AppBrain vs MobileAction (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MobileAction grades higher than AppBrain: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
AppBrain grades higher on the free plan. MobileAction grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AppBrain
Google Play rankings, stats and app promotion for developers
MobileAction
ASO keyword tools and Apple Ads campaign management for app teams
Which one is for you
Pick AppBrain if
- Fits if you build Android apps and want to look up how others rank
- Works for a developer who wants free Google Play market numbers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you work mainly on iPhone apps, as the intelligence tools are described for Google Play
- Tight if you stay free: full history, installs and dashboards need a subscription
- Watch out: the pricing page was not readable, so the price is unknown
- Too light for tracking rivals daily across both stores
Pick MobileAction if
- Fits if you track up to 100 keywords for a handful of apps and want to pay little
- Works for teams running Apple Ads under $10,000 a month, as the campaign manager is free up to that
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a trial without a card, as the plan starts unless you cancel within 7 days
- Tight if you're on Lite, which stops at 100 keywords, 3 months of history and 1 seat
- Pricey if you want competitors' keywords, since they start on Basic at $59 a month billed yearly
- Watch out: extra seats go through sales, and ad creative and paid keyword insights are Enterprise or sales-priced
- Watch out: refunds only cover a first charge asked for within 72 hours, after a missed trial cancellation
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAAppBrainFair | 2.2GPAMobileActionFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe pricing page could not be read, so no price is recorded and it sits in the middle. | CLite is $12.50 a month billed yearly ($15 monthly), just above where this category's cheaper quarter starts, for 100 keywords and one seat. Competitors' keywords and review sentiment need Basic at $59, and organic downloads per keyword need Pro at $199. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe homepage says exploring is free, and a subscription unlocks full history, installs and dashboards. You will hit that wall. | DNo free plan. The 7-day trial needs billing details and the plan starts unless you cancel, and refunds only cover a first charge asked for within 72 hours. |
| Features | CTimelines, competitor comparison, a keyword tracker, a performance report and market stats. But the tools are described for Google Play, and promotion and the ad SDK are separate products. | BKeyword research with AI suggestions, ranked-keyword reports, metadata and creative comparison, review analysis with AI replies from Basic, and an Apple Ads campaign manager. It covers the whole job; ad creative and paid keyword insights are Enterprise or sold through sales. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A web dashboard with accounts and tracking to set up. | CNo rating on record. There are apps, competitors and keyword lists to set up, and the Apple Ads side is a separate product with its own automations to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no desktop or phone app and no integrations listed. | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It links to App Store Connect, Google Play Console, Apple Ads and Slack, and API data is sold through sales. |
| Best for | looking up Google Play app stats | low-cost keyword tracking with Apple Ads tools |
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: AppBrain and MobileAction. How we grade
Where they differ
- AppBrain also covers reports.
At a glance
| AppBrain | MobileAction | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of the ASO plans; billing details are needed and the plan starts unless cancelled |
| Web | ||
| Made by | AppBrain | MobileAction, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | mobileaction.co |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AppBrain
- The homepage says exploring is free and a subscription unlocks full history, installs and dashboards; the pricing page could not be read because the site answered with a bot check.
- Tracking centers on Google Play; the homepage says it also tracks App Store apps but the intelligence tools are described for Google Play.
- Promotion (cost-per-install campaigns) and monetization (an ad SDK) are separate products from the intelligence tools.
MobileAction
- Lite and Basic include one seat and Pro three; extra seats are arranged with sales, and Enterprise has unlimited seats.
- Ad creative, paid keyword and impression share insights come only with Enterprise or the sales-priced Ad and Search Ads Intelligence products.
- The Apple Ads campaign manager is free up to $10,000 of monthly ad spend; above that it is priced by sales.
- Refunds cover only a first charge requested within 72 hours, after a missed trial cancellation.
Key features
AppBrain
- Performance timelines
- Shows how an app's rankings, install counts and ratings change over time.
- Competitor comparison
- Compares an app with rivals across rankings, categories and countries.
- Keyword tracker and optimizer
- Tracks Google Play keyword rankings; listed under Intelligence in the site menu.
- App performance report
- A one-off PDF report for any app, listed in the Intelligence menu.
- Market statistics
- Free Android and Google Play statistics, such as app counts, average rating and the most used ad SDK.
MobileAction
- Keyword research
- Keyword research tools with AI suggestions, volume and difficulty scores, live search results and, from Basic, competitors' keywords and volume trends.
- Ranked keywords report
- See which keywords an app ranks for; the report widens with each plan, and Pro adds brand versus generic keywords and organic downloads per keyword.
- Metadata and creative analysis
- Compare store listings, preview an app page and follow update timelines; Pro adds a metadata optimizer, creative explorer and localization reports.
- Review analysis and replies
- Rating and review analysis on every plan, with sentiment analysis and AI-drafted review replies from Basic.
- Apple Ads campaign manager
- A separate product with an ads manager, automation templates, optimization goals, Slack and email alerts and 8+ mobile measurement integrations.
- AI assistant
- Ask questions about paid and organic store performance in plain language and get bid predictions for Apple Ads auctions.
Plans
AppBrain
Pricing could not be confirmed. See appbrain.com.
MobileAction
Lite$12.50
per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
100 keywords, 5 apps with 3 competitors each, 3 months of history and 1 seat, with keyword research and a limited ranked-keywords report.
Basic$59
per month, billed yearly ($69 billed monthly)
500 keywords, 8 apps with 10 competitors each, 6 months of history and 1 seat, adding competitor keywords, review sentiment and AI review replies.
Pro$199
per month, billed yearly ($239 billed monthly)
1,500 keywords, 10 apps with 15 competitors each, 12 months of history and 3 seats, adding organic downloads per keyword and creative research.
EnterpriseCustom
Flexible keyword limit, 20 apps, unlimited competitors and seats, ad creative and paid keyword insights, SSO and a success manager.
Ways to pay less
AppBrain
No public discounts listed.
MobileAction
- Annual discount
Two months saved with yearly billing
MobileAction's pricing page says yearly billing saves two months: Basic is $59 a month billed yearly instead of $69 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AppBrain or MobileAction?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AppBrain has no price we could confirm, and MobileAction starts at $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, AppBrain or MobileAction?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither AppBrain nor MobileAction has a free plan. MobileAction has a free trial.
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.