---
title: "Appfigures vs Sensor Tower (2026): Price, Data, Verdict"
canonical: "https://asoitis.com/compare/appfigures-vs-sensor-tower"
description: "Appfigures vs Sensor Tower for indie iOS apps in 2026: every Appfigures price, what Sensor Tower costs, keyword and estimate data, MCP access, and a verdict."
kind: "reference-library/compare"
published: "2026-10-10"
lastUpdated: "2026-10-10"
verifiedAgainst: "Appfigures' live pricing page (monthly and annual billing, every Boost competitor tier), Appfigures help and news, Sensor Tower's product, demo, blog and terms pages, Vendr, and TechCrunch, on Oct 9, 2026"
author: "Ahmed Gagan (https://asoitis.com/about)"
---

# Appfigures vs Sensor Tower: published prices vs a sales call, and which one an indie iOS app needs

> For an indie iOS app, Appfigures is the practical choice: published monthly plans, keyword tracking from $44.99 a month (Monitor), keyword research on Optimize, and competitor download and revenue estimates from $399.99 a month on Boost. Sensor Tower publishes no prices and positions itself as enterprise; one buyer-data site puts its median contract at $75,000 a year. Pay for estimates only if decisions depend on them.

One publishes every price from $9.99 a month. The other asks you to book a demo. Both estimate the whole app market — and disagree about it by 43 billion downloads.

> According to ASOitis's comparison of both vendors' 2025 year-in-review figures, Appfigures estimated 106.9 billion App Store and Google Play downloads, down 2.7%, while Sensor Tower estimated nearly 150 billion, up 0.8% — about 43 billion apart and moving in opposite directions — so neither tool's market estimates should be read as facts, only as directions.

## Key facts

- **Appfigures keyword tracking:** $44.99/mo — Monitor: 100 keywords · $35.99 billed yearly
- **Appfigures estimates:** From $399.99/mo — Boost, with 5 competitors
- **Sensor Tower pricing:** Not published — “We customize pricing plans for each customer”
- **2025 download totals:** 107B vs 150B — Appfigures vs Sensor Tower, same two stores

## What each one costs

**Appfigures plans, from its live pricing page (checked Oct 9, 2026)**

| Plan | Billed monthly | Per month, billed yearly | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | — | Analytics for up to 5 connected apps; no keywords |
| Connect | $9.99 | $7.99 | Reviews and ratings for your apps; no keyword tracking |
| Monitor | $44.99 | $35.99 | 100 keywords, updated daily; reply to reviews |
| Optimize | $149.99 | $119.99 | 500 keywords hourly, keyword discovery, competitors' keywords; free trial |
| Boost | $399.99 / $599.99 / $899.99 | $349.99 / $449.99 / $649.99 | 1,000 keywords with 5, 10 or 25 competitors; download and revenue estimates; Apple Ads keywords |
| Amplify | $1,399.99 | $999.99 | 2,500 keywords, unlimited competitors, intelligence on any app |

_Appfigures also sells separate Market Intel plans, from $599.99 a month, for market-wide research._

Sensor Tower has no price list: its pricing URL redirects to a demo request that says “We customize pricing plans for each customer - get in touch to find your perfect fit.” You can sign up for free, but its own FAQ says “Full access to App Performance Insights is available via paid plans. Pricing varies based on access level, markets covered, and features.” The best outside signal is [Vendr's buyer data](https://www.vendr.com/marketplace/sensor-tower): “Median buyer pays $75,000 per year”, based on 40 purchases, last updated February 2026.

## What an indie developer gets at each budget

**Appfigures vs Sensor Tower by monthly budget**

| Budget | Appfigures | Sensor Tower |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $0 | Your own downloads and revenue across stores | A free account; Sensor Tower doesn't document what it includes |
| About $36–45 | Monitor: 100 tracked keywords and review replies | Nothing published |
| About $120–150 | Optimize: keyword discovery and the keywords competitors rank for | Nothing published |
| About $350–900 | Boost: competitor download and revenue estimates, Apple Ads keywords | Nothing published |
| Enterprise | Amplify and Market Intel plans | Custom contracts — a $75,000 median per Vendr |

For most indie apps the useful line is at Monitor or Optimize: keyword tracking and research are what move ASO work, and both are priced for a single developer. Estimates are a different purchase — useful for sizing a niche or a competitor, not for running your own listing. Our [Appfigures review](https://asoitis.com/reviews/appfigures) and [Sensor Tower review](https://asoitis.com/reviews/sensor-tower) go deeper on each.

## Download and revenue estimates: coverage and accuracy

Both sell modelled estimates of other apps' downloads and revenue. Appfigures publishes its coverage — “download estimates in 99 countries” and “revenue estimates in 53 countries” — and an accuracy claim: an error rate “between 5% (best case) and 25% (worst case)”. Sensor Tower describes “estimated downloads, revenue, active users, engagement metrics, retention signals… by country, category, and platform” but publishes no error rate. Neither claim has an independent test we could find.

Their own market totals show how far estimates can drift. Both published 2025 year-in-review figures for the same two stores:

**2025 market estimates, App Store and Google Play combined**

|  | Appfigures | Sensor Tower |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Downloads | 106.9 billion, down 2.7% | Nearly 150 billion, up 0.8% |
| Spending | $155.8 billion consumer spending, up 21.6% | $167 billion in-app purchase revenue, up 10.6% |
| Source | [TechCrunch, Jan 14, 2026](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/14/app-downloads-declined-again-in-2025-but-consumer-spending-soared-to-nearly-156b/) | [Sensor Tower, Jan 21, 2026](https://sensortower.com/blog/state-of-mobile-2026) |

_The revenue rows use different definitions (consumer spending vs IAP revenue), so they aren't directly comparable. The download rows cover the same two stores._

Definitions may explain part of the download gap, but not the opposite trends. For an indie developer the takeaway is practical: compare apps within one tool, never across tools, and treat any single estimate as a range.

## Keyword data and AI access

- **Keyword popularity.** Appfigures defines its 0–100 popularity score as how often a term is searched, using “data from Apple Search Ads in combination with other information we collect.” Sensor Tower says it “supports ASO by tracking keyword rankings, app visibility, category trends, and competitor positioning” but doesn't publish how its current keyword scores are built.
- **MCP servers.** Appfigures runs a remote MCP server where “data for apps connected to your Appfigures account is available” — downloads, revenue, subscriptions, ratings and reviews. Data on apps you don't own needs its credit-based Public Data API add-on. Sensor Tower launched an MCP server on July 13, 2026 as “an additional product for qualifying Sensor Tower users”, noting its platform “is an enterprise-level offering.”
- **Ad intelligence.** Appfigures shows competitors' Apple Ads keywords from Boost. Sensor Tower's ad product covers networks, share of voice and creatives across channels — the main reason large advertisers pay for it.

## Which one to pick

**Appfigures vs Sensor Tower, by situation**

| You are… | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| An indie developer with one or two apps | Appfigures Monitor or Optimize | Published prices, keyword tracking and research, cancel monthly |
| Validating a niche before building | Appfigures Optimize trial, then Boost for a month if you need estimates | Estimates when you need them, not on a contract |
| A studio sizing many markets | Appfigures Boost or Market Intel | Competitor estimates with published prices |
| A large advertiser buying across ad networks | Sensor Tower | Ad intelligence across networks and creatives |

> **The Audit ($99).** Not sure you need either? The $99 audit gives you a keyword map for your app — five terms to own and twenty not to fight — without a tool subscription. https://asoitis.com/checkout/start?plan=audit

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Appfigures cheaper than Sensor Tower?

Almost certainly. Appfigures publishes plans from $9.99 a month, with keyword tracking at $44.99 and estimates from $399.99. Sensor Tower publishes no prices; Vendr's buyer data shows a median of $75,000 a year across 40 purchases.

### Does Sensor Tower have a free plan?

You can sign up for free, and its terms describe free access that may be limited. Sensor Tower says full access to App Performance Insights requires a paid plan and doesn't publish what the free account includes.

### Which Appfigures plan includes download and revenue estimates?

Boost and Amplify. Boost costs $399.99 a month with 5 competitors, $599.99 with 10 and $899.99 with 25, or less billed yearly. Monitor and Optimize track your own app's downloads and revenue, not estimates for other apps.

### Are Appfigures and Sensor Tower download estimates accurate?

Treat them as directional. Appfigures claims a 5% to 25% error rate; Sensor Tower publishes none. Their 2025 totals for the same two stores differed by about 43 billion downloads and moved in opposite directions.

### Do Appfigures and Sensor Tower have MCP servers?

Yes. Appfigures' MCP server gives AI assistants data on apps connected to your account, with other apps' data via a credit add-on. Sensor Tower launched one in July 2026 for qualifying customers of its enterprise platform.

## Sources

1. [Appfigures pricing](https://appfigures.com/platform/pricing) — Appfigures
2. [Sensor Tower — request a demo (pricing)](https://sensortower.com/demo) — Sensor Tower
3. [Sensor Tower App Performance Insights](https://sensortower.com/product/mobile-app/app-performance-insights) — Sensor Tower
4. [Sensor Tower pricing data](https://www.vendr.com/marketplace/sensor-tower) — Vendr
5. [Countries included in download and revenue estimates](https://help.appfigures.com/en/article/countries-included-in-competitor-intelligence-for-downloads-and-revenue-estimates-1b0c86/) — Appfigures Help
6. [App downloads declined again in 2025 (Appfigures data)](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/14/app-downloads-declined-again-in-2025-but-consumer-spending-soared-to-nearly-156b/) — TechCrunch
7. [State of Mobile 2026](https://sensortower.com/blog/state-of-mobile-2026) — Sensor Tower
8. [Introducing the Sensor Tower MCP server](https://sensortower.com/blog/introducing-the-sensor-tower-mcp-server) — Sensor Tower

## Related

- [Appfigures review](https://asoitis.com/reviews/appfigures) — Every plan, what it's for, and when to downgrade.
- [Sensor Tower review](https://asoitis.com/reviews/sensor-tower) — What the enterprise price buys and cheaper alternatives.
- [AppTweak review](https://asoitis.com/reviews/apptweak) — The other ASO tool indie developers compare.
- [The App Store keywords field](https://asoitis.com/blog/app-store-keywords) — What to do with keyword data once you have it.
- [All comparisons](https://asoitis.com/compare)


## Have it done for you

**The Audit — $99 one-time.** Before you subscribe to anything, the $99 audit maps the keywords worth owning for your app and gives you a 30-day plan.

- Buy: https://asoitis.com/checkout/start?plan=audit
- 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