Ascope vs RespectASO (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick RespectASO: it is third in our ranking of app store optimization tools, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
RespectASO grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Ascope
Mac app that tracks App Store keyword ranks daily in 50+ countries
RespectASO
Open-source Mac app for App Store keyword research, with AI Pro tools
Which one is for you
Pick Ascope if
- Fits if you build iPhone or Mac apps and want your ranking data stored on your own Mac
- Works for developers tracking the same keyword across several countries side by side
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or need Google Play, as it's a Mac app for the App Store only
- Not for you if you want to try before paying, as there's no free plan or trial, only a 14-day refund
- Watch out: ranks update once a day, and only while the app is running on your Mac
- Tight if you work on two Macs or an older one, since a license runs on one Mac at a time and needs macOS 14 or later
Pick RespectASO if
- Fits if you're an indie iOS developer who wants keyword research without a subscription
- Makes sense if you'd rather keep your research data on your own Mac
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you ship on Google Play, as it researches the iOS App Store only
- Not for you if you want Pro on an Intel Mac, Windows or Linux, as it needs Apple Silicon and macOS 12 or later
- Watch out: Pro's AI tools need your own paid LLM key or a local model, whose speed depends on your Mac
- Watch out: Pro is one payment that doesn't renew, business purchases are final, and the price shows in local currency
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAscopeWeak | 3.0GPARespectASOVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $89.99 a year, $7.50 a month ($9.99 month to month), inside this category's cheaper quarter, for unlimited apps and keywords. It's one plan with everything in it. | AThe free, open-source Mac app does keyword research, difficulty, rival and rank tracking and CSV export with nothing to pay. Pro is one payment for 3 or 12 months, shown here in rupees (₹1,800 or ₹3,700), with no dollar price on record. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. A 14-day money-back guarantee is the only safety net, and that isn't a trial. | AFree outright: the open-source edition has no account, no trial clock and no caps on record. Pro adds the AI tools, bulk research of 1,000 keywords and the MCP server. |
| Features | CDaily ranks to the top 200 in 50+ countries, Apple's popularity scores, difficulty, keyword ideas, competitors from the You Might Also Like row and a local MCP server. It covers App Store keyword work only; Google Play isn't tracked. | CKeyword popularity and difficulty in 175 storefronts, an opportunity finder, rival and daily rank tracking, and AI workflows on Pro. It covers the iOS App Store only, with no Google Play research on its pages. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. It's a Mac app you install, paste the license key into and add your apps and keywords to, with no server to run. | BNo rating on record, but it's a Mac app you install and use with no account or keys for the free features. Pro's AI needs your own LLM key or a local model. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 14 or later, one Mac per license. It reads Apple Search Ads popularity, and its MCP server works with Claude, Cursor, Codex and Gemini CLI. | CA Mac app, plus a Docker edition with the free features for Linux and Windows. Computers only, with no web or phone version; Pro connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama and MCP clients. |
| Best for | App Store keyword ranks kept on your Mac | free App Store keyword research on a Mac |
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: Ascope and RespectASO. How we grade
Price against what you get
Ascope starts at $7.50 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. RespectASO starts at about $6.20 a month and scores 2.3.
RespectASO scores higher and starts $1.30 a month lower. Of the other app store optimization tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Ascope for less, and none scores higher than RespectASO for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- RespectASO is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Ascope | RespectASO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7.50 per month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly) | ₹1,800 for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal |
| Free plan | None | Free open-source edition: keyword research in 175 storefronts, difficulty scores, competitor and rank tracking, opportunity finder and CSV export, with no account. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | TURKA Yazılım ve Danışmanlık Ticaret Ltd. Şti. | Loheden AI Solutions AB |
| Price read from | ascope.app | respectaso.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Ascope
- It runs only on Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and one license is active on one Mac at a time.
- It covers the App Store only (iPhone and Mac apps); Google Play is not tracked.
- There is no free plan or free trial; instead there is a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Rankings update once a day only while the app is running.
RespectASO
- It covers the iOS App Store only, using Apple's public data; its pages describe no Google Play research.
- Pro needs the macOS app on Apple Silicon with macOS 12 or later; the Docker edition for Linux and Windows has only the free features.
- Pro's AI features need your own paid LLM API key or a local model, whose speed depends on your Mac.
- Pro is one payment that does not renew; business purchases are final, and private buyers get only the refund rights their country's law gives.
Key features
Ascope
- Daily rank tracking
- Each keyword is checked once a day in the top 200 App Store results, in any of 50+ countries, with the change since yesterday and full history.
- Apple popularity scores
- Shows the 5 to 100 popularity score Apple reports in Apple Search Ads, refreshed at most every five days, with marked estimates where Apple has none.
- Difficulty and keyword ideas
- A 0 to 100 difficulty score from the ratings of apps already ranking, and related searches with popularity and difficulty filled in.
- Competitors from Apple's own picks
- Pulls the You Might Also Like row from the App Store, with download and revenue estimates for iPhone apps, and tracks any of them in one click.
- Local MCP server
- A server on the Mac lets Cursor, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex or Gemini CLI read rankings, research terms and change what is tracked.
RespectASO
- Keyword research in 175 storefronts
- Popularity scores and a 1 to 100 difficulty score built from seven factors such as rating volume and dominant apps, for many keywords at once.
- Country Opportunity Finder
- Shows the App Store storefronts where a keyword has the least competition for your app.
- Competitor and rank tracking
- See the top 10 apps for any keyword and follow your own app's rank over time, with rankings that refresh every day.
- Pro AI workflows
- AI Niche Researcher, AI Competitor Analyzer and ASO Score Simulator; drafted metadata is checked against 9 App Store rules for up to 5 rounds.
- Your own AI keys or a local model
- Pro uses OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter or any compatible endpoint with your own key, or a model on your Mac through Ollama or LM Studio.
- Rival Tracker and MCP
- Pro follows your app against up to 10 rivals daily and offers 32 ASO tools to Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP assistants.
Plans
Ascope
Pro$7.50
per month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly)
$89.99 a year. Unlimited apps and keywords, daily ranks in 50+ countries, popularity and difficulty, suggestions and the MCP server.
RespectASO
Free$0
The open-source (AGPL-3.0) Mac app: keyword research, difficulty, competitor tracking, daily rank updates and CSV export.
Pro, 3 months₹1,800
for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal, plus tax
AI niche research, competitor analysis, ASO score simulator, bulk research of 1,000 keywords, Rival Tracker and the MCP server.
Pro, 12 months₹3,700
for 12 months, paid once, with no renewal, plus tax
The same Pro features for a year. Price shown to a reader in India; the vendor prices in the buyer's local currency.
Ways to pay less
Ascope
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Ascope's pricing page lists Pro at $89.99 a year, or $7.50 a month, against $9.99 billed month to month.
RespectASO
- Annual discount
Lower price for the 12-month licence
A 12-month Pro licence costs less than four 3-month ones; the pricing page shown in India puts the saving at ₹3,500.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Ascope or RespectASO?
As of Oct 23, 2026, RespectASO is cheaper to start with: about $6.20 a month, against $7.50 a month for Ascope. Ascope starts at $7.50 per month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly), and RespectASO starts at ₹1,800 for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal.
Which has a free plan, Ascope or RespectASO?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only RespectASO has a free plan. Ascope does not.
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.