Sensor Tower alternative for finding what to build (2026)
What each one does
They answer different questions. Sensor Tower estimates numbers Apple and Google do not publish. App Imp only shows numbers that can be counted.
| The question | Sensor Tower | App Imp |
|---|---|---|
| How many downloads? | Estimated, for any app | Google's exact count for matched Android apps. Nothing for iOS — Apple publishes none |
| How much revenue? | Estimated | Not shown. We do not estimate |
| What do users complain about? | Not the focus | Counted, across every app in a market |
| Does every rival have the same problem? | No | Yes. 11 of 12 apps, with the reviews behind it |
| Is the market growing? | Estimated download trends | New ratings across the whole market, pooled, over up to 90 days |
| Ads, keywords, SDKs | Yes, in depth | No |
| Price | Custom annual contract. Entry near $500/mo; typical deals in the tens of thousands per year | €0 to read · €9 for one report · €20/mo for everything, 7-day trial |
Prices are what buyers report at the time of writing. Sensor Tower has no public price list, so check with them.
When to choose Sensor Tower
- You already have an app and a team. You need download and revenue estimates for rivals, ad creatives, and keyword ranks. That is their product, and it is deep.
- You need numbers for a board deck. Estimates with a known method are what that room expects.
- You are sizing a market by money. Reviews are the wrong tool for that. Estimates are the only tool for it.
When to choose App Imp
- You are deciding what to build. A market where 11 of 12 apps share one complaint is a gap. Sensor Tower cannot see it, because it does not read reviews.
- You want to check a hunch in five minutes. Open a market page. The complaints are ranked and the reviews are one tap away.
- You are one person with no budget. Everything on App Imp is free to read.
Estimates versus counts
This is the real difference, and it cuts both ways. Sensor Tower has to estimate, because Apple and Google hide the numbers it sells. Its estimates are useful and widely used. They are still estimates.
So App Imp cannot tell you how much money a market makes. It can tell you what is broken in it, how many apps share that problem, and whether the market is gaining users. Those are the questions that decide what to build.
What App Imp holds
- 2 million public App Store reviews across 13,250 apps, as of 2026-09-02.
- 70 markets with a counted shelf and a ranked gap list.
- Apple’s rating counts captured weekly since 2026-06-13 — 14 captures so far. That is where the growth figures come from.
- Google Play install counts for the Android twins we could match. Apple publishes none, and we do not fill the gap with a guess.
Try it
Start on the ranked ideas board, or open a market like budgeting apps. No account needed to read. The tools comparison covers nine tools, Sensor Tower included, if you want the wider field.
Frequently asked
Is App Imp a replacement for Sensor Tower?
No. Sensor Tower estimates downloads, revenue and ad spend for apps that already exist. App Imp counts complaints across a market to show what nobody has fixed. If you run a live app with a budget, keep Sensor Tower. If you are deciding what to build, App Imp answers a question Sensor Tower does not ask.
Does App Imp show download numbers?
Only real ones. Google publishes an exact install count for Android apps, and App Imp shows it for apps it has matched across both stores. Apple publishes no install count, so App Imp shows none for iOS. It never estimates.
How much does Sensor Tower cost compared to App Imp?
Sensor Tower has no public price list. Buyers report custom annual contracts starting near $500 a month for one module, with typical deals in the tens of thousands per year. App Imp is free to read, €9 for one deep report, or €20 a month for everything.
Where does App Imp get its data?
Public App Store reviews. 2 million of them, across 13,250 apps, as of 2026-09-02. Plus Apple's rating counts, captured weekly. Plus Google Play's install counts for the Android apps we could match.
Other comparisons
What is this?
The short version, for anyone who landed here from a link.