This article was first published in Feb 2016 and has been updated in November 2022.
In this article, we’ll be discussing the best ASO tools out there. Which app store optimization tools can you actually trust?
Getting your company’s app noticed in the market place is the most important step in generating revenue. In order to generate revenue, an app needs to be downloaded many times and used by a high number of users, brought in through paid ads or app store optimization (ASO).
What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?
App store optimization is the process of optimizing an app and its app store page in order to increase the app’s visibility, rank and the likelihood of users converting. Around 60% of all users discover new apps while scrolling through the app stores. Taking this into account, you need to step up your ASO game for utmost app success.
Why is ASO So Important?
We feel a bit like a broken record when we say this, as it comes up a lot. There are over 5.6 millions apps in the app stores, with hundreds being added each day. There’s only one way to make your app stand out from the competition in the app stores, and that’s ASO.
- It boosts app visibility/ discoverability. Optimizing your app according to all of the algorithm ranking factors, such as using relevant keywords in the right places and encouraging good reviews, leads the app stores to increase your app’s ranking and feature it in category charts. The higher your app ranks, the higher in the search results it will appear. The app ranked number one for a particular keyword will appear in the first place in the search results for that keyword.
- It brings you more downloads/ conversions. Of course the more visible your app is, the more users will find and download it. But more than just visibility, ASO is about conversion optimization. All elements of ASO are optimized to increase the chances of users converting once they’ve found your app.
- It reduces the cost per install. ASO is an organic process meaning you’re not actively paying for each user, like you are with paid user acquisition methods such as burst campaigns. It therefore requires a smaller budget.
- It grows your app’s revenue/ ROI. For reasons such as a lower CPI and increased CVR, your app will inevitably grow its profits with a strong ASO strategy in place. Your ASO strategy will bring you a higher quality user-base which will also generate more revenue for your brand.
How Can ASO Tools Help You?
If it isn’t already clear enough, ASO is crucial to the success of your app. You’re not going to get anywhere in the app stores without it, truthfully. So you can either leave it up to yourself, or you can use reliable data to help you. We know which one we recommend (hint hint *app tools).
App tools provide you with invaluable data via a plethora of useful features that make optimizing your app as easy and prone to success as can be. However, there’s an ASO tool out there for everything, and many that seemingly overlap with each other, so it can be overwhelming knowing which one to choose. Let us introduce you to the different types of ASO tools and our list of recommendations below.
App store optimization tools can help you with the complicated and ongoing process of optimizing your app. There’s so many elements to consider, such as keywords, metadata, screenshots, preview videos and more, and they won’t benefit from a one time fix. They need to be updated little but often for the best chance of success. They can also help you spy on your competitors to learn from their mistakes and successes. Identify where they go wrong to know where to go right yourself. Identify what they’re getting right that you need to catch up with. ASO tools are perfect for helping your app competitor analysis, which is a critical part of successful ASO.
- ASO tools can increase your user base
- They allow you to track your app’s rank in the app stores
- You can use app store optimization tools to research your competition and conduct an app competitor analysis
- They help create a marketing optimization strategy for the future
It has already been established that ASO is the single most important step to take when it comes to generating high-quality organic traffic for your app. This holds true whether it is done in-house or by using our app store optimization services. As a result, it is not at all surprising to see countless ASO tools flooding the web.
ASO tools can help a developer or marketing director perform keyword research or compare their app to the competition, among many other benefits. Performing solid keyword research is a crucial part of ASO. Yet many developers still believe they can do it all on their own as long as they have the right tools and reliable Wi-Fi.
While we cannot disagree with a serious techie’s ability to tackle pretty much every task, there’s still the issue of finding the right tools in the first place, and knowing how to leverage the wealth of features they offer. Please note that as ASO experts, we use more than one platform when conducting this process. It is the aso tools we use to measure an app’s performance, the combination we choose to work with, and our extensive knowledge that makes all the difference to our leading performance.
Different Types of ASO Tools
- The All Rounder – a comprehensive suite of app intelligence features across the entire spectrum of ASO, including competitor analysis, keyword optimization and performance tracking, to name just a few.
- The A/B Testing Master – part of ASO is understanding which app store page versions perform the best. You can’t rely solely on instinct when there is active data that can help you see what users are responding best to. The way to determine which app store page brings you the best results is through A/B testing, a process of segmenting the audience and showing each segment a different page, then comparing the performance results to reveal the winner. There are tools dedicated to this, so take advantage. What’s more, ASO tools in 2022 can come from the app stores themselves – both App Store Connect and Google Play Console have their own A/B testing tools for their app stores.
- The Keyword Warrior – there are a number of ASO tools out there that focus on keyword optimization only. They offer keyword suggestions, a way to track keywords and keyword rankings to name just a few of their features.
- The Free Option – many of the tools in the above categories will come at a high cost. Some of the top ASO tools out there can cost upwards of $10,000 a year. For many app developers, that’s totally unattainable. The benefit of having an agency like Moburst on your team is that we already have access to leading ASO tools to boost your app. However, many app developers will want to give it their best shot alone, and there are numerous free tools out there that shouldn’t be ignored.
The features you should be keeping your eye out for are keyword tracking, keyword research, keyword suggestion, keyword difficulty, competitor analysis, localization, top charts, category charts, A/B testing, and performance tracking.
Top ASO Tools 2022
In no particular order…
- AppTweak
- App Follow
- App Radar
- Store Maven
- Split Metrics
- Sensor Tower
- Gummicube
- ASO Desk
- Mobile Action
- App Annie
- AppFigure
We’ll add a list below with some of the best ASO tools on the market.
The Top ASO Tools
AppTweak
AppTweak is one of the best tools out there, period. But don’t just take our word for it. It’s used by a whole host of big name clients, including Amazon, Adobe, Expedia, LinkedIn and PayPal. In fact, it has over 80,000 clients. It uses deep-learning algorithms and a diverse range of data to provide its customers with key metrics and insights as accurately as possible. All of this is compiled in an easy-to-use interface, which makes a big difference when using an ASO tool and should definitely be one of your considerations.
AppTweak is constantly updating its features so you’re always at the cutting edge of ASO. It gets its data directly from the app stores. From there, its data scientists analyze the data to identify patterns and define KPS and insights. It provides mobile marketers with a comprehensive optimization report and a great UI experience. To make the most of this report, you will still need a solid understanding of the ASO procedure. Nevertheless, it is a good starting point for your research.
AppTweak has a number of unique features that sets it apart from the crowd and are why we’ve dubbed it an all-rounder. The ASO Timeline and Metadata features allow you to see a summary of app changes in an intuitive timeline, from version to screenshots updates. That’s the easiest way we can think of to keep track of all of your optimizations…and your competitors’ too. There are filters to put in place so you can choose which changes you want to see from which time period. You can also see the before and after of these changes and compare them to selected competitors.
AppTweak’s features range from keyword research tools to competitive analysis tools. Their keyword research tool allows app developers or marketers to find which keywords are being targeted by competitors, which have the highest search volume, the keyword difficulty and more. Ultimately, it’s designed to help you choose relevant keywords for your app that have the highest ranking potential. AppTweak can be used for conversion optimization, competitive analysis, keyword optimization and pretty much anything else in the ASO sphere. As far as price goes, they have various different pricing options:
- Starter: $58 a month
- Pro: $166 a month
- Guru: $249 a month
- Power: $499 a month
To access their full range of features for top-notch ASO, you will need the Power package. However, it comes with a hefty price tag that not every business can afford. That’s why we recommend working with an ASO agency who will likely already be subscribed, and will know how to leverage every feature to its full capacity.
App Radar
App Radar allows you to find relevant and profitable keywords for your brand with ease, with a heavy focus on localization features. It allows you to evaluate your global app expansion through conversion rate comparisons across countries, follow regional trends, and identify local successful tactics. You can find keywords that work in various languages and edit your app for every location according to regional preferences identified by App Radar.
App Radar also offers a wealth of competitive analysis features that can show you where you outrank your competitors and provide the opportunity to strategize based on their ASO and keyword strategy. By being able to see their performance on the App Store and Google Play Store, you can identify what works and what doesn’t, so you know what your app should and shouldn’t be doing.
One of the best things about App Radar is that their plans are customizable, so you can be flexible on your budget and priorities. Your priorities won’t necessarily be the same as another brand’s, so having the option of a personalized solution that suits your budget is ideal. Then, you can control what features and data each team member has access to depending on their role, whether they’re a developer or marketer or anything in between.
App Radar’s pricing structure is:
- ASO: $99 a month
- Growth: $189 a month
- Consultation: $690 a month
- Enterprise: tailored to suit your budget and needs
What’s more, App Radar acquired The Tool in 2021. The Tool was a performance-based ASO tool where you could track everything surrounding ASO, and their features are now available in App Radar.
AppFollow
AppFollow is more than just an ASO platform, it also has Product Management and Support capabilities too. Bringing together the different realms of app marketing is a huge positive on AppFollow’s side, as they all help enhance your app’s performance. AppFollow are the leaders in app review management. They help companies with efficiency in this regard, since the Ratings and Reviews Dashboard offers a single inbox to reply to your users with the option of automatic replies and more.
AppFollow has an extensive range of App Analytics tools with a specific dashboard that enables you to see download and revenue data for your app(s). It also has an extensive range of product management features that allow you to stay on top of your app store performance. AppFollow has an impressive client list including the likes of HBO, Disney and Sony. It’s a platform that’s clearly trusted by the big shots, which is a great indicator as to its value.
Their pricing structure goes as follows:
- Free: with a limit of 2 apps, 10 competitors, 1000 keywords, 100 replies per month, and 5 team members
- Starter: $111 a month
- Pro: $699 a month
- Enterprise: custom
Data.ai
Formerly known as App Annie. Data.ai’s strength is in its massive database, which provides insights on a wide variety of apps. Here you will find a great overview of your chosen market and you will have the ability to check out the competition from the inside out. Certain features are still lacking, but it’s still a wonderful source of information and a must-visit stop for mobile entrepreneurs.
Data.ai provides a high count of ASO tool features. From App Store Optimization and Tracking to App Usage, Downloads, and Revenue estimates. They have some free features including keyword ranking and app store tracking too. This ASO tool has no standard plans or packages. They craft an offer around each of their clients. For this reason, it’s not necessarily suitable for small developers.
Are you looking for a mobile marketing agency? Our ASO experts and Marketing specialists are here to help you achieve success.
Sensor Tower
Sensor Tower is primarily an app intelligence platform with a heavy emphasis on data. We know that data is our friend when it comes to any step on the mobile marketing funnel, and Sensor Tower really leverages data to help you make informed decisions when it comes to your app store optimization strategy.
Sensor Tower gives you the ability to do the more traditional keyword optimization and competitive analysis functions of other ASO tools while adding in new data touch points such as Store Intelligence and Consumer Intelligence that strengthen the decisions you make surrounding your strategy. Sensor Tower’s Store Intelligence tool is powered by complex algorithms and hundreds of millions of data points providing deep insight into both app stores and millions of apps around the globe.
It makes it so easy to discover the top global apps according to their downloads and revenue estimates, and you can even view this data across both app stores at once. You can break these data points down across countries, categories and devices too. There’s an overall Store Summary where you can find insights into macro trends in the App Store and Google Play Store, which can be invaluable when devising your ASO strategy.
When performing your keyword research, Sensor Tower allows you to track valuable measurements such as traffic, difficulty, and competition. You can also compare your app to competitors and learn more about keywords that you might be missing. It’s important to note that certain information is based on an internal scaling system, which might make it harder for you to translate to objective App Store values. Another thing worth noting is that most features are available for paying customers only. They keep their pricing structure close to their chest, so you’d have to schedule a call to find that information out.
Store Maven
This should be one of your go-to platforms for A/B testing and conversion optimization. The key to strong conversion optimization is testing your assets to see what converts based on actual data. Store Maven affords you this privilege, by guiding you through A/B testing and the various elements to consider (of which there are quite a few). You need to design a few different creative screenshot sets that can be tested with segmented audiences to identify which leads to the highest CVR. That’s the one you should choose eventually.
Then, you can analyze the results to inform your future strategy to ensure you’re always creating the best screenshots in line with previous success. This will help you continuously improve, both in terms of results and efficiency.
Store Maven expertly recognizes that the user journey continues well beyond paid ads. The ad takes users to your app store page, where the user journey should continue until conversion.
Split Metrics
Split Metrics is perfect for monitoring interactions on your app store page, from scroll through rates on screenshots and drop off rates on promo videos. The data this gives you on user behavior, and particularly user behavior in relation to your brand, can then be used to identify which aspects of your app store page to optimize most, and how. Knowing which parts of your creative assets perform the best can give you the best indication of what’s going wrong and what you’re getting right.
Beyond the user behavior data, Split Metrics, like Store Maven, is an A/B testing tool that enables you to test your app store page’s every element. Whether it’s your app name and icon, your app store description, your creative assets including video and screenshots, or your chosen keywords, you can test them all.
There are 30+ experiment types available on Split Metrics. You can even test Search, Search Ads, and Category. It promises you up to 65% increase in CVR, which is a rather big promise. The ability to test your app store page updates before you launch them officially in the app stores means you’re minimizing the risk of a conversion drop due to failed assets.
Final Thoughts
Optimizing your app is a data-driven process where you combine information as well as experience. At Moburst, we use multiple tools in order to create the best ASO campaigns and generate results for our clients. We strongly recommend that you do the same and combine data from multiple sources while working on your app. Whichever tool you go for, or whether you choose an agency to help you or not, it’s abundantly clear that you can’t reach the top of the ASO game without some help. You need the data they provide you with to make informed decisions for your ASO strategy whether you like it or not.
Now that we’ve established that, we hope that this article sheds some light on the top ASO tools in 2022, ASO tools comparisons, and which app store optimization tool is the best for your app.
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