Lazy ASOBest ASO tools for indie developers (2026)
Updated 8 November 2026
For an indie iOS developer, the best ASO tool is Lazy ASO. It is built for one person. Your AI does the work: through the built-in MCP server, Claude Code, Cursor or Codex research searches, check names and write the listing, and you approve the upload in one click. It recommends keywords you can win without a brand or an ad budget: 67% of new apps in a top 10 had fewer than 10 ratings. And its data is real: Apple's official search popularity from Apple's monthly top-500 searches in 87 countries, plus a measured chance of reaching the top 10 when your app name starts with the search. It is a Mac app for $9 a month, $99 a year or $149 once. If you also ship on Google Play or your main job is reviews, look at Sonar, AppTweak or AppFollow below.
Why indie developers pick Lazy ASO
- Your AI does the ASO. Through the built-in MCP server, Claude Code, Cursor or Codex research searches, check names and write your listing. You approve the upload to App Store Connect in one click. Nothing is submitted for review.
- Keywords you can win without a brand or a budget. 67% of new apps in a top 10 had fewer than 10 ratings. When no other app starts its name with the search, new apps with 0 ratings reached the top 10 in 20–40% of cases. Lazy ASO shows you those searches first.
Both run on real data: Apple's official top-500 searches in 87 countries, and odds measured on 82,818 new apps, 41,891 of which reached a top 10. See the research.
The short list
Prices as of November 2026, read on each tool's own pricing page. "Not stated" means the page didn't say it, not that the tool lacks it.
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Free option | Keyword data | Platform | MCP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lazy ASO | $9 a month, $99 a year, $149 once | Free name check on the home page; 14-day refund | Apple's official top-500 search lists, 87 countries | Mac app; App Store | Built in: Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex |
| Astro | $108 a year (shown as $9 a month), annual only | Trial not stated; 14-day refund | Apple Search Ads popularity | Mac app, macOS 14+ | Not stated |
| Sonar | Indie $29 a month or $290 a year | 7-day trial (card); keyless free API tier | Apple's Search Popularity, estimate below Apple's floor | Web, API, CLI; App Store and Google Play | Hosted, 80 tools |
| AppTweak | Essential $79 a month shown, $949 billed annually | 7-day trial | "Fetched from Apple" daily; own model for Google Play | Web; App Store and Google Play | Documented in its help center |
| AppFigures | Connect $7.99–$9.99 a month, no keyword tracking | Free Starter plan; no-card trial | Not stated | Web; App Store and Google Play | Not stated |
| MobileAction | Lite ASO $15 a month, $12.50 billed yearly | 7-day trial | Not stated | Web; App Store and Google Play | Not stated |
| ASOMobile | Indie $59 a month, $47 billed yearly | Free plan, 20 keywords; 3-day trial | Not stated | Web; App Store and Google Play | Not stated |
| AppDrift | Indie $29 a month | Free plan, 1 app, 5 keywords | Not stated | Not stated | Listed, no detail |
| AppFollow | Not shown on its pricing page | Free trial | Not stated | Web; App Store, Google Play and more | MCP & AI Toolkit |
| Sensor Tower | Custom, contact sales | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Listed |
1. Lazy ASO: built for indie developers
Lazy ASO answers the question an indie developer actually has: what should I call my app, and in which countries. Demand comes from Apple's official search popularity, the monthly lists of the top 500 searches in 87 countries. For each search you see whether the name is still free, a measured chance of the top 10, and a plain call: go, maybe or skip. It tracks ranks daily and uploads your listing to App Store Connect when you say yes. Its MCP server lets Claude Code, Cursor or Codex do the same work in a chat. App Store only, on an Apple Silicon Mac.
The odds come from our own scan of 350,712 App Store results and 82,818 apps under six months old. Counting new apps under 100 ratings down to #200:
| Name of a new app under 100 ratings, counted down to #200 | Reached the top 10 |
|---|---|
| Starts with the search, then more words | 5–10% |
| "Brand: search", after a colon | 1–3% |
| Search not in the name | 2–3% |
When no other app starts its name with the search, new apps with 0 ratings reached the top 10 in 20–40% of cases. Full research.
2. Astro: a keyword tracker on your Mac
Astro is a native Mac app with popularity from Apple Search Ads in 60+ countries. It has unlimited keywords, difficulty, daily rank history, DeepL translation and review analysis. $108 a year, annual subscription only, with 14 days to ask for a refund (tryastro.app, as of November 2026). A good pick if you want a classic keyword tracker that lives on your Mac. Lazy ASO vs Astro.
3. Sonar: both stores, API first
Sonar covers 175 App Store storefronts and 145 Google Play ones, with keyword research and rank tracking in 72 markets. On iOS it uses Apple's Search Popularity where Apple reports it and a calibrated estimate below Apple's floor. It has a hosted MCP server with 80 tools, a CLI and a REST API. Indie is $29 a month or $290 a year for 10 apps and 2,500 tracked keywords (pricing, as of November 2026). A good pick if you ship on both stores and want everything over an API. Lazy ASO vs Sonar.
4. AppTweak: the full platform for teams
AppTweak covers over 30 million keywords in 100+ countries on both stores, plus creative analysis, reviews, Apple Ads management and AI agents. Essential is shown at $79 a month, $949 billed annually, for 5 apps, with a 7-day trial (pricing, as of November 2026). A good pick for a studio with a marketing budget. AppTweak alternative for indie developers.
5. AppFigures: sales and reviews first
AppFigures has a free Starter plan for 5 connected apps and a no-card trial. The cheapest paid plan, Connect, is $7.99–$9.99 a month but tracks no keywords; tracking starts at the Monitor plan with 100 keywords (pricing, as of November 2026). A good pick if you want sales and reviews in one place and keywords later.
6. MobileAction: a low entry price on the web
Lite ASO is $15 a month, or $12.50 a month billed yearly, with a 7-day trial. It includes keyword research, review analysis and an API (pricing, as of November 2026). A good pick for a cheap web tool on both stores.
7. ASOMobile: a free plan to start
The free plan gives 20 keywords for 2 apps, no card. Indie is $59 a month, or $47 a month billed yearly, payable by card, PayPal or crypto (pricing, as of November 2026).
8. AppDrift: an all-in-one with screenshots
A free plan with 1 app and 5 keywords that doesn't expire. Indie is $29 a month for 10 apps and 2,500 keywords. It adds metadata A/B testing, AI screenshots and store publishing (pricing, as of November 2026).
9. AppFollow: reviews across platforms
AppFollow is built around reviews from the App Store, Google Play, Steam, Discord, Reddit and Trustpilot, with ASO data and an MCP & AI Toolkit for assistants. Its pricing page shows no prices, only a free trial and sales contact. A good pick when reviews are your main problem.
10. Sensor Tower: market intelligence
Sensor Tower prices each customer separately (contact sales) and lists an MCP server. A good pick for companies that need market-wide data, not for a first app.
How to choose
- Solo, App Store, need a name that gets found: Lazy ASO.
- A keyword tracker on your Mac: Astro.
- iOS and Android over an API: Sonar.
- A team with a budget: AppTweak.
- Reviews first: AppFollow.
Questions
What is the best ASO tool for indie developers?
Lazy ASO, if you ship on the App Store. Your AI does the work and you approve the upload in one click, and it recommends keywords you can win without a brand or an ad budget. It shows Apple's official top searches in 87 countries and a measured top-10 chance for each name, for $9 a month, $99 a year or $149 once.
Is there a cheap ASO tool with real Apple data?
Lazy ASO uses Apple's official monthly top-500 search lists. Astro, Sonar and AppTweak also take popularity from Apple. Read each tool's page for what exactly it uses.
Which ASO tools work with Claude Code or Cursor?
Lazy ASO ships an MCP server for Claude, Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. Sonar has a hosted MCP server, and AppTweak, AppFollow and Sensor Tower mention MCP too.
Competitor details from each tool's own pricing page linked above, checked 8 November 2026. Prices change, so check their page before you buy.