App Store Connect vs Google Play Console (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, Google Play Console grades higher than App Store Connect: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
Google Play Console grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
App Store Connect
Apple's tools to publish, test and measure apps on the App Store
From $99/yr
Google Play Console
Google's console to publish, test and grow Android apps on Google Play
From $25 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick App Store Connect if
- Fits if you publish on the App Store and want to test which icon or screenshots convert
- Works for matching custom product pages to ad campaigns and keywords
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need keyword research or rank tracking, as none is built in
- Watch out: Apple takes 30% of digital sales, 15% for small businesses, with other terms in some countries
- Not for you if you ship on Google Play too, as Android listings live in Google Play Console
- Tight if you count on test data, as tests reach only iOS and iPadOS 15+ and usage counts only users who share diagnostics
- Not for you if you want it free, as the $99 yearly membership comes first
Pick Google Play Console if
- Fits if you publish Android apps or games and want to test which listing converts
- Works for matching store listings to countries, search keywords or Google Ads campaigns
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: new personal accounts need 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row before going live
- Watch out: sign-up may ask for a government ID and a card in your legal name, and the fee isn't refunded if checks fail
- Skip it if you need keyword research or rank tracking, as none is built in
- Not for you if you ship on the App Store too, as iOS listings live in App Store Connect
- Watch out: paid apps and in-app sales carry a service fee that varies by region, earnings and product type
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAApp Store ConnectFair | 2.2GPAGoogle Play ConsoleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$99 a membership year for the Apple Developer Program, about $8.25 a month, inside this category's cheaper quarter ($10). Apple also takes 30% of digital sales, or 15% in the Small Business Program and for qualifying subscriptions. | AA one-time $25 registration fee covers every Play Console tool, far less than a year of this category's middle subscription ($19 a month). Paid apps and in-app sales carry a service fee, which Google says 97% of developers don't pay. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: access needs the $99 membership. Only eligible nonprofits, schools and government bodies can ask for the fee to be waived. | FNothing free: the $25 fee comes first, and it isn't refunded if your ID or card checks fail. |
| Features | CProduct pages in 40 languages, A/B tests of icon, screenshots and previews, 70 custom product pages, App Analytics and review replies. It runs your own Apple listing fully, but there's no keyword research, rank tracking or rival data. | CListing experiments, 50 custom store listings by country, keyword or campaign, acquisition reports by search term, review replies and testing tracks. It runs your own Google Play listing fully, but there's no keyword research, rank tracking or rival data. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Enrolment is verified by Apple, and product page tests, custom pages and analytics each take setup and learning. | CNo rating on record. Sign-up may ask for a government ID and a card in your legal name, and new personal accounts must run a closed test with 12 testers for 14 days first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BThe web portal and an iPhone app, with the App Store Connect API and links to Xcode, TestFlight, Apple Ads and Game Center. It manages the App Store only. | BThe web console and an Android app, with the Play developer APIs and links to Google Ads and Google Play Billing. It manages Google Play only. |
| Best for | running and testing your own App Store page | running and testing your own Google Play listing |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: App Store Connect and Google Play Console. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonWebPublic APIReportsA/B testingApp store optimization
At a glance
| App Store Connect | Google Play Console | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $99 per membership year for the Apple Developer Program | $25 one-time registration fee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Apple | |
| Price read from | developer.apple.com | support.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
App Store Connect
- Access comes with the Apple Developer Program at 99 USD per membership year; App Store Connect has no separate price.
- Apple takes a 30% commission on digital sales (15% in the Small Business Program and for qualifying subscriptions), with different terms in some countries.
- Product page tests are shown only to App Store visitors on iOS and iPadOS 15 or later, and usage data counts only users who share diagnostics.
- It covers Apple's App Store only; Google Play listings are run in Google Play Console.
Google Play Console
- Signing up needs a $25 one-time fee and identity checks that may ask for a government ID and a card in your legal name; the fee is not refunded if they fail.
- Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 straight days before releasing to production.
- Paid apps and in-app sales carry a Google Play service fee that varies by region, earnings, product type and install date; Google says 97% of developers pay none.
- It covers Google Play only; App Store listings are managed in App Store Connect.
Key features
App Store Connect
- Product page
- Enter the app name, subtitle, keywords and description in up to 40 languages, with up to 10 screenshots and three app previews for each language.
- Product page optimization
- Test up to three alternate versions of the app icon, screenshots and previews against the original, then show the winner to everyone.
- Custom product pages
- Publish up to 70 extra versions of the product page, each with its own URL, screenshots and promotional text, and assign keywords so they can appear in search.
- App Analytics
- Downloads by source such as App Store Search and Browse, impressions and conversion rate, retention, cohorts and peer group benchmarks.
- Reviews, events and promo codes
- Reply to user reviews on the product page, publish In-App Events that show on the App Store, and hand out promo codes for free downloads.
- TestFlight and releases
- Invite up to 10,000 testers by email or public link, submit builds to App Review, and release manually, on a date or in phases over seven days.
Google Play Console
- Store listing experiments
- A/B test the icon, feature graphic, screenshots and descriptions: one default graphics experiment or up to five localized ones at a time, with up to two variants each.
- Custom store listings
- Up to 50 extra listings shown to users in chosen countries, to pre-registered users, to people searching set keywords, or to visitors from a unique URL or Google Ads campaign.
- Acquisition and conversion reports
- Store listing visitors, Install and Open clicks and click-through rate, filtered by traffic source, search term, country, language, listing and UTM campaign.
- Ratings and reviews
- See the app's ratings and every review with filters for language, star rating, app version and reply state, reply to reviews, and read private beta feedback.
- Testing tracks and releases
- Internal, closed and open testing tracks, pre-registration and production releases, with pre-launch reports and Android vitals on app quality.
- Price experiments and subscriptions
- Set up in-app products and subscriptions sold through Google Play Billing, run price experiments and read subscription reports.
Plans
App Store Connect
Apple Developer Program$99
per membership year
Includes App Store Connect: product pages, TestFlight, App Review submission, App Analytics, sales reports and the App Store Connect API.
Google Play Console
Developer account$25
one-time registration fee
A Personal or Organization developer account with every Play Console tool: store listings, experiments, testing tracks, reports and the Play developer APIs.
Ways to pay less
App Store Connect
- Nonprofit
Fee waiver for nonprofits, schools and government
Eligible nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities can ask Apple to waive the Apple Developer Program membership fee.
Google Play Console
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, App Store Connect or Google Play Console?
As of Oct 23, 2026, App Store Connect starts at $99 per membership year for the Apple Developer Program, and Google Play Console starts at $25 one-time registration fee.
Which has a free plan, App Store Connect or Google Play Console?
As of Oct 23, 2026, neither App Store Connect nor Google Play Console has a free plan.
Which platforms do App Store Connect and Google Play Console run on?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only App Store Connect lists an iOS app and only Google Play Console lists an Android app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.