The best ASO tools in 2026, compared

Disclosure: we make ASOMaster, one of the tools below. Every fact about another product comes from its own public pages, linked in the sources at the end, and was checked on 27 October 2026. Plans change; check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Where a competitor is stronger, we say so.

"Best" depends on the job. A solo developer who wants to know where an app ranks for 40 keywords needs something very different from a publisher tracking 30 apps and their competitors' downloads. So this guide groups tools by the work they're built for, describes how each one is priced, and says who should pick which.

What should an ASO tool do?

At minimum, an ASO tool tells you where your app ranks for each keyword in each market, how much demand sits behind each keyword, and how hard its top ten is to break into. Better tools also track rivals, draft or check listing text, localize keywords per market and alert you when ranks move. Suites add market intelligence: download and revenue estimates for any app.

Three questions separate the tools more than any feature list:

1. Which stores and markets? Some cover only the App Store. If you ship on Google Play, check it is a first-class citizen, not an afterthought.
2. What is the volume number? Neither store publishes search counts. A volume figure is either the tool's own estimate, Apple Ads popularity, or a blend. Apple Ads shows search popularity as a 1–5 level in its interface; the finer score available through the API is a relative 1–100 index, not a search count. Good tools say which number you're looking at. Our guide to keyword difficulty and search volume explains why that matters.
3. Where does the work happen? A desktop app keeps your data on your computer and usually costs less; a cloud suite gives shared workspaces, history for apps you never tracked and estimates you can't make yourself.

Which ASO tools are worth comparing in 2026?

The table lists how each vendor prices its product, the stores it covers and whether it offers an official MCP server for AI agents. "Hosted" MCP servers run in the vendor's cloud; "local" ones run on your computer next to the app.

We don't repeat prices here because they change often; each vendor's pricing page is linked in the sources below.

Which desktop ASO tools are there?

Desktop tools run on your computer, search the stores from there and keep your keyword data locally. They're the affordable end of the market and suit indie developers, small studios and consultants.

ASOMaster

Our app. It tracks keyword ranks in 54 App Store and 53 Google Play markets on one board, with each keyword written in the market's own language and checked in that store. Every cell shows rank and movement, difficulty, an estimated volume and, if you connect Apple Ads or Google Ads, real popularity in its own column. Listing Studio drafts three options for the name, subtitle and keyword field, compares them word by word, localizes the winner to up to 49 languages by testing local phrases in each store, and publishes to App Store Connect or Google Play without submitting for review. AI features run on your own Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Ollama or Anthropic API key, and an MCP server lets agents drive the app.

Pick it if you work on both stores, want real popularity next to estimates and want to go from keywords to a published, localized listing. Skip it if you need history from before you started tracking, download estimates or shared team workspaces. There is no free trial; the monthly plan is the low-commitment way to try it. More: App Store keyword tracker.

Astro

A focused Mac app for App Store keyword tracking, made by 28 bit S.R.L. in San Marino. It shows popularity from Apple Search Ads and a difficulty score in more than 60 countries, with unlimited keywords, and it has a local MCP server in beta. It doesn't cover Google Play or draft listings.

Pick it if you only need App Store ranks on a Mac and want the lowest monthly price. More: ASOMaster vs Astro.

Wow Keywords

A desktop App Store keyword app for Mac and Windows (beta), sold as a one-time purchase with lifetime updates. It estimates volume from the ratings of matching apps, covers 52 countries with native keywords, includes an ASO audit, writes to App Store Connect, uses your own AI subscription and has a local MCP server with 60 tools.

Pick it if you're App Store only and prefer paying once. More: ASOMaster vs Wow Keywords.

Which cloud ASO suites are there?

Cloud suites keep data on the vendor's servers and sell access per plan, often per app or keyword count and per seat. In exchange you get history for any app, market estimates and team features.

AppTweak

A full ASO and market intelligence suite for both stores in more than 100 countries. Plans are priced by number of apps; the entry plan covers 5 apps and 500 keywords with one seat and six months of history, and higher plans reach 24 months, with all-time data from 2019 on Enterprise. Its default volume metric is its own estimate, with Apple's Search Popularity kept as a separate reference. AI agents are built in, and MCP access comes with its API plans. There is a 7-day free trial.

Pick it if you need market intelligence, long history and reporting for a team. More: ASOMaster vs AppTweak.

Appfigures

Best known for analytics: downloads, revenue and payouts across stores in one place, plus estimates for other apps on its market plans. Keyword tracking starts on the Monitor plan (100 keywords, daily ranks) and gets hourly on Optimize. It has a free Starter plan and a hosted MCP server you sign in to with your account.

Pick it if analytics and revenue reporting are the main job and keyword tracking is a part of it. More: ASOMaster vs Appfigures.

MobileAction

An ASO and Apple Ads platform with a low-priced ASO Lite plan for one seat, larger plans with more seats, and a 7-day trial. Its hosted MCP server is set up with a token from MobileAction's team and uses API credits.

Pick it if you run Apple Ads campaigns and want ASO and ads in one place.

Sensor Tower

Market intelligence for apps, ads and audiences, sold on custom pricing. In 2026 it added an MCP server as an add-on for qualifying customers.

Pick it if you need category-wide download, revenue and advertising intelligence and have the budget for an enterprise contract.

Does the volume number mean the same thing in every tool?

No. Each tool models demand its own way, and only Apple Ads and Google Ads report demand from the platforms themselves. Two tools can show 40 and 62 for the same phrase and both be reasonable. What matters is that a tool tells you whether a number is its estimate or the platform's popularity, and keeps them apart. Compare phrases with each other inside one tool rather than numbers across tools.

Which ASO tools have an MCP server?

Every tool in the table lists an MCP server or MCP access on its own pages. AppFollow, which isn't in the table because its main pricing page shows no prices, offers a hosted one too. The difference that matters is where it runs. A local server, like ASOMaster's, Astro's or Wow Keywords', works on the apps you track on your computer. A hosted server reaches the vendor's cloud database, including apps you have never tracked, at the vendor's API prices. The ASO MCP server page has the details and links.

How should you choose?

• One store, one Mac, keyword ranks only: Astro or Wow Keywords.
• Both stores, real popularity, listing drafts, localization and publishing on your own computer: ASOMaster.
• Analytics and revenue first, keywords second: Appfigures.
• Market intelligence, long history and a team: AppTweak or Sensor Tower.
• Apple Ads and ASO together: MobileAction or AppTweak.

Whatever you pick, run one honest test before committing: track the same 20 keywords for two weeks and see whether the ranks match what you see on a device, and whether the tool makes it clear which numbers are estimates.

Sources

Checked on 27 October 2026 on each vendor's site:

• ASOMaster: pricing
• Astro: tryastro.app and MCP docs
• Wow Keywords: wowkeywords.com and MCP docs
• AppTweak: pricing, volume estimate, MCP
• Appfigures: pricing, AI agents and MCP
• MobileAction: pricing, MCP setup
• Sensor Tower: pricing, MCP announcement
• AppFollow: pricing