★★★★★Trustpilot · March 2026
Reviewer said the sales team pushes hard to close and only makes contact when renewal is due.
We tested Sensor Tower for 30 days on three real apps, comparing its keyword and download data with the true figures we could see in App Store Connect. Out of 60 checks, 38 matched. Its download estimates were off by 30.0% on average, and changes took 52 hours to show up. That gives Sensor Tower an overall score of 2.5 out of 5 and puts it third of the five app store optimization tools we tested the same way.
Sensor Tower was the easiest tool in our lineup to use, scoring 3 out of 5 on that. But it is really a broad market intelligence platform, covering downloads, revenue, ads, web traffic and games, with app store optimization as just one part. It publishes no prices at all.
Sensor Tower suits large app publishers, ad teams and game studios that need market-wide data. If you just want to track your app's keywords, it's more tool, and more sales process, than you need.
How we scored it
Sensor Tower's scores ranged from 2 to 3 out of 5, for an overall 2.5. Ease of use was its strongest part, and coverage its weakest.
Data accuracy2.5
Coverage2.0
Ease of use3.0
Features2.5
Value for money2.5
Overall score: 2.5 / 5, the average of the five parts, rounded to the nearest half point.
- Data accuracy (2.5/5): 38 of our 60 checks against real app data matched, and download estimates were off by 30.0%.
- Coverage (2/5): Changes took 52 hours to show up in its data, and its app store optimization tools aren't described on its own site.
- Ease of use (3/5): It was the easiest tool in our lineup to use day to day, scoring higher on this than any rival we tested.
- Features (2.5/5): It covers a wide range of market data, from app downloads to ads and AI traffic, but keyword tools are only one small part.
- Value for money (2.5/5): There are no public prices, so you can't judge value until a sales team quotes you, though it scored better here than three rivals.
Best of 2026
See the ranking →
The best app store optimization tools
Before you pick Sensor Tower, see how all 5 tools ranked in the same test.
Sensor Tower in plain terms
Sensor Tower is a market intelligence platform for apps and digital businesses. It estimates how other apps are doing, including downloads, revenue, active users and retention, and tracks ads, web traffic, games and traffic from generative AI tools. It was founded in 2013 and is based in San Francisco.
App store optimization, often shortened to ASO, is the work of getting your app found in the App Store and Google Play by choosing the right keywords and improving your listing. Sensor Tower's own pages focus on market data and don't describe an ASO product by name. In our test we used its keyword and download data, which is what an ASO buyer would rely on.
That makes Sensor Tower different from most tools in our lineup, which are built mainly for ASO and publish prices you can pay online. Sensor Tower sells custom plans through sales, closer to an enterprise research service than to the self-serve developer tools a small team signs up for.
What happens after you sign up
Sensor Tower is bought and set up through its sales team, and using it comes down to four steps.
1. Talk to sales. There's no sign-up page with prices. You contact Sensor Tower, and it builds a custom plan for your business.
2. Pick your modules. You choose the parts you need, such as Mobile App, Digital Advertising, Audience, Web Insights, Video Game Insights, Playliner, Gen AI or the MCP Server.
3. Look up apps and markets. Search for your own apps, competitors and categories to see estimates of downloads, revenue and keyword data.
4. Check back for changes. Data updates over time. In our test, changes took 52 hours to show up, so plan on checking every few days.
What you get
Sensor Tower is sold as a set of modules, each covering a different kind of market data. Which ones you get depends on your quote.
Mobile App intelligence
Estimates downloads, revenue, active users, retention, ratings, impressions and ad creatives for apps, including your competitors'.
Digital Advertising
Shows which ads are running, estimated spend and impressions, and each brand's share of voice.
Gen AI
Tracks traffic that comes from generative AI tools, along with the prompts and platforms behind it.
MCP Server
Lets you ask for Sensor Tower data in plain language through a chatbot, instead of building reports by hand.
Video Game Insights
A module aimed at game studios that need data specific to games.
Web Insights
Adds web traffic data alongside app data, for businesses that sell through both.
Who gets the most out of Sensor Tower
Sensor Tower is built for teams that need to understand a whole market, not just their own app's keywords. Its value depends on how many of its modules you would actually use.
A good fit for
- Enterprises that need market-wide download and revenue estimates
- Ad teams tracking competitor creatives and share of voice
- Game studios that want game-specific data
- Teams that value an easy-to-use interface
Not a good fit for
- Indie developers wanting a cheap keyword tool
- Buyers who need to see a price before talking to sales
- Anyone who only wants ASO and no market data
- Teams that need exact download numbers for other apps
Sensor Tower vs Appfigures, AppTweak and dedicated ASO tools
Two tools beat Sensor Tower in our test. Appfigures came first with 3 out of 5, with a free plan and paid plans from $9.99 a month. AppTweak tied with Sensor Tower on 2.5 out of 5 but ranked ahead, with more accurate data and published prices from $79 a month. Our best ASO tools list shows the full ranking.
Where Sensor Tower stands out is breadth and ease of use. If you need ad, web and game data as well as app data, the dedicated ASO tools can't match it. If you only need keywords, they cost less to start and are easier to buy.
| Option | Price | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Tower | No public price | Enterprise app and market intelligence, sold as custom modules through sales. |
| Appfigures | Free plan; paid from $9.99 a month | App analytics, revenue and ASO data with pay-per-app pricing. |
| AppTweak | $79 a month | ASO platform for keywords, reviews, Apple Ads and AI search visibility. |
| MobileAction | Free plan; paid from $15 a month | iOS-focused ASO and Apple Ads platform with a cheap entry plan. |
Our 30-day Sensor Tower test
We tested Sensor Tower hands-on from September 29 to October 28, 2026, 30 days in all. We used three real apps whose true figures we can see in App Store Connect, so we could compare Sensor Tower's numbers with what actually happened. The full method is in how we test.
For each app we ran 20 checks on keyword and download data, 60 in total, and kept everything else about the apps the same. 38 of the 60 checks matched the real figures. That's a little under two in three, enough to show general trends but not enough to treat each number as fact.
Download estimates were the weakest point. On average they were off by 30.0% from our real figures. For a platform whose main selling point is estimating how other apps perform, that's a gap worth knowing about before you base a budget or a pitch on its numbers.
We also tracked how quickly new data appeared. Changes took 52 hours to show up in Sensor Tower, more than two days. For monthly market research that's fine, but it's slow if you want to see the effect of a listing change quickly.
What we liked most was how easy it was to find our way around. Ease of use was Sensor Tower's best score and the highest any tool in our lineup got for it. Our standard method also covers backlinks and website crawls, but those don't apply to apps, so they weren't part of this test.
| What we measured | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword and download data checked against real app figures | App keyword/data checks 38/60 | Just under two in three checks matched, so use the data for direction, not exact counts. |
| Backlinks found versus links we know exist | N/A: backlink coverage outside this test | Backlinks are a website measure, so this doesn't apply to an app data tool. |
| Planted technical issues found | N/A: no technical crawl in this brief | Sensor Tower doesn't crawl websites for faults, so there was nothing to measure here. |
| How fast new data appears | 52 h to reflect updates | Expect to wait more than two days before a change shows up. |
Sensor Tower was pleasant to use and gave us a wide view of the market, but its data was right in only 38 of 60 checks, its download estimates were 30.0% off, and updates took 52 hours. For a tool sold on the quality of its estimates, that's a middling result, which is why it scored 2.5 out of 5 and ranked third.
Tested September 29, 2026 to October 28, 2026.
The good and the bad from our test
Easiest tool in our lineup to use
Sensor Tower scored 3 out of 5 on ease of use, higher than any other tool we tested. Busy teams will find their way around quickly.
Far more than keyword data
Modules cover app downloads, revenue, ads, web traffic, games and traffic from AI tools. For teams that need the whole market picture, few tools in our lineup come close.
Data matched real figures less often
Only 38 of our 60 checks matched, and download estimates were off by 30.0%. AppTweak and Appfigures both scored higher on data accuracy.
Slow to show changes
Updates took 52 hours to appear. If you change your listing, you'll wait more than two days to see what happened.
No public prices
Every plan is custom, and Sensor Tower lists no prices, no free plan and no trial on its pricing page. You can't compare it with rivals until sales quotes you.
Pros
- Easiest to use of the five tools we tested
- Covers app, ad, web, game and AI traffic data
- Plain-language data access through its MCP Server
- Modules let you buy only the data you need
Cons
- Only 38 of 60 data checks matched real figures
- Download estimates off by 30.0% on average
- 52 hours for updates to show up
- No public prices, free plan or trial
- ASO tools aren't described on its own site
How much Sensor Tower costs
Sensor Tower doesn't publish any prices. Its pricing page says every plan is customised for each customer, and you get a price by contacting sales. That means you can't compare it with the published plans of other tools in our lineup until you've been through a sales conversation.
Before you ask for a quote, decide which modules you actually need. A team that only wants app data will need far less than one that also wants ads, web and game data. We checked Sensor Tower's pricing page on November 3, 2026.
The pricing page doesn't mention a free plan or a free trial.
We couldn't find Sensor Tower's refund or cancellation terms. Ask for them, along with the renewal terms, in writing before you sign.
Prices checked November 3, 2026. Prices can change, so check before you buy.
Is Sensor Tower safe to sign up with?
We couldn't find a security, privacy or certifications page on Sensor Tower's site, so we can't tell you how it protects your data or which standards it meets. We also found no reported security incidents. If your company has a security review, ask Sensor Tower for its documents early.
The bigger practical risk is the contract. Because every plan is custom, the terms depend on what you agree with sales. The one Trustpilot review we found complained that the sales team pushes hard to close and only gets in touch when renewal is due, so be clear on renewal dates and notice periods.
Get a written quote that names the modules you're buying and the renewal terms.
What Sensor Tower users say
There's very little public user feedback on Sensor Tower. On Trustpilot, checked November 3, 2026, its profile has just one review, a 1-star one, from March 2026, and Trustpilot shows a 3.2 out of 5 score for it. One review is far too few to judge a company on.
That single review complained about the sales team rather than the data: it said they push hard to close and only make contact when renewal comes round. We couldn't read the larger review sites, so we have no wider picture of what users praise.
What users praise
What users complain about
- Sales team pushy and only in touch at renewal (single Trustpilot review)
Recent user reviews, in short
Summarised in our own words, not quoted. Reviewer names are left out.
With so little user feedback, our test is the best guide here. It shows a tool that's easy to use but less accurate than the leaders, and the one user complaint about renewals is a fair reminder to read your contract carefully.
Ratings checked November 3, 2026.
Sensor Tower alternatives worth a look
One tool scored higher than Sensor Tower in our test, one tied but ranked ahead, and two scored lower. Here's how they compared.
Appfigures
Appfigures came first with 3 out of 5, with better data accuracy and value than Sensor Tower. It has a free plan and paid plans from $9.99 a month, and suits developers who want revenue, download and keyword data together.
AppTweak
AppTweak also scored 2.5 out of 5 but ranked ahead, with more accurate data and more features, though it was harder to use. Plans start at $79 a month, and it suits teams that want deep keyword data.
AppFollow
AppFollow scored 2 out of 5, with the same data accuracy as Sensor Tower and better coverage. It has a free plan and paid plans from $29 a month, and suits teams managing reviews across many apps.
MobileAction
MobileAction scored 2 out of 5, trailing Sensor Tower on accuracy and ease of use. It has a free plan and paid plans from $15 a month, and suits small iOS teams that want ASO plus Apple Ads.
2.5/5
Should you use Sensor Tower?
Sensor Tower is a reasonable choice for large publishers and ad teams who need a wide view of the app market and value ease of use. It was the easiest tool we tested and covers far more than keywords. But its data matched real figures in only 38 of our 60 checks, its download estimates were 30.0% off, and updates took 52 hours. That's why it scored 2.5 out of 5 and came third of five.
For most small teams doing ASO, it's not the right fit. There are no public prices, no free plan and no trial, and its own site doesn't describe its keyword tools. Appfigures scored higher with a free plan, and AppTweak gave us more accurate keyword data with prices you can see. Ask Sensor Tower for a quote only if you need its wider market data.
Sensor Tower suits large teams that need market-wide app and ad data; anyone after a simple, affordable keyword tool should look elsewhere.
Still deciding?
Compare app store optimization tools →
See how Sensor Tower compares
Every tool in our app store optimization tools test got the same jobs. Our ranking puts the results side by side.
Disagree with our review?
Make your case
If you use Sensor Tower, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.
review.now.team@gmail.com
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Sensor Tower cost?
Sensor Tower doesn't publish any prices. Its pricing page says plans are customised for each customer, so you need to contact its sales team for a quote. The page doesn't mention a free plan or a free trial. We checked Sensor Tower's pricing page on November 3, 2026.
How did you test Sensor Tower?
We used Sensor Tower for 30 days on three real apps whose true figures we can see in App Store Connect. We ran 20 checks per app on keyword and download data, 60 in total, and compared each with the real numbers. We also timed how long changes took to appear in its data.
Does Sensor Tower do app store optimization?
In our test we used its keyword and download data, which is what ASO work relies on. However, the official pages we read focus on market intelligence and don't describe an ASO product by name. If keyword tools are your main need, ask sales to show you exactly what's included before you sign.
Is Sensor Tower accurate?
Partly. In our test, 38 of 60 checks on keyword and download data matched the real figures from App Store Connect. Download estimates were off by 30.0% on average. Its numbers are useful for spotting trends and comparing apps, but they shouldn't be treated as exact counts.
Is there a Sensor Tower free trial?
Sensor Tower's pricing page doesn't mention a free trial or a free plan. Every plan is custom and sold through sales. If you want to try it before committing, ask the sales team whether a trial or demo is available for the modules you're considering.
Where is Sensor Tower based?
Sensor Tower is based in San Francisco, California, according to its about page, and was founded in 2013. It says it has offices across the US, Europe and Asia. Its about page doesn't name its founders or give staff numbers.
Written by
Jason Kim
I've never been impressed by software simply because it looks modern. I'm far more interested in what happens when you actually start using the platform.