[thibran]

* Traditional Windows Apps => bazaar, everyone does whatever they want

* Snap Apps => centralized, the snap-system updates the apps on a regular schedule

Traditionally on Linux there was only the system-package-manager to update the system and applications. Snaps are confined (unless declared --classic) and allow to have a stable base-system and up-to-date applications.

PS: Can't say much about how snaps compare to macOS.

[yoz-y]

On macOS it is a combination of centralized (if you install through the App Store) and free for all. Almost all applications that auto update use the same framework though (Spark) so the update look&feel is usually the same.