1MachineTool vs Setapp
A monthly subscription to hundreds of separate apps, or one app bought once that does the machine jobs.
Checked against Setapp’s own site, 18 October 2026
Short answer
If you use Setapp for its cleaner, monitor, battery limiter and menu bar app, 1MachineTool does those jobs for less than three months of the Mac plan.
- Setapp's Mac plan is $14.99 a month or $107.88 a year for one Mac. 1MachineTool Pro is $29 once, with a year of updates.
- Setapp gives you separate apps from separate makers. 1MachineTool's tools share one set of facts, so it can say which app is draining the battery and offer the fix.
- Setapp's catalogue goes far beyond utilities: writing, design, developer and iOS apps. If you use those, Setapp still makes sense.
Two ways to do the job.
1MachineTool
One app with eleven machine tools behind one hotkey. The diagnosis question is free; the fixes, Clean, Power, Battery, Menu bar and Network are Pro, bought once. Local-first, no account.
Setapp
MacPaw's subscription to 300+ Mac, iOS and web apps, including CleanMyMac, iStat Menus, Bartender, AlDente Pro and Paste. Plans run from $14.99 a month for one Mac to $35.99 for the AI Expert plan; a Setapp account is required.
setapp.comSide by side.
| Feature | 1MachineTool | Setapp |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Price | Free, or Pro $29 once (one year of updates) | From $14.99/month or $107.88/year (Mac plan, one Mac) |
| Runs on | macOS now; Windows (v1.1) and Linux (v1.3) on the same licence | Mac, iOS and web apps |
| What it covers | Eleven tools: launcher, clipboard, windows, monitor, clean, power, battery, menu bar, network, security, VMs (when shipped) | 300+ separate apps across every category |
| Tells you why the machine is slow, hot, full or draining | Yes: one sentence, the evidence, the fix and an undo | Depends on which apps you install; they don't share findings |
| Cost over time | ||
| Year one | $29 | $107.88 (Mac plan, billed yearly) |
| More than one Mac | One Pro licence covers your machines | Two Macs $18.99/mo; Power User (4 Macs + 4 iOS) $22.99/mo |
| If you stop paying | Pro keeps working; renew only for new updates | The apps stop working |
| Free trial | Free tier, no time limit | 7 days |
| How it works | ||
| Background apps it takes | One process, one tray icon, one hotkey (⌥Space) | One per app you install, each with its own icon and settings |
| One diagnosis across tools | Yes | No |
| Account needed | No account for Free and Pro | Yes, a Setapp account |
| Windows and Linux | Windows in v1.1, Linux in v1.3; your Pro licence covers them | No |
| Apps outside machine care | No | Writing, design, developer, AI and iOS apps |
Scroll the table sideways.
Which one is for you.
Choose 1MachineTool if
- You mostly use Setapp for utilities: a cleaner, a monitor, a battery limiter, a menu bar app.
- You'd rather pay once than every month.
- You also have a Windows or Linux machine and want one licence for both.
Choose Setapp if
- You use many Setapp apps outside machine care, like writing, design or developer tools.
- You want iPhone apps in the same subscription.
- You like trying new apps without buying each one.
Questions.
Is 1MachineTool on Setapp?
Not today. It is sold directly: Free, Pro for $29 once, and an optional Plus subscription for sync and reports.
Which Setapp apps does 1MachineTool replace?
The machine-care ones: a cleaner like CleanMyMac, a monitor like iStat Menus, a menu bar organiser like Bartender, a battery limiter like AlDente, a clipboard manager like Paste, plus window snapping and keep-awake. It does not replace Setapp's writing, design or developer apps.
What does Setapp cost in 2026?
On Setapp's own pricing page in October 2026: $14.99 a month or $107.88 a year for one Mac, $18.99 a month for two Macs or Mac plus iOS, and $22.99 a month for Power User (4 Macs and 4 iOS devices). Prices exclude tax and changed on June 10, 2026.
Setapp’s column comes from its own site on 18 October 2026. Prices and plans change; if something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
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