Sonar review (2026): is the free plan enough?
ASO keyword data and rank tracking that AI agents can use over MCP
Sonar report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 23, 2026
Best for ASO data for AI coding agents over MCP
Sonar gives AI agents such as Claude Code, Codex and ChatGPT keyword, ranking and competitor data for both stores through an MCP server, a CLI and an API, with a web dashboard beside it. Indie is $24.17 a month on yearly billing ($29 monthly) for 10 apps and 1 seat. Rank tracking needs a paid plan, the trial needs a card, and team seats start at Agency, $149.
Who Sonar is for
- Fits if you run your ASO through an AI coding agent such as Claude Code or Codex
- Works for small studios tracking up to 10 apps on both stores
Who Sonar is not for
- Watch out: the 7-day trial asks for a card and the plan starts on its own when it ends
- Tight if you stay free, as rank tracking and the dashboard need a paid plan
- Pricey if a team shares it, as more seats, white-label reports and priority refresh start at Agency, $149 a month
- Watch out: API credits outside a plan are $10 per 1,000, and full keyword research uses 10 credits a call
- Watch out: refunds are decided case by case under Sonar's terms
Why Sonar gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyIndie is $24.17 a month billed yearly ($29 monthly) for 10 apps, 1 seat and 2,500 keywords, between this category's cheaper quarter ($10) and dearer quarter ($49). Credits outside a plan are $10 per 1,000.
- CFree plan and trialWith no account, 7 API and MCP endpoints work at 30 requests a day per IP and 5 keywords a day for metrics. Tracking and the dashboard need a plan, and the 7-day trial takes a card.
- BFeaturesKeyword research with Apple's own Search Popularity, daily rank tracking in all countries, rival keyword gaps, ad spy, AI review replies, a listing manager and a screenshot studio. It covers the whole job.
- CEase of useNo rating on record. Through an agent you add the MCP server or CLI first; in the dashboard you still set up apps, keywords and rivals.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. A hosted MCP server with 63 tools, a CLI and a REST API reach Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT, and it links to App Store Connect.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Sonar'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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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/sonar#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/sonar.svg" alt="Sonar: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Sonar stands among app store optimization tools
Sonar's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 30 of the 42 other app store optimization tools we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on features (B, above 30 of 42) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $24.17 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 21 of the 33 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 43 app store optimization tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Sonar’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 42, level with 20
- CFree plan and trialAbove 12 of 42, level with 22
- BFeaturesAbove 30 of 42, level with 12
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 42, level with 38
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 18 of 42, level with 24
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
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
Keep Sonar, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Sonar 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 2.4 is higher than 30 of the 42 other app store optimization tools we grade. It costs $290.04 a year.
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.
- It plugs into other products, App Store Connect, Claude Code and Claude among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Sonar’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 Sonar?
Sonar is an app store optimization tool for the App Store and Google Play that is built to be used by AI agents as well as through its web dashboard. A hosted MCP server, a CLI and a REST API give agents such as Claude Code, Codex and ChatGPT keyword popularity, difficulty, rankings and competitor keywords. Plans add daily rank tracking, review replies, ad research and listing tools.
Worth knowing
- Rank tracking and the dashboard need a paid plan; the 7-day trial asks for a card and the plan starts when it ends.
- Indie has 1 seat and 2,500 keywords; team seats, white-label reports and priority refresh need Agency at $149 a month.
- API credits outside a plan cost $10 per 1,000, and full keyword research uses 10 credits a call.
- Refunds are decided case by case under Sonar's terms.
Key features
- Keyword research
- Uses Apple's own Search Popularity where Apple reports it and Sonar's estimates elsewhere, with difficulty scores and AI suggestions checked against store autocomplete.
- Daily rank tracking
- Positions for every tracked keyword on both stores, updated daily in all countries, with unlimited history and App Store Connect downloads alongside.
- MCP server, CLI and API
- 63 tools that Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP clients can call; an agent can draft listings, but publishing stays with you.
- Competitor gaps and Ad Spy
- See every keyword a competitor ranks for and the ones you miss, plus the ads competitors run on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
- Review insights and responder
- AI summaries of praise and complaints, and AI-drafted replies to App Store reviews in the reviewer's language, with an optional auto mode.
- Listing Manager and Screenshot Studio
- Draft titles, subtitles and keyword fields with live data, design and localize screenshots in the browser, and export them for App Store Connect.
Sonar pricing
As of Oct 23, 2026, Sonar has a free plan, and paid plans start at $24.17 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- $24.17 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No account needed: 7 API and MCP endpoints, such as keyword suggestions and top charts, at 30 requests a day per IP and 5 keywords a day for keyword metrics.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of the paid plans; a card is required and the plan starts automatically
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0 | 7 stateless API and MCP endpoints with daily limits per IP, plus free browser tools for ASO scores and keyword ideas. |
| API Credits | $10one-time top-up for 1,000 credits, used as you go | Prepaid credits that never expire: most calls cost 1 credit, full keyword research 10. Packs up to $100 for 15,000 credits. |
| Indie | $24.17per month for 10 apps, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) | 1 seat, 2,500 tracked keywords, unlimited competitors, all countries, 300 AI review replies a month and 1,000 API requests a day. |
| Agency | $149per month for 50 apps, billed monthly ($1,490 a year billed annually) | 5 seats, 10,000 keywords, 5,000 API requests a day, portfolio rollup, white-label client reports and priority rank refresh. |
Read from trysonar.app on Oct 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Sonar before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 17% with annual billing
Sonar's pricing lists annual billing at 17% off: Indie is $290 a year instead of $29 a month, and Agency $1,490 a year instead of $149.
Stated on trysonar.app
Works with
Sonar alternatives
- Sonar vs Astro
Free plan · from $9/mo
- Sonar vs Appfigures
Free plan · from $7.99/mo
- Sonar vs AppTweak
Free trial · from $79/mo
- Sonar vs ASO.dev
Free trial · from $15/mo
- Sonar vs ASOTool
Free plan · from $12.99/mo
Common questions
Does Sonar have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Sonar is listed for Web.
Does Sonar have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Sonar is listed for Web.
Is Sonar open source?
Sonar is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does Sonar have an API?
Yes. Sonar offers a public API, 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.