App competitor analysis: the store, the ads, the web

App competitor analysis happens in three places: the app stores (listing, ratings, updates and in-app prices), the ad networks that drive installs (Apple Ads, Meta, TikTok and Google), and the web (landing pages, web pricing and content). The free checks cover more than most teams expect. ASO tools add keyword rankings and download estimates on top.

Say you run a habit tracking app with four direct rivals on iOS and Android. Here is what to watch.

The store listing is the landing page

For many installs, the store page is the only page a user sees before deciding. Rivals treat it that way, and many change it often.

Screenshot each rival's listing monthly: title, subtitle, icon, screenshots, preview video and promotional text. A changed first screenshot is usually a conversion test, and the message on it is what they now think sells.

Read the in-app purchase list. The App Store product page lists in-app purchases with prices. Changes in the list or the prices show subscription tests and new tiers.

Remember the hidden part. The iOS keyword field is not public. The title and subtitle carry the keywords a rival cares most about; ASO tools estimate the rest from rankings.

On Google Play, note the short description, the "About this app" text and the install band, which gives a rough sense of scale.

Ratings: read the version, not the average

The star average is the least useful number on the page.

Check for resets. Apple lets developers reset the overview rating when they release a new version, and the product page then shows a message that the rating was recently reset. Written reviews stay. A rival's rating jumping from 3.9 to 4.7 within weeks of a release is more likely a reset than a turnaround, so look for Apple's reset message.

Read reviews after every update. The week after a release, reviews tell you whether a new paywall, redesign or feature landed. One-star reviews mentioning "new update" are a rival's mistake you can learn from without making it.

Note developer replies. A rival replying to every review with a fix date is investing in support, and that shows in ratings over time.

Update history: their shipping cadence

The App Store shows each app's version history with dates and release notes; Google Play shows the last update date and what is new.

Record each rival's releases in a sheet. A change in cadence is the signal: a rival moving from monthly to weekly releases has either grown the team or is fixing something urgently, and the reviews will tell you which. Release notes that only ever say "bug fixes and improvements" hide the changes, so compare the listing and the app itself instead.

ASO tools, and what they cost

ASO tools add keyword rankings, category ranks over time, featured placements, and download and revenue estimates. Prices below were read from each vendor's own pricing page on 4 October 2026.

AppTweak's pricing page also lists annual totals, and it is unclear whether the monthly figures shown are monthly billing or an annual equivalent, so confirm at checkout. Sensor Tower announced its acquisition of data.ai in March 2024, and the data.ai site now carries a notice that it has been acquired by Sensor Tower.

For four rivals, a small team rarely needs more than an entry ASO plan. Download estimates are modelled, so read them as direction, never as a number to put in a board deck.

Ads: Apple Ads, Meta, TikTok and Google

Apple Ads. Apple renamed Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in 2025 as placements spread beyond search results. Search your category terms and your own app name on an iPhone and note who holds the ad slot. In the EU, Apple's ad repository holds App Store ads shown there, as the Digital Services Act requires.

Meta. App install ads are easy to spot in the Meta Ad Library by their install buttons. Long-running creatives are the likeliest winners. Our Meta Ad Library guide covers the filters.

TikTok. Its ad library only holds ads shown in Europe, so US-only campaigns will not appear. Our TikTok Ad Library guide explains the gaps.

Google. Check rivals' Google ads in the Ads Transparency Center.

The web side

Apps compete on the web more than many app teams plan for: landing pages for paid campaigns, web pricing pages for subscriptions bought outside the stores, help centres, blogs that rank for problem searches ("how to build a habit"), and comparison pages. A rival publishing a web pricing page with a discount is trying to steer buyers away from in-app purchase. Our SaaS competitor analysis covers reading pricing and comparison pages in more depth.

An app competitor analysis routine

If you also report on rivals to investors or a board, our competitor analysis template gives you the page to fill.

Figo covers the web and ads side only

Ours, so judge accordingly. Figo does not read app stores. It does not track listings, ratings, store keyword rankings, downloads or Apple Ads.

What it does cover, weekly: rivals' Meta, Google and TikTok ads, new and changed pages on their website including web pricing, their website's Google positions and estimated traffic, their Instagram and Facebook posts, Reddit threads genuinely about them, and their Trustpilot rating if they have one.

Pair it with an ASO tool if the web and paid social matter to your growth. If your installs come almost entirely from store search, buy the ASO tool and skip us. Figo starts at $49 a month for three competitors.