Free ASO Tools in 2026: 10 Plans and Trials Compared

Reviewed September 10, 2026 against public pricing pages and documentation. This is a plan comparison, not a hands-on benchmark. AppDrift is our product. Unconfirmed offers are marked below.

A practical free starting point: use a permanent tracker for a few relevant keywords, a screenshot editor for store images, and Google Trends for seasonal wording. Begin with a free ASO audit to identify the work your listing needs.

We compared published offers, not measured download outcomes. Free plans, temporary trials and public utilities solve different jobs. The table separates those offers and identifies limits that could not be verified.

The ten options below show what stays free and what needs a closer check.

Free ASO Tools Comparison Table

Published offers checked September 10, 2026. Unknown terms are marked; annual charges are stated as annual charges.

Why Free ASO Tools Matter

Free tools can help validate a listing, research relevant terms and track a small keyword set. The useful question is which features remain free after signup or a trial.

Start with the task you need to finish. A broad market-intelligence subscription may be unnecessary when you need a few rank checks or one screenshot set.

Choose by the task and the ongoing allowance: app count, keywords, countries, history, exports and AI usage. A free trial of a full suite is not the same as a permanent free tracking plan.

1. AppDrift Free

AppDrift Free combines a small daily keyword allowance with screenshot editing and a one-time balance for AI drafts.

What You Get Free

• AI Metadata Generation: AI drafts titles, subtitles, descriptions and keywords for review. You get 50 tokens once on signup; they do not expire or refill monthly. Generation and translation consume tokens.
• Screenshot Generator: Free design and export without watermarks, with an account required. The editor supports iPhone, iPad and Android sizes. AI translation consumes tokens.
• Keyword Tracking: 5 tracked keywords, free forever, refreshed daily, with a difficulty and popularity score beside each one.
• ASO Score Audit: Checks collected listing fields and flags details to review against the actual store page.

Limitations

• 1 app only (upgrade to Indie at $29/month or $290/year for up to 10 apps and 2,500 tracked keywords)
• 50 AI tokens on signup rather than a monthly refill; paid plans add 500 to 8,000 a month
• No store publishing or batch updates on the free plan

Best For

Test a real task within the Free limits: create a screenshot set, save a small keyword baseline or review a metadata draft. The time required depends on your assets and review needs; the one-time token grant is not an unlimited recurring AI allowance.

Our Take

AppDrift combines listing creation with a small daily keyword allowance. Its 50 free AI tokens are a one-time starting balance; ongoing AI usage may require a token pack or paid plan. Paid plans let you batch update release notes and metadata across all your locales at once.

2. Google Trends

Google Trends shows relative interest in Google searches over time, by region and across related queries. It can help you investigate seasonal wording, but it does not measure app-store searches. Google Trends Help.

What You Get Free

• Trend Analysis: See how search interest for any keyword changes over time (up to 5 years of data)
• Regional Breakdown: Identify which countries and sub-regions show the highest interest
• Related Queries: Discover rising and top related search terms you might miss
• Comparison: Compare up to 5 keywords side by side to find the strongest terms

Limitations

• Shows relative interest (0-100 scale), not absolute search volume
• Data reflects Google Search, not app store search directly
• No keyword difficulty scores or app-specific metrics

Best For

Validating keyword timing and seasonality. Before committing to keywords in your app metadata, use Google Trends to confirm they're trending up rather than declining. Especially useful for apps tied to seasonal activities (fitness in January, tax apps in March, travel apps in summer).

3. Google Keyword Planner

Another Google tool that doubles as a free ASO resource. Keyword Planner provides actual search volume estimates, competition levels, and keyword suggestions based on seed terms. Google requires Google Ads account setup, including billing information, for basic access. Its keyword data describes Google Search, not app-store search.^[2]

What You Get Free

• Search Volume Estimates: Monthly search volume ranges for any keyword
• Competition Level: Low, medium, or high competition ratings
• Keyword Ideas: Hundreds of related keyword suggestions from seed terms
• Bid Estimates: Cost-per-click data that indicates commercial value

Limitations

• Data comes from Google Search, not App Store or Google Play search
• Volume ranges are broad (e.g., 1K-10K) unless you're running active ad campaigns
• No rank tracking or app store-specific features

Best For

Early-stage keyword discovery and validation. Use Keyword Planner to identify high-volume terms in your niche, then cross-reference with an ASO-specific tool like AppDrift to see how those terms perform in the app stores. For a complete keyword strategy, check our guide on how to choose app store keywords.

4. Applyra Free

Applyra is a flat-price indie ASO tool whose free plan is permanent rather than a trial. It covers both App Store and Google Play, and it replaced App Radar on this list in September 2026 when App Radar retired its free plan in favour of a 7-day card trial.

What You Get Free

• Keyword Tracking: 1 app, 5 keywords, daily rank updates
• Competitor Tracking: 1 competitor
• Ranking History: 7 days
• Both Platforms: App Store and Google Play supported

Limitations

• No AI suggestions on the free plan (paid only)
• 7-day history is too short to read a trend
• The paid Unlimited plan ($9.99/month) expands the free tracking allowance: unlimited apps, keywords and competitors under a fair-use policy

Best For

Developers who want a second, independent rank tracker beside AppDrift's five free keywords, or who plan to move to Applyra's flat paid plan and want to test its interface first. AppDrift Free adds a difficulty and popularity score beside each keyword, the screenshot editor and 50 AI tokens for drafts. See AppDrift vs Applyra for the full comparison.

5. AppVector: public tools and a tracking trial

AppVector lists standalone tools for rank checks and keyword work. Its current pricing page advertises a trial and says prices load from its billing API. A permanent tracking allowance was not confirmed.

The trial length can vary; a card is not needed to start. Check the selected plan before relying on ongoing tracking. Exact paid prices were not confirmed in this review.

Source: appvector.io/pricing, checked September 10, 2026.

6. FoxData: confirm the free allowance

FoxData describes keyword research, rankings, reviews and app intelligence, and promotes free access and a trial. Its publicly readable pricing page did not expose a verifiable permanent free quota or numeric entry price in this review.

Its app, keyword, country and history limits, and what remains after the trial, were not verified. Check them on its pricing page before relying on FoxData for ongoing tracking.

Source: foxdata.com/en/pricing, checked September 10, 2026; exact free limits and prices unconfirmed.

7. Appfigures Starter: separate free access from the trial

Appfigures advertises a free Starter plan. Its trial unlocks Optimize features and falls back to Free after expiry. This does not establish that daily keyword tracking or every review feature remains free.

Published monthly plans start at Connect $9.99 for 5 apps and 25 keywords. Monitor is $44.99 for 100 keywords and explicitly lists daily keyword rank updates. Choose for the capability you need rather than just the lowest entry price: it suits teams that want store analytics and keyword tracking in one paid account.

Source: appfigures.com/platform/pricing, checked September 10, 2026. Exact Starter caps were not fully specified.

8. ASODesk: verify the current trial offer

ASODesk's current pricing page could not be verified in this review. Ask the vendor for the trial length, renewal charge and included features before relying on an offer.

For ongoing free work, choose an offer with documented permanent limits; AppDrift Free's are one app, five daily tracked keywords and 50 AI tokens once.

Verification attempted September 10, 2026 at asodesk.com/pricing; current offer unconfirmed.

9. GrowASO: a limited trial, then paid tracking

GrowASO advertises a trial without a card: 1 ASO audit, 1 app-intelligence profile, 10 keyword tracking checks and 10 keyword research checks. That suits a one-off audit before you decide whether to subscribe; check those usage limits before planning the trial.

The site advertises plans from $19/month. Its annual selector lists Premium at $149 billed annually and Professional at $199 billed annually. Those are annual charges. Compare the full annual charge with your planned use.

Source: growaso.com pricing section, checked September 10, 2026.

10. Komori: a 3-day trial for iOS developers on Mac

Komori is a native macOS toolkit for App Store keyword research, rank tracking and competitor analysis. Its monthly offer lists a 3-day trial followed by $19.99/month. The annual plan is $199.99 billed annually.

It is a trial candidate for iOS developers who prefer a Mac app, not a permanent free keyword tracker. Its separate public utilities are different from access to the full toolkit.

Source: komori.tech pricing section, checked September 10, 2026.

Building a Free ASO Toolkit: The Recommended Stack

You don't need to use all 10 tools. Here's the free stack we recommend based on your situation:

For Solo iOS Developers

1. AppDrift Free: 50 AI tokens once, Free screenshot templates with account-based exports, and five tracked keywords
2. Google Trends: Keyword validation and seasonal pattern detection
3. AppDrift keyword difficulty checker: Score candidate terms for free before adding them to your five tracked keywords
4. Optional trial: Evaluate Komori only if you are considering a paid Mac toolkit; it is not part of an ongoing free stack.

For Cross-Platform Developers

1. AppDrift Free: Unified metadata and screenshot creation for both stores
2. Google Keyword Planner: Search volume data for keyword research
3. AppDrift rank checker: Free one-off rank checks on the App Store and Google Play beyond your five tracked keywords
4. Applyra Free: A second, independent rank tracker for 5 keywords and 1 competitor

For Data-Driven Teams

1. AppDrift Free: AI-powered metadata optimization and screenshots
2. App Store Connect and Google Play Console: Your own impressions, conversion and installs, free from the stores
3. AppDrift competitor keyword finder: Test which terms a competitor ranks for before a research sprint
4. Appfigures Starter: Check which analytics remain on the free plan after the Optimize trial

When to Upgrade From Free to Paid

Consider paying when a specific limit prevents you from completing useful work:

• You're managing 3+ apps: Free plans typically limit you to 1-2 apps. AppDrift Indie at $29/month or $290/year covers up to 10 apps and 2,500 tracked keywords.
• You need more tracked terms or AI capacity: Check the vendor's total keyword allowance and locale limits separately. AppDrift's free keywords can use the relevant storefront; a larger metadata translation project may require more tokens.
• You need a specific research capability: Pay for extra history or competitor data when it will answer a question your current tools cannot.
• A specific limit blocks useful work: Compare the extra apps, keywords, history or AI allowance with the recurring cost. Revenue alone does not prove a paid tool will improve results.
• You need a particular experiment workflow: Native Apple and Google listing experiments do not require buying an ASO subscription. Read our conversion optimization guide and evaluate paid workflow features separately.

The transition doesn't have to be expensive. AppDrift Indie at $29/month or $290/year offers a paid upgrade path from the free tier. Compare all options on our pricing page.

Check the exact limit before upgrading

Free and paid entitlements vary by vendor. There is no universal rule that free tracking covers only one country, paid tools include every research metric, or an enterprise plan has unlimited apps. AppDrift limits the free plan to 5 tracked keywords; choose the relevant storefront for each term.

Apple and Google provide their own listing experiment tools. Buying an ASO subscription is not a prerequisite for those native experiments. A paid service may add workflow features, but check that it solves a limitation you actually have.

For a comprehensive comparison of all ASO tools including paid options, see our guide to the ASO tools comparison.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Free ASO Tools

1. Stack tools strategically: Combine 2-3 free tools that complement each other rather than overlap. AppDrift for creation, Google tools for research, and one monitoring tool.
2. Use trial periods wisely: Save a time-limited trial such as GrowASO's for a major metadata overhaul, so the trial days go to real work.
3. Focus on fundamentals first: Get your title, subtitle, and keywords right before worrying about advanced analytics. Check which free tools cover the work you need. Our ASO checklist for 2026 walks you through every step.
4. Track results manually if needed: If free tracking limits are too restrictive, screenshot your rankings weekly and track in a spreadsheet. Low-tech but effective.
5. Optimize screenshots early: Screenshots directly impact conversion rates. The free screenshot generator from AppDrift can help you create and reuse a clear layout.

FAQs

What can I do with AppDrift Free?

Free includes one app, five daily tracked keywords and 50 AI tokens once. Manual Free-template screenshot exports require an account; Pro collections remain paid.

Are free plans and free trials the same?

No. A permanent free plan has ongoing limits; a trial expires and may require a card. Check each vendor's current terms before starting.

Can free tools measure exact organic keyword search volume?

Do not assume so. Distinguish Apple Ads popularity, web-search data and third-party proxies from actual organic query counts.

Do I need a paid ASO tool for a store experiment?

No ASO subscription is required for the native Apple and Google experiment tools. Your app must meet the store's eligibility and traffic requirements.

When should I upgrade?

Upgrade when a specific app, keyword, history or production limit blocks useful recurring work and the additional cost is justified.

References

1. Google Trends Help
2. Google Ads Help