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RespectASO review (2026): is the free plan enough?

Open-source Mac app for App Store keyword research, with AI Pro tools

Free plan · from ₹1,800/moASOChecked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
Visit respectaso.comFree guide

Our verdict

Third of our top three app store optimization tools

For: iOS developers on a Mac who want to pay nothing

RespectASO is a free, open-source Mac app that researches App Store keywords in 175 storefronts, with popularity and a 1 to 100 difficulty score, a country opportunity finder, the top 10 apps per keyword and daily rank tracking, all kept on your Mac with no account. Pro is a one-off licence for 3 or 12 months, priced in local currency. It is third because it covers the iOS App Store only, with no Google Play research. Pro runs only on Apple Silicon Macs, a Docker edition for Linux and Windows has the free features alone, and Pro's AI tools need your own paid API key or a local model.

See all three and how we rank

RespectASO report card

3.0GPA

Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 23, 2026

Best for free App Store keyword research on a Mac

RespectASO is an open-source Mac app for App Store keyword research that keeps everything on your machine, with no account. The free edition covers popularity, difficulty, rank tracking and an opportunity finder in 175 storefronts, and Pro is a one-off licence for 3 or 12 months. It does no Google Play research, and Pro's AI tools need your own API key or a local model.

Who RespectASO is for

  • 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

Who RespectASO is not for

  • 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
See the alternatives

Why RespectASO gets a 3.0

Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.

  • AValue for moneyThe 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.
  • AFree plan and trialFree 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.
  • CFeaturesKeyword 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.
  • BEase of useNo 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.
  • CPlatforms and integrationsA 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.

What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from RespectASO's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.

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RespectASO: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA

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Where RespectASO stands among app store optimization tools

RespectASO's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 42 of the 42 other app store optimization tools we grade.

It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 40 of 42) and worst on features (C, above 2).

Its paid plans start at about $6.20 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 0 of the 33 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 43 app store optimization tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. RespectASO’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 39 of 42, level with 3
  • AFree plan and trialAbove 40 of 42, level with 2
  • CFeaturesAbove 2 of 42, level with 27
  • BEase of useAbove 39 of 42, level with 3
  • CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 42, level with 15

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 36 app store optimization tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessRespectASO

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
The full chart, and the best app store optimization tools at every price

Keep RespectASO, or make your own?

Keep it

To replace RespectASO you would be making keyword rankings and popularity scores from both app stores, gathered every day. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 42 of the 42 other app store optimization tools we grade. It costs $74.43 a year. RespectASO is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.

What you could not

  • Keyword rankings and popularity scores from both app stores, gathered every day.
  • Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
  • Daily checks of where your pages rank in search results.
  • A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Anthropic Claude and Google Gemini among them.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.

What this rests on. RespectASO’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

What is RespectASO?

RespectASO is a macOS app for App Store keyword research that keeps all research on your own Mac, with no account or cloud service. The free, open-source edition covers keyword popularity and difficulty in 175 storefronts, competitor and rank tracking and a country opportunity finder. Pro, sold as a one-time licence for 3 or 12 months, adds AI niche and competitor research that runs on your own API key or a local model.

Worth knowing

  • 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

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.

RespectASO pricing

As of Oct 23, 2026, RespectASO has a free plan, and paid plans start at ₹1,800 for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal.

Starts at
₹1,800 for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal
Free plan
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
Free$0The open-source (AGPL-3.0) Mac app: keyword research, difficulty, competitor tracking, daily rank updates and CSV export.
Pro, 3 months₹1,800for 3 months, paid once, with no renewal, plus taxAI niche research, competitor analysis, ASO score simulator, bulk research of 1,000 keywords, Rival Tracker and the MCP server.
Pro, 12 months₹3,700for 12 months, paid once, with no renewal, plus taxThe same Pro features for a year. Price shown to a reader in India; the vendor prices in the buyer's local currency.

Read from respectaso.com on Oct 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with RespectASO before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discountLower 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.

    Stated on respectaso.com

Works with

RespectASO alternatives

All RespectASO alternatives comparedAll app store optimization tools

Common questions

Does RespectASO have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. RespectASO is listed for macOS.

Does RespectASO have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. RespectASO is listed for macOS.

Is RespectASO open source?

Yes. RespectASO is open source, according to its own site.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 23, 2026.