General SaaS app marketplaces
Setapp vs Zapier App Directory
Setapp and Zapier App Directory both compete in general saas app marketplaces. Here is how they compare on the factors that decide where a developer should build — authentication, complexity, review, monetization, and merchant of record.
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | MacPaw Inc. | Zapier, Inc. |
| Ecosystem | General SaaS app marketplaces | General SaaS app marketplaces |
| Category | General SaaS | General SaaS |
| Primary auth | None | OAuth 2.0 |
| Also supports | API key | API key, JWT |
| Complexity | Moderate (L2) | Moderate (L2) |
| Security review | Required | Required |
| Integration types | Embedded app | Connector, Workflow action |
| Monetization | Revenue share | Free |
| Onboarding fee | $0 to apply; curated acceptance | $0 (free to list) |
| Commission | Revenue-share pool distributed by usage share, not a fixed per-sale cut | None (no partner rev-share; Zapier monetizes end-user task volume) |
| Merchant of Record | Setapp acts as MoR for all subscriptions | Not applicable (partners bill their own SaaS separately) |
| AI agents / bots | Not a focus | Supported |
| Example apps | CleanMyMac, Bartender, Ulysses | Slack, Google Sheets, HubSpot |
| API rate limits | Not applicable — Setapp distributes native apps rather than API-integrated services. | Varies by plan and by the partner's own API; Zapier throttles polling and task volume per account tier. |
| Links |
Which should you choose?
- Lower complexity: both at level 2/4.
- Security review: both require a formal review.
- AI agents: Zapier App Directory explicitly supports AI agents.