How we research ASO tools, and who's behind this site
Indie ASO Desk exists because most “best ASO tool” lists online are written by one of the tools being ranked, or by an affiliate who's never used any of them. This page explains exactly how we're different, and where we're not as neutral as a fully independent outlet would be.
Who runs this
Indie ASO Desk is a small editorial project run by the same person who builds ASOHawk, one of the nine tools reviewed on this site. We disclose that on every page ASOHawk appears; it's labelled “in-house” in the ranking and dossier, not folded quietly into a neutral-sounding brand.
How we picked the 9 tools
We included tools an indie iOS developer researching ASO software would actually encounter: named repeatedly in developer forums and search results for App Store optimization software, each with either a public pricing page or clearly, publicly quoted pricing, and each still actively maintained as of July 2026.
How we researched pricing and features
- We pulled pricing, keyword limits and app limits directly from each vendor's own current pricing page, not from a reseller, forum post or older review, wherever the vendor publishes one.
- Where a vendor doesn't publish a specific limit (parts of App Radar's history, MobileAction's Enterprise tier, Sensor Tower's entire pricing model), we say so explicitly instead of estimating a number.
- We ranked on criteria that matter to a solo iOS developer on an indie budget specifically: entry price, whether the free tier requires a credit card, keyword and app limits at the entry tier, and whether an AI agent can operate the tool directly rather than only a person using its dashboard.
- This list is re-checked whenever we notice a vendor has changed pricing; the “updated” date at the top of the ranking page reflects the last check.
What we didn't do
We didn't create trial or paid accounts on the eight competitor tools to test them hands-on; the numbers and feature claims here come from each vendor's own published pricing pages and documentation. We do use ASOHawk directly, since we built it, and that's the one tool on this list we can speak to from first-hand daily use rather than published documentation alone.
Ranking criteria, in order
- Starting price and whether a genuinely free, no-card tier exists.
- Keyword and app limits at the entry paid tier, since that's the tier most solo developers actually buy.
- Whether an AI agent you control can operate the tool directly, versus only a person using its dashboard.
- Disclosed ownership: any tool we have a financial interest in is labelled as such, in the ranking table and in its dossier.
Corrections
If you work at one of the companies covered here and a number is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it. Pricing pages change often; this list is a snapshot, not a live feed, though we recheck it periodically.