription. One library. 250+ tools. All available to download and use without paying for each one individually.

It sounds too good. It’s not. It’s just genuinely good.

Instead of juggling separate subscriptions for every little utility, Setapp bundles them. I’ve saved a small fortune over the years, and the apps I’ve discovered inside it. Tools I never would have bought on their own, have changed how I work.

The apps I actually use everyday as a web designer

Here are the ones I reach for constantly:

TextSniper — copies text from any image, screenshot, or locked PDF. If a client has ever sent you a PDF you couldn’t copy text from, this fixes that instantly.

CleanShot X — screenshots and screen recordings with built-in markup and quick upload. It’s replaced three separate tools I used to pay for.

Paste — clipboard history. You won’t understand how much you needed this until you have it. Then you can never go back.

Sip — click anywhere on your screen, grab the hex code. Dead simple. (It’s so good I featured it in its own edition of In My Stack.)

Session — a focused time tracker that keeps my hours honest.

PDF Squeezer — compresses massive PDFs in seconds. Essential for proposals and client file handovers.

TextSniper, CleanShot X, and Paste alone cost more separately than Setapp’s monthly fee. That’s before you touch anything else in the library.

Is Setapp worth it for web designers?

Yes, if you’re on a Mac.

Web design work involves a lot of tool-switching: screenshotting client feedback, grabbing colour codes, managing browser tabs, compressing files before you send them. Setapp covers a huge chunk of that in one subscription.

The searchable dashboard is the real superpower. Whatever you need to do, there’s probably an app for it. You can test it instantly, decide if you love it, and keep using it. No extra cost, no separate trial to manage.

If you’re looking for more tools to streamline your web design workflow, my useful tools page is a great place to start.

At a glance

FAQ: Setapp for Web Designers

Is Setapp worth it if I only use a few of the apps?

If even two or three of the tools you’d use daily are on Setapp, the maths usually works out. TextSniper, CleanShot X, and Paste alone cost more separately than the monthly fee.

Does Setapp work on Windows?

No. Setapp is Mac (and now iPhone) only.

How many apps are in Setapp?

250+ and growing. The library is searchable by category and updated regularly. It’s worth browsing even if you’re just curious.

Can I cancel Setapp anytime?

Yes — it’s a monthly subscription, no lock-in. The free trial is genuinely free; just check the current terms on sign-up.

What’s the best way to discover apps inside Setapp?

Search for a specific problem you’re trying to solve. “Screenshot”, “PDF”, “colour” — there’s almost always something useful waiting. That’s how I found half the tools I now use every day.