Astro 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 2.2.
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.
Astro
Mac app for App Store keyword research and daily rank tracking
RespectASO
Open-source Mac app for App Store keyword research, with AI Pro tools
Which one is for you
Pick Astro if
- Fits if you're an indie iOS or Mac developer doing your own keyword work
- Works for people tracking thousands of App Store keywords who want one flat yearly price
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your app is on Google Play too, as the pages read only cover Apple's App Store
- Not for you if you work on Windows or in a browser, as it runs only on Macs with macOS 14 or later
- Watch out: ranks only update while the app is open on your Mac, and a license covers one Mac at a time
- Tight if you stay free, since the free version tracks 10 keywords without popularity or difficulty
- Watch out: billing is yearly only at $108, and suggestions come from Astro users' searches, so niche apps may get few
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
| 2.2GPAAstroFair | 3.0GPARespectASOVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$108 a year, about $9 a month, for unlimited apps and keywords, inside this category's cheaper quarter, which runs to $10. Billing is annual only, and the license works on one Mac at a time. | 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 | CThe free version tracks up to 10 keywords with daily updates, but leaves out the popularity and difficulty scores, which is most of the point. No trial is on record. | 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 | CPopularity and difficulty scores, daily rank tracking, keyword suggestions, competitors' keywords, ratings across every country's store and a local MCP server. It does App Store keyword work fully, but that's a smaller job, and Google Play isn't mentioned. | 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, then you search a keyword or paste an App Store link and add your app, with no store account to connect. | 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 links to Apple Ads and DeepL, and its MCP server works with Claude, Cursor and VS Code. | 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 research on a 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: Astro and RespectASO. How we grade
Price against what you get
Astro starts at $9 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 $2.80 a month lower. Of the other app store optimization tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Astro 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
| Astro | RespectASO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9 per month, billed annually ($108 a year) | ₹1,800 for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal |
| Free plan | The free version tracks up to 10 keywords, without the popularity and difficulty scores. | 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 | 28 bit S.R.L. | Loheden AI Solutions AB |
| Price read from | tryastro.app | respectaso.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Astro
- It runs only on Macs with macOS 14 or later, and each license is active on one Mac at a time.
- It covers Apple's App Store (iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS apps); the pages read make no mention of Google Play.
- Billing is annual only, at $108 a year; refunds can be requested within 14 days.
- Rankings update only while the app is open on the Mac.
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
Astro
- Popularity and difficulty scores
- Popularity comes from Apple Ads; difficulty is Astro's own estimate of how hard it is to reach the top 10. Both need the paid license.
- Daily keyword rank tracking
- Keywords are re-checked every 24 hours while the app is running, with position changes and a day-by-day ranking chart.
- Keyword suggestions
- Lists keywords an app ranks or has ranked for, drawn from searches made by all Astro users, so new or niche apps may get few suggestions.
- Competitor keywords
- Paste a competitor's App Store link to see the keywords it ranks for in a chosen store, sorted by popularity and difficulty.
- Ratings across stores
- A ratings view sums ratings from every country's App Store, with daily changes, per-store counts and a chart over time.
- MCP server (beta)
- A local MCP server, switched on in Settings, lets AI assistants such as Claude, Cursor and VS Code Copilot query Astro's data.
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
Astro
Free version$0
Up to 10 keywords with daily rank updates; popularity and difficulty scores are left out.
Single Mac License$9
per month, billed annually ($108 a year)
Unlimited apps and keywords, popularity and difficulty data, suggestions, competitor keywords, ratings analysis and translations.
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
Astro
No public discounts listed.
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, Astro or RespectASO?
As of Oct 23, 2026, RespectASO is cheaper to start with: about $6.20 a month, against $9 a month for Astro. Astro starts at $9 per month, billed annually ($108 a year), and RespectASO starts at ₹1,800 for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal.
Which has a free plan, Astro or RespectASO?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both Astro and RespectASO have a free plan.
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.