Most “best ASO keyword tools” lists are written by an ASO tool vendor. Guess who ranks #1… This one isn’t sponsored by any of them. It compares the five tools I use or get asked about most: AppTweak, App Radar, MobileAction, Appfigures and Astro. Each one has a full Neo Ads review; this article puts them side by side. Pricing was checked on each vendor’s page in September 2026.
Quick answer
- Indie iOS developer on a Mac: Astro. $108/year, unlimited keywords, zero learning curve.
- Daily ASO across both stores, in a UI you actually enjoy: App Radar.
- Deepest keyword intelligence for a structured ASO strategy at scale: AppTweak.
- ASO + Apple Ads + CPP intelligence in one place: MobileAction.
- Connecting ASO to real downloads and revenue, plus market benchmarks: Appfigures.
What actually differs between ASO keyword tools
What you’re really paying for sits on top of that number:
- Difficulty and chance models: Can your app rank top 10, not just “is it competitive”.
- Installs per keyword: The metric that turns rankings into a business case. Only AppTweak Grow and MobileAction Pro have it.
- Google Play volume: Google doesn’t publish it and every tool models it, so treat Play numbers as directional.
- Keyword limits and seats: The real price… 500 tracked keywords across 5 locales is 100 per locale… that’s thin.
- Workflow: Pushing metadata, answering reviews, piping data into Claude or a dashboard, getting a MCP..
Side-by-side comparison
Astro is the cheapest by far; AppTweak is the deepest; App Radar is the easiest to live in every day.
| Tool | Best for | Stores | Entry price | Standout | Dealbreaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AppTweak | Structured ASO at scale, multi-market teams | App Store + Google Play | $79/mo (Essential, 500 keywords, 1 seat) | Best-in-class keyword research + strategic keyword clustering | Feature gating: installs per keyword starts at $299/mo |
| App Radar | Daily ASO work, indie to mid-size teams | App Store + Google Play | €58–69/mo (Essentials, 500 keywords, 1 seat) | Cleanest UI + publishes metadata to both consoles | No MCP, API is a paid add-on; product feels stagnant |
| MobileAction | iOS-first teams mixing ASO and Apple Ads | App Store + Google Play | $15/mo (Lite, 100 keywords) | CPP intelligence on competitor pages | Best features gated; price climbs fast with apps and keywords |
| Appfigures | Tying ASO to downloads and revenue | App Store + Google Play | Free; keyword tracking from $44.99/mo | Real sales data from App Store Connect + Google Play in one dashboard | Pricey for solo devs; no CPP intelligence |
| Astro | Indie iOS devs, AI-assisted workflows | App Store only | $9/mo, billed $108/yr (unlimited keywords) | Built-in MCP server for Claude or Cursor | Mac app only, iOS only, not enterprise-ready |
AppTweak: best for structured ASO at scale
AppTweak is one of the strongest ASO platforms on the market. It combines keyword research, competitor analysis and Apple Ads management in one data-heavy toolkit.
What’s genuinely good
- Best-in-class keyword research, with 12+ discovery tools.
- Keyword clustering that is genuinely strategic, not just a list.
- Excellent competitor intelligence: keyword spying, metadata timeline, A/B test history.
- Good data modeling: installs per keyword, relevancy, Keyword Impact.
- A real bridge between organic ASO and Apple Ads. Campaign Manager is free up to $25K monthly spend.
Where it falls short
- Heavy feature gating with installs per keyword, relevancy and Keyword Impact start at Grow ($299).
- Plans run out fast for multi-app portfolios, and every self-serve plan has 1 seat.
- The interface can be overwhelming and outdated.
- Apple Ads automation rules lack clarity.
Verdict: the reference tool for teams building a structured ASO strategy. Worth it from Grow up; on Essential, you’re paying $79 for what Astro does for $9.
Read the full AppTweak review →
App Radar: best for daily ASO work across both stores
App Radar is SplitMetrics’ ASO platform, and the clearest all-in-one ASO tool on the market. It covers keyword research and tracking, competitor creative intel, metadata publishing and review management across both stores.
What’s genuinely good
- The cleanest UI in the category.
- Very visual keyword discovery and monitoring.
- Creative library + App Timeline make competitor research fast.
- Write and push metadata to App Store Connect and Play Console from one place, with a bulk editor.
- Fewer caps and paywalls than MobileAction at similar tiers.
Where it falls short
- Not as deep as AppTweak: thinner market intelligence, fewer advanced analyses.
- Downloads per keyword and download trends are mostly Google Play only.
- No MCP, and API access is a paid add-on or Enterprise only. Hard to plug into AI workflows.
- The product feels stagnant, with few meaningful releases.
- Entry tier runs out fast: 1 seat, 500 keywords, 6 months of history.
Verdict: the pick when clarity and reliable keyword data matter more than exhaustive market intelligence.
Read the full App Radar review →
MobileAction: best for iOS-first teams mixing ASO and Apple Ads
MobileAction is an ASO-first growth platform that brings ASO, Apple Ads and market intelligence together, now part of InMobi.
What’s genuinely good
- A complete ASO suite: rankings, metadata, competitor keyword insights.
- CPP Intelligence gives unusually deep visibility into competitors’ custom product page strategy.
- ASO and Apple Ads data in the same platform, so less switching between tools.
- Accessible entry pricing for solo developers and small teams.
- A support team that actually knows ASO and Apple Ads strategy.
Where it falls short
- Best features are gated behind higher tiers: organic downloads per keyword only on Pro.
- Pricing climbs fast once you add apps, regions, keywords or modules.
- Market intelligence relies on estimates that can diverge from real performance.
- Some features that should be free are limited, such as restricted number of downloaded reports per month.
Verdict: a top-tier pick for ASO-driven teams and iOS-first scale-ups that want one workflow. Weaker fit for freelancers juggling many apps, or if you need best-in-class keyword intelligence.
Read the full MobileAction review →
Appfigures: best for connecting ASO to market intelligence
Appfigures is an all-in-one app intelligence platform: ASO, download tracking and revenue analytics in a single dashboard. It connects directly to App Store Connect and Google Play for real sales data.
What’s genuinely good
- ASO, downloads and revenue in one dashboard, so you can tie keyword work to business outcomes.
- Excellent for competitive benchmarking and market context.
- Reliable keyword research and tracking accuracy.
- Strong historical datasets for trend analysis.
- Smooth integrations and API access.
- A massive educational ecosystem: YouTube, blog deep dives, newsletter.
Where it falls short
- Pricing gets high for solo developers and small studios, especially for keyword volume.
- No dedicated CPP intelligence dashboard.
- Revenue estimates are model-based and less precise at smaller scales.
- The interface feels dense if you want quick insights.
Verdict: the one to pick when ASO has to report in downloads and revenue, not just rankings. Overkill if you only need keyword research.
Read the full Appfigures review →
Astro: best for indie iOS developers
Astro is a lightweight Mac app for App Store keyword research and tracking, now extending into AI-agent workflows through MCP. One plan: $108/year, unlimited apps and keywords, 60+ storefronts, 14-day refund window (pricing).
What’s genuinely good
- Very affordable, with unlimited keywords. Every other tool here meters them.
- Simple, clean and fast, with almost zero learning curve.
- Accurate and stable: popularity comes straight from Apple Ads data, ranks update daily.
- Built-in MCP server: connect Claude Code or Cursor and run keyword research through prompts. Here’s my Astro MCP guide.
- Automates the repetitive tasks, so your time goes to strategy.
Where it falls short
- A very limited feature set: no installs per keyword, conversion or market data.
- iOS only, and a macOS app only. No Google Play, no web app.
- AI-generated keyword strategies still need human validation and prioritisation.
Verdict: the default first tool for any iOS indie, and the best fit for AI-assisted ASO. Outgrow it when you need Android, a team, or installs-level reporting.
How to choose
Pick based on your stores, your team size, and what ASO has to prove: rankings, installs, or revenue.
Three hidden costs to check before you commit:
- Cost per tracked keyword: 500 keywords costs per month $59–69 on MobileAction, $79 on AppTweak, €58–69 on App Radar, $149.99 on Appfigures, and is unlimited on Astro for $9.
- Seats: AppTweak self-serve is 1 seat on every plan. MobileAction Pro gives 3, App Radar Scale gives 5.
- Data access for AI workflows: Astro ships a free MCP server. App Radar has no MCP and its API is a paid add-on. Appfigures includes API access; AppTweak and MobileAction sell it separately.
My own setup as a consultant: Astro for fast iOS research, plus one reporting-grade platform for client work. Two tools, each doing what it’s best at.
FAQ
What is the best free ASO keyword research tool?
None of the four is free for keyword research. The closest free source is Apple’s own: search popularity shown when you add keywords in Apple Ads, plus App Store autocomplete. Clunky, but it’s the data every paid tool builds on.
Is ASO keyword volume data accurate?
On iOS, popularity comes from Apple and is reliable as a relative score. On Google Play, every tool estimates volume, so compare keywords within one tool, never across tools.
How many keywords should I track?
For one app in one market, 50–150 is enough to start. Multiply by every locale you optimise, and that’s the plan size you need.
Which ASO tool works with Claude or other AI agents?
Astro, through its built-in MCP server. App Radar has no MCP and charges extra for API access; AppTweak, MobileAction and Appfigures offer APIs, not ready-made MCP servers.
Do I need a paid tool at launch?
For iOS, a $108/year tool pays for itself with one good title and subtitle. Spend on bigger platforms once you have traction to measure.
