Nobody needs "app intelligence." You need one of six jobs done: pick a niche, track keywords, see your own numbers, size a competitor, run Apple Search Ads, or answer reviews. Each job has one tool that does it well under $100 a month. This is that list, with the tool to graduate to when you outgrow it.
By job
| Job | Best under $100 | From | Graduate to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick a niche and read it before you build | Appaloma | $59/mo | Nothing does this at enterprise scale |
| Track keyword rankings | Sonar | $19/mo | AppTweak, $79/mo |
| See your own downloads and revenue | Appfigures | $9.99/mo | Appfigures Boost, $599.99/mo |
| Size one competitor | AppMagic free tier | $0 | Sensor Tower, quote-only |
| Run Apple Search Ads | MobileAction CMP | $0 to $10k spend | MobileAction Enterprise, quote-only |
| Reply to reviews across stores | AppFollow Free | $0 for 2 apps | AppFollow Essential, $179/mo |
Prices are each tool's published entry plan as of August 2026, monthly billing.
Pick a niche: Appaloma
The job before every other job. Appaloma files 50,000 indie apps over $5k a month into 4,000 named niches and scores each one on how much of it is new, how much demand it shows, how crowded the top is, and what is rising. Every niche pools its leaders' one and two star reviews so the recurring complaint reads as a product brief.
What it does not do: keyword tracking, download counts, exact revenue. Revenue is a researched band. $59 a month, $499 a year.
The rest of the market does not offer this job at any price. Sensor Tower and AppMagic rank categories and publishers. That is the view from above the niche.
Track keywords: Sonar, then AppTweak
Sonar at $19 a month tracks 2,500 keywords across ten apps with unlimited competitors, an API, and a CLI. That is the whole job for a solo developer.
AppTweak at $79 a month is what an ASO team uses: 500 keywords on Essential, keyword difficulty, metadata tools, custom product page planning. Move up when someone's job title is ASO.
See your own numbers: Appfigures
Connects App Store Connect, Google Play, and ad networks into one dashboard from $9.99 a month. Downloads, revenue, subscriptions, and email reports. Competitor estimates arrive on the $599.99 Boost tier. That is the point where Appaloma plus AppMagic's free tier does the same job for less.
Size one competitor: AppMagic
The free tier shows top charts and rough download and revenue estimates for any app. Sensor Tower bought AppMagic in May 2026 and runs it as its small-business plan, so it now sits on the same data as the enterprise product.
Use it for one question: how big is this app. Its estimate and Sensor Tower's model the same public signals. How vendors estimate revenue. Do not use it to choose a niche. Its unit is the app and the category, and it treats a $5k a month indie hit and a rounding error the same way.
Run Apple Search Ads: MobileAction
The campaign manager is free up to $10,000 of monthly spend. Bidding automation, keyword suggestions, and reporting. The paid ASO tiers start at $15 a month. Ad intelligence, which shows competitor creatives across networks, is quote-only.
Reply to reviews: AppFollow
Free for two apps with 100 manual replies a month, alerts, and integrations into Slack and Zendesk. Essential is $179 a month for five apps with AI replies and export. If your app has a support inbox, this is the tool. If it does not yet, the App Store Connect reply box is fine.
When to pay for Sensor Tower
Sensor Tower is quote-only and priced for studios. It is the right buy when you need market sizing an investor will accept, competitor ad spend across channels, or a number a board will recognize. It is the wrong buy for deciding what to build, and the full comparison is here.
The stack most indies end up with
Appaloma to pick the niche. Sonar once the app is live. Appfigures when there is revenue to watch. AppMagic's free tier for the occasional "how big is that one." Total under $90 a month until the app pays for more.
FAQ
What is the best app intelligence tool for indie developers?
It depends on the job. For choosing a niche, Appaloma at $59 a month. For keyword tracking, Sonar at $19. For your own revenue dashboard, Appfigures from $9.99. For a competitor's download estimate, AppMagic's free tier.
Is there a free app intelligence tool?
AppMagic has a free tier for top charts and rough estimates, AppFollow is free for two apps, and MobileAction's Apple Search Ads manager is free under $10,000 of monthly spend. None of the free tiers tells you which niche to enter.
How much does Sensor Tower cost?
Sensor Tower does not publish prices. Plans are custom and sold through sales. Its small-business plan is AppMagic, which it acquired in May 2026.
Do I need an ASO tool before launch?
No. Before launch the question is which niche, and ASO tools answer a different question. Pick the niche first, then track keywords once there is a listing to track.