Mac Developer Survey 2022

Intro to 2022

surveyMac Developer Survey 2022

Six years in a row we are conducting a Mac Developer Survey to provide industry
insights. This year, we asked the Mac developers
about the progress on the opportunities 2021
opened up, their main challenges and common
practices, as well as the impact of the recent
political events on their work.

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Key Takeaways

App discovery and user acquisition are the main
challenges Mac developers face with app
distribution today.

63% of Mac developers are currently using an AppleM1 chip Mac for their work and 71% have alreadyreleased an M1-optimized version of their app(s).

29% of devs distribute their apps exclusively outside
the Mac App Store, mainly through their websites.

Almost 70% of respondents felt some impactof the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mac Developer Survey 2022

App distribution

Almost a half of Mac developers distribute
their app(s) both through Mac App Store and outside of it. Among distribution
channels outside the Mac App Store,developers mainly rely on their website.
Other ones mentioned include Steam,Setapp, GitHub, and partnerships. Half of Mac devs use a home-grown solution to do so.

Mac Developer Survey 2022

App distribution

Only via theMac App Store29%

How do you
distribute yourapps?

29%

Outside theMac App Store

42%

Both

Which channels outside
the Mac App Store do you
use for app distribution?

80%

Which channels outside
the Mac App Store do you
use for app distribution?

51%

33%
22%
16%

My own website

Steam

16%

Other

I have a homegrown solution

I use a 3rd party
tool(s)BothMac Developer Survey 2022

App distribution

The main challenges Mac developers facewith app distribution are app discovery, user acquisition, and marketing.

What are the mainchallenges you are facingwith current distribution
channels if any?

52%

How is your revenue
divided between different
app distribution
channels?

48%

51%

27%

22%

2%
App discovery Useracquisition

Marketing53%

OM utsac id
Ap e tp heStore

57%

OAp n tp he
St Mor aceMonetization
No recurring
revenue model

Other7%
I don’t haveany challenges

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Mac App StoreDo you think sharing revenue is worth what
Mac App Store gives you?

24%

10%
Definitely no

Rather no36%
Rather yes

30%
Definitely yes

Mac Developer Survey 2022

SetappDo you think sharing revenue is worth what
Setapp gives you?

15%
Rather no49%

36%
Definitely yes

0%Definitely no

Rather yes

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Subscription model

26%

I am currently using
a subscription model23%

I don’t use, never tried,and don’t plan to use
a subscription model

26% of Mac developers are currently using a subscription model for their app(s), and
31% are open to trying one in the future.

11%

31%

I don’t use and never tried
a subscription model but I am open to trying one in the future10%

I used a subscriptionmodel in the past but
not anymore

I don’t use and never tried
a subscription model, andI’m not sure if I will use it

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Subscription model

Among those who are currently using a subscription model, the most popularmodels are paid and freemium. Nearly
70% of Mac devs choose the pricerange up to $9.99 per month.

52%
43%

Which subscription model(s) doyou use? Please choose all thatapply.

21%

20%
10%

PaidFreemium

FreePaymium

Other

41%
28%

What price range do you choose
for your subscription model permonth?

20%
7%0.99-3.99 USD

4.00-9.99 

USD

10.00-29.99
USD

30.00-49.99
USD

3%
50.00 or moreUSD

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Security

Authorized APIs and data encryption are themost common practices Mac devs adopt for
securing their aps.

Which practices do you personallyadopt for securing your app(s)?

33%

26%

Source code obfuscation

24%

Tamper-detection

Using cryptography tools
and techniques

6%
Other

48%
Data encryption

52%
Using authorized APIs

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Security

To ensure further security of their apps,
almost a third of respondents have Big Suras the minimum supported macOS version
and a total of 81% provide updates for newmacOS versions (using new APIs, add newfeatures, improve app stability for the newmacOS etc.) within a month after the officialrelease.

Security

5%4%maMo cO
jav S 1e 0.1
4ma
Yos cOem S 1
ite 0.1
0ma
Mo cO
nte S 1
rey 2ma
Ma cO
ver S <ick 10.
s a 10ndearmalier
Hig cOh S S 10ierr .1
a 3.15.12

ma
Sie cOrra S 10ma
Cat cOalin S 1
a 0 maBig cOSur S 11

Mac Developer Survey 2022

What is the minimum supported version ofmacOS in your app(s)?

2%Mac Developer Survey 2022

Security

When do you provide updates of yourapp(s) for new macOS versions (use newAPIs, add new features, improve app
stability for the new macOS etc.)?

Prior to newmacOS versions’official release12%
The same day as

Within a week afterWithin a month

the official release after the officialof a new macOS

release of a newversion

macOS version

20%

31%

the official releaseof a new macOSversion

18%

More than a month after the official
release of a new macOS version

19%

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Experience withApple M1 chip

71%
Yes, we have already released
an M1-optimized version

Moreover, 63% of developers are currentlyusing Apple M1 chip Macs for their workand a quarter more are planning on trying itout. 81% of those who already use M1 chip
Mac for their work state their experience
with it is rather or totally good.

31%
No yet, we are working on optimization

Have you optimized your app(s) for an M1 chip?

No10%

Experience withApple M1 chip

Mac Developer Survey 2022

1 switch “Have you had the experience ofdeveloping on an Apple M1 chipMac?” {2345678910 }How would you rate your overall experienceof developing on an Apple M1 chip Mac?

case “I’m currently using an Apple M1 chip Mac for  my work”:

63% 

case “I don’t use and never tried working on an  Apple M1 chip Mac but I plan on trying it out”:

24%  
case “I don’t use, never tried, and don’t plan to  
use an Apple M1 chip Mac”:

9%  
case “I don't use and never tried working on an  Apple M1 chip Mac, and I'm not sure if I will  use it”:

4% 

0%

3%

17%

23%

58%

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Cross-platform development

45%
Only for macOSMore than a half of Mac devs build crossplatform solutions to attract their customers.
The majority of them prefer to stay within
the Apple ecosystem, with 80% making
apps for iOS and 66% – for iPadOS in
addition to macOS.

55%
For other operating systems too

Do you develop apps only for macOS or also for other operating systems too?

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Cross-platform development

iPadOS

tvOS

19%

watchOS

29%

66%

Which operating systems other than macOSdo you develop for?

AndroidiOS81%20%
Windows37%

Linux16%

Other

2%

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Cross-platform development
Which framework(s) do you use
for cross-platform development?
React Native

20%

NodeJS

19%

Fletter

14%

SwiftUI

14%

Ionic

13%

Qt

apple frameworks

Don’t use such frameworks

Xojo

Wails

Xamarin
Plain JS

Kotlin28%
31%

Mac Catalyst

Tauri

Xcode

Metal 2 3D

WxWidgets

ElectronJetpack Compose

3%

Other

Other frameworks
mentioned

Magic

B4x

Java

Pure Swift
Geany

UIKit

Unrealcapacitor
VueJS

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Almost 70% of respondents felt some
impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,with 9% being impacted majorly or severely.

No impact at all

24%

12%
Insignificantly

24%

5%

Minorly
How did the full-scale

31%

Russian invasion ofUkraine impact your4%

Moderately

business?
Majorly

Severely

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Attitudes towards 

the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Mac devs worldwide are supportive of theircolleagues’ standing with Ukraine. 68% ofparticipants rather or totally support using
product features or creating new ones tohelp Ukrainians. 

Also, 53% of developers rather or totallysupport their colleagues stop using theframeworks and applications that originatedin Russia.

Mac Developer Survey 2022

What is your attitude towards the following actions of developers?
OPPOSE

Developers use their products’features or create new ones to support
Ukrainian people in any way
Developers stop using the frameworks
and applications that originated inRussia.
Developers ban their product(s) for Russian users.
Developers market their apps’
operations in Russia.
Developers continue working withcompanies and frameworks originatingin Russia

RATHER OPPOSE

3% 4%8%8%NEITHER OPPOSE,NOR SUPPORT25%

6%

25%

33%

12%

29%

25%

RATHER SUPPORT

42%

24%

34%

29%

23%

20%

22%

SUPPORT

24%

34%

13%

5%

38%

10%

5%

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Looking into the future

In 2022, half of Mac devs are planning on
releasing a major update to their app(s) and
45% are planning to launch a new app(s).

61%This year, are you planning to51%

complete any of the following

45%

major milestones?

28%
21%

12%

11%
7%
2%

Maintain my app(s)Release a major

Launch a newLaunch new major

Integrate new 3rdvia incremental

update to my existingapp(s)marketing orparty technology

planning for 2022

improvements app(s)brandingcompatibilityyet& bug fixes

campaign(s)Sunset my app(s)Hire new staff

Other

I'm not doing any

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Looking into the future26%

Advances in hardware(Apple Silicon, 5G,wearable devices, IoT, etc.)

32%

I don't anticipate any trends
will have a significant
impact on my app

20%

Push for personalization& custom experiences

Among some of the impactful trends for thisyear, devs expect to see cloud integration,
hardware advances, and AI.

26%

Artificial intelligence& machine learning

27%

Cloud integration

11%

Cryptocurrencies
becoming mainstream

23%

Privacy rules &protection of personal
information

10%

Mobile wallets

20%

Push for personalization& custom experiences

13%

Focus on health & well-being

15%

Augmented & virtual reality

2%

Other

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Mac Developer’s Portrait

ocation Data: This year’s respondents comefrom 37 countries.

L

Deeper look

US
Interesting facts: 50% of the participants
have a one-person team (that’s a decrease
from 68% last year) and 24% have 2-10
teammates. 12% of devs work in companiesof 100+ people.

61%

United Kingdom

Ukraineustralia

AIndiaItaly

The Netherlands

New ZealandTurkeyPolandGermany

Czech Republic

JapanCanada

France

27%
20%

18%

17%

17%

17%

14%
9%

Productivity

Developertools

Lifestyle

Education

Mac hacks

Creativity
Taskmanagement

Writing &Blogging

9%

Maintenance Personal
Finance

8%

8%

Games

Other

Mac Developer Survey 2022

Mac Developer’s Portrait
Gender and Age
Other

Under 18

Female

60+

45-59
18-29

Male — 90%

Female — 9%

Other — 1%
Male30-44

Under 18 — 1%

18-29 — 20%

30-44% — 51%

45-59% — 22%

60+ — 6%

Mac Developer Survey 2022

About the Mac

Developer Survey 2022

Methodology
This year we’ve had 354 respondents.

The survey ran from May 9 to May 17, 2022.

Results for previous years can be found at: https://setapp.com/news/mac-developers-survey-2020
We welcome feedback at: media@setapp.com

Thank you for reading the summary reportof the sixth annual Mac Developer Survey
by Setapp.