Sensor Tower bought AppMagic on May 12, 2026 and runs it as its small and medium business tier. AppMagic keeps a free tier; paid plans are quoted by sales, not listed. If you used AppMagic to size a competitor, that job still works. If you used it to decide what to build, it never did that job, and the replacement depends on which job you mean.
The short list
| Job | Use | From | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decide which niche to enter | Appaloma | $59/mo | 4,000 named niches, who leads each, what they charge, what their one star reviews say |
| Download and revenue estimates on one competitor | AppMagic free tier, Appfigures Boost | $0, $599.99/mo | Estimates on any app; Appfigures adds your own numbers |
| Cheaper market dashboard, ad creatives included | AppBird | $99/mo | Downloads, rankings, competitor tracking, live ad feed |
| Keyword rankings | Sonar | $19/mo | Rank tracking, competitor keywords, API and CLI |
| ASO as a daily job | AppTweak | $79/mo | Keyword research, metadata, custom product pages |
| Your own downloads and revenue | Appfigures | $9.99/mo | App Store Connect and Play in one dashboard |
| Apple Search Ads | MobileAction | $15/mo | ASO plus campaign management |
| Review replies across stores | AppFollow | Free, $179/mo | Reputation and alerts |
Prices are each tool's published entry plan as of August 2026, monthly billing. AppMagic publishes none.
What changed
Sensor Tower bought data.ai in 2024 and AppMagic in May 2026, its fifth acquisition in five years by its own count. AppMagic's founder says customers get richer data and a broader view of the market. AppMagic does not publish prices; a base plan and add-ons are quoted through sales.
For a studio that already paid for AppMagic, the data got deeper. For an indie developer who used the free tier to check one competitor's downloads, nothing changed yet. For anyone choosing a tool today, the choice is between an enterprise vendor's entry tier and tools built for one person.
By job
Which niche to enter: Appaloma
AppMagic ranks categories, publishers and apps by estimated downloads and revenue. It tells you the top grossing app in Health & Fitness. It does not tell you that coin identifiers hold 69 apps, thirty of them launched in the last 18 months, and that the one complaint in all twelve leaders' one star reviews is a trial that bills before it ends.
Appaloma files 50,000 indie apps over $5k a month into 4,000 named niches, three levels deep. Each niche carries readings for how much of it is new, how much demand it shows, how crowded the top is and what is rising. Each app carries its screens, prices, the angle it leads with and a researched revenue band. Reviews pool across the niche, one star first.
Limitation: no download counts, no exact revenue, no keyword tracking. Bands only, because exact indie revenue figures from any vendor are estimates from the same public signals.
$59 a month, $499 a year.
Sizing one competitor: AppMagic free tier, then Appfigures
The free tier still shows estimates on a specific app. For an exact figure on a competitor you have to move to a paid plan, quote-only, or to Appfigures Boost at $599.99 a month, which also carries your own numbers.
A cheaper dashboard: AppBird
AppBird sells self-serve plans from $99 a month with a three day trial: downloads, rankings, competitor tracking and a live feed of ad creatives across about 6.8 million apps. It is the independent tool closest to what AppMagic was before the sale.
Keywords: Sonar, then AppTweak
Sonar at $19 a month tracks keyword rankings and competitor keywords for one person with one or ten apps, with an API and a CLI. AppTweak at $79 is what an ASO team uses. AppMagic was never a keyword tool; if that is the job, it was the wrong tool before the acquisition too.
Your own numbers: Appfigures
From $9.99 a month, App Store Connect and Google Play in one dashboard. Competitor estimates arrive at $599.99.
Ads and reviews: MobileAction, AppFollow
MobileAction from $15 a month for Apple Search Ads. AppFollow free for two apps, $179 a month for a support inbox that answers reviews across stores.
AppMagic vs Appaloma
| AppMagic | Appaloma | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | App, publisher, category | Niche, then the apps in it |
| Revenue | Estimated dollar figures | Researched bands |
| Coverage | Every app in the store | 50,000 apps over $5k a month |
| Reviews | Ratings | Pooled one star reviews per niche |
| Price | Free tier, then quote | $59 a month |
| Built for | Studios and their SMB tier | Developers choosing what to build |
Use both if you can. AppMagic to size an app you already picked. Appaloma to pick it.
FAQ
Who owns AppMagic?
Sensor Tower, since May 12, 2026. AppMagic operates as Sensor Tower's small and medium business offering. Sensor Tower also owns data.ai, bought in 2024.
Is AppMagic free?
A free tier exists with limited estimates. Paid plans are quoted by sales; the site does not list prices as of August 2026.
What is the best AppMagic alternative for indie developers?
For choosing a niche, Appaloma at $59 a month. For a cheaper independent market dashboard, AppBird from $99. For keywords, Sonar from $19. For your own revenue, Appfigures from $9.99. None of them does all four; AppMagic did not either.
Does Appaloma show download numbers?
No. Appaloma shows revenue bands, prices, screens, ads and pooled reviews for the apps in a niche. For a download estimate on one app, AppMagic's free tier or Appfigures Boost.