Nobody needs "app intelligence." The work is named niches and USPs, keyword rankings, your own numbers, a competitor's size, Apple Search Ads, or review replies. Each of those has a tool under $100 a month, and a more expensive one when you outgrow it.
By job
| Job | Best under $100 | From | Graduate to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000+ USPs across 4,000 named niches | Appaloma | $59/mo | Nothing else does this, at any price |
| Track keyword rankings | Sonar | $29/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 September 2026, monthly billing.
Yearly prices, free tiers and what Sensor Tower charges are on affordable Sensor Tower alternatives.
30,000+ USPs, 4,000 named niches: Appaloma
Appaloma files 50,000 indie apps over $5k a month into 4,000 named niches and 30,000+ USPs, scored on how much of each niche is new, demand, crowding, and what is rising. Every niche pools its leaders' one and two star reviews so the recurring complaint reads as a product brief. Revenue is a researched band, $59 a month or $499 a year.
The rest of the market does not offer this at any price. Sensor Tower and AppMagic rank categories and publishers.
Track keywords: Sonar, then AppTweak
Sonar at $29 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
Appfigures connects App Store Connect, Google Play, and ad networks into one dashboard from $9.99 a month and shows downloads, revenue, subscriptions, and email reports. Competitor estimates arrive on the $599.99 Boost tier.
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.
Its estimate and Sensor Tower's model the same public signals, and How vendors estimate revenue sets out that modeling. 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 and carries 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
AppFollow is 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.
When to pay for Sensor Tower
Sensor Tower is quote-only and priced for studios. It is the right buy for competitor ad spend across channels at that scale. It is the wrong buy for the next build or acquisition. Sensor Tower alternatives for indie developers is the comparison.
FAQ
What is the best app intelligence tool for indie developers?
Appaloma at $59 a month maps 4,000 named niches and 30,000+ USPs from 50,000 apps over $5k a month. The table above prices keyword tracking, your own numbers, and a competitor estimate separately.
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 holds 4,000 named niches or 30,000+ USPs. The exact free limits are on free app research tools. Appaloma's free lookup takes an app concept and returns its niche with the app count and the leader's revenue band.
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. Keyword tools track a listing. Appaloma holds 4,000 named niches and 30,000+ USPs before there is one.