---
title: "ASO by App Category: Listing Data & Playbooks"
canonical: "https://asoitis.com/aso"
description: "Category-by-category ASO research for iOS apps: live listing snapshots of the top apps, what their titles, subtitles, languages and prices reveal, and where the gaps are."
kind: "reference-library/hub"
lastUpdated: "2026-09-30"
---

# App Store Optimization by app category

> Each category page samples the apps Apple returns for the category's main search term, records what they do with their 60 characters of title and subtitle, how many languages they ship, and how they price — then turns the patterns into a playbook for a new or struggling app in that category.

Generic ASO advice treats every app the same. In practice, the calorie tracker market rewards different words, prices and localization choices than the habit tracker market, and the fastest way to see that is to look at what the top listings actually do.

Every page is built on a dated snapshot pulled from Apple's public data, shown in full so you can check our reading of it. Start with [calorie tracking](https://asoitis.com/aso/calorie-tracking-apps) or [habit trackers](https://asoitis.com/aso/habit-tracker-apps).

If you want keyword-level opportunities rather than category patterns, [The Niche List](https://asoitis.com/niches) is 36 App Store keywords with real demand and no strong incumbent.

## Pages

- [ASO for calorie tracker apps: what the 12 top listings do with 60 characters](https://asoitis.com/aso/calorie-tracking-apps) — Every leader in this category says "calorie" and "tracker". The openings are in the words, languages and prices they don't use. (markdown: https://asoitis.com/aso/calorie-tracking-apps.md)
- [ASO for habit tracker apps: why two small indie apps outrank the giants](https://asoitis.com/aso/habit-tracker-apps) — The second and third results for "habit tracker" have about 2,500 ratings each. A 757,000-rating app sits below them. Here's what that tells you. (markdown: https://asoitis.com/aso/habit-tracker-apps.md)

## How to use this library

1. **Read the snapshot** — The data table is the evidence. The patterns section is our reading of it — disagree with the reading if the data says otherwise.
2. **Steal the pattern, not the words** — Copying a leader's title puts you in a fight you'll lose. Use the pattern to find the gap the leaders leave.
3. **Check freshness** — Snapshots are dated. Rankings move; the structural patterns (names, languages, pricing) move slowly.

## Frequently asked questions

### How are apps chosen for each snapshot?

They're the top results Apple's iTunes Search API returns for the category's main term in the US storefront on the sample date. We don't add or remove apps by hand.

### Why the US storefront?

It's the largest English storefront and the one most indie founders launch in first. Localization data in each snapshot shows how far each app reaches beyond it.

### Can you run this for my category?

Yes — a category read is part of the $99 audit, focused on the keywords your app can realistically own.


## Have it done for you

**The Audit — $99 one-time.** Want this read for your own app and category? The audit maps the five keywords you can own and the twenty not worth fighting for.

- Buy: https://checkout.dodopayments.com/buy/pdt_0NejYshqoh2VaXbk3wjzq?quantity=1&redirect_url=https%3A%2F%2Fasoitis.com%2Fcheckout%2Fsuccess%3Fplan%3Daudit
- 15-minute founder call: https://cal.com/ahmedgagan/asoitis-chat

## About ASOitis

ASOitis is a founder-run App Store Optimization (ASO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) agency for indie iOS apps. iOS only; organic ASO + GEO + funnel work, implemented for you. Reference library: https://asoitis.com/app-review, https://asoitis.com/reviews, https://asoitis.com/compare, https://asoitis.com/glossary, https://asoitis.com/aso