Sonar vs Astro
Honest side-by-side comparison for 2026.
Astro (tryastro.app) is a beautiful native macOS ASO app for indie iOS developers, sold as a lifetime license. Sonar is a web-based ASO platform covering both iOS App Store and Google Play, billed as a subscription. Different shapes, overlapping audience — pick the one whose model and platform reach fit your stack.
Pick Sonar for
Indie developers who ship on both iOS and Android, want a web/CLI/API workflow, and value daily rank tracking on a server.
Pick Astro for
iOS-only Mac-using indies who prefer a native desktop app and a one-time purchase over a subscription.
Bottom line
Astro is gorgeous and, at $9/month, cheaper than Sonar — but it's iOS-only, Mac-only, and your data lives on your machine. Sonar covers both stores, runs in the cloud, and ships API + CLI + MCP for automation.
Pricing
Sonar
Self-serve- $12.42/moIndie Plan (annual) — 10 apps & 2,500 keywords, dashboard, API + CLI, billed annually
- $19/moIndie Plan (monthly) — Same as annual, monthly billing
- From $10API credits — Prepaid, pay-as-you-go API access for AI agents and MCP — no subscription, 50 free credits to start
Astro
Self-serve- $9/moSingle Mac licence — Unlimited keywords, 60+ countries, iOS only
- $108/yrAnnual — Same plan billed yearly; 14-day refund window
- FreeFree trial — Download via email signup; no permanent free tier
Pricing reflects publicly available info as of 2026-07-29. Confirm current rates on Astro's site.
Feature comparison
About Astro
Astro is an indie-built native macOS app for App Store Optimization. It covers keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis, and ASO scoring for iOS apps. Data syncs locally via Core Data and CloudKit; sold as a lifetime license through LemonSqueezy and Gumroad.
Best for: iOS-only indie developers who want a native Mac experience, prefer one-time purchases, and don't need Google Play or web/API access.
Strengths
- Beautiful native macOS app with fast local UI
- One-time purchase — no recurring subscription
- iCloud sync between Macs
- Indie-built and indie-priced
- Local data ownership (Core Data + CloudKit)
Trade-offs
- iOS App Store only — no Google Play coverage
- Mac-only — requires macOS, no web or mobile access
- No public API; limited automation possibilities
- Daily rank tracking depends on your Mac being awake to fetch
- Demo limits (1 app, 10 keywords) require purchase to evaluate fully
Choose Sonar if…
- You ship on both iOS and Google Play
- You need rank tracking that runs whether your Mac is on or off
- You want API and CLI for automation and AI agents
- You don't use macOS as your daily driver
- You'd rather pay $19–29/month than commit to a one-time purchase upfront
Choose Astro if…
- You only ship on iOS and only use a Mac
- You strongly prefer one-time purchases over subscriptions
- You value a native desktop UI over a web app
- Local data ownership and iCloud sync matter to you
- You don't need automation, API, or CLI access
Frequently asked questions
Is Sonar an Astro alternative?
Yes — Sonar covers the same ASO workflow as Astro (keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis) with two key differences: it works for both iOS and Google Play, and it's web-based with API + CLI rather than a native Mac app.
How does Astro's pricing compare to Sonar's?
Astro is a subscription at $9/month or $108/year for a single Mac licence, with unlimited keywords across 60+ countries. Sonar is $19/month (or $149/year annual). Astro is the cheaper tool — you trade away Google Play coverage, server-side tracking that runs when your Mac is off, and API/CLI/MCP access.
Does Astro track Google Play?
No — Astro is iOS-only. If you ship to both stores, Sonar (or another cross-platform tool) is required.
Does Astro have an API?
Astro does not publish a public API; it's a desktop application with local Core Data storage and iCloud sync. Sonar's API and CLI are first-class — every paid plan includes them.
How accurate is Astro's keyword popularity data?
Astro's popularity scores, like those of most iOS ASO tools, are based on Apple's own Search Ads popularity index (5–100) — the only primary source of iOS keyword volume that exists. Sonar reads the same index directly from the Apple Ads console and refreshes it daily, then pairs it with a difficulty score computed from the apps actually ranking in the live top 10. The practical difference between tools isn't the source — it's how fresh the value is and whether you can act on it with tracking, alerts, and an API.
Does Astro work on Windows or Linux?
No — Astro is a native macOS app and requires a Mac. Sonar is web-based, so it works in any browser on any OS, plus via CLI and API on any machine.
Does Astro have an MCP server for AI agents?
Not an official one. Astro publishes no public API, so there's no vendor-supported MCP server. There is a community project (TimBroddin/astro-mcp-server) that reads Astro's local SQLite database on your Mac and exposes it to LLMs — it needs no API key, just the Astro app installed with data already collected. Sonar ships an official MCP server (@sonarapp/mcp) covering its full API, hosted or local.
Other comparisons
Try Sonar — $19/month, everything included
10 apps, 2,500 keywords, all countries, daily rank tracking, API and CLI on every plan. 7-day free trial.