What Tools Should I Use for Mobile App Market Research?

A fintech startup spent six months building what they thought was a brilliant budgeting app, only to discover that three major banks had already launched nearly identical features. Their market research? A quick Google search and checking the top charts. They'd missed crucial data about user behaviour, competitor strategies, and market saturation that proper research tools would have revealed. The app launched to crickets and folded within a year.

I've seen this story play out countless times—brilliant developers with genuinely good ideas who skip the research phase and pay for it later. Mobile app market research isn't just about validating your idea (though that's part of it); it's about understanding the landscape you're entering, identifying opportunities your competitors have missed, and building something people actually want to use.

The mobile app industry is brutal. With over 5 million apps across both major app stores, standing out requires more than good coding skills and a nice interface. You need data. Real, actionable insights about your target audience, your competition, and the market dynamics that could make or break your app.

The best market research happens before you write a single line of code, not after you've spent months building something nobody wants

But here's the thing—you don't need a massive budget to conduct proper mobile app market research. There are tools for every budget and every level of expertise, from free options that give you basic insights to professional platforms that provide deep competitive intelligence. The key is knowing which tools to use for which questions, and how to interpret the data you collect. That's exactly what we'll cover in this guide.

Understanding Your Market Research Goals

Before you dive into any market research tools—and trust me, there are loads of them out there—you need to get crystal clear on what you're actually trying to find out. I've seen too many app projects where people collect mountains of data but still don't have the answers they need to make smart decisions.

The thing is, market research isn't just about proving your app idea is brilliant (though we all secretly hope it will!). It's about understanding whether there's a genuine demand for what you're building, who your real competitors are, and how you can position your app to succeed in a crowded marketplace. Without clear goals, you'll end up drowning in irrelevant data.

What Questions Are You Really Trying to Answer?

Different stages of your app development journey require different types of research. Are you validating an initial concept? Looking for gaps in the market? Trying to understand user behaviour patterns? Or maybe you need to benchmark against competitors who are already established?

Here's what I typically help clients figure out first:

• Is there genuine demand for your app concept in the market?
• Who are your direct and indirect competitors, and what are they doing well or poorly?
• What's your target audience actually searching for and downloading?
• What price points work in your category?
• Which marketing channels are most effective for similar apps?
• What user experience expectations already exist in your space?

Once you know exactly what questions you need answered, choosing the right research tools becomes much easier. Some tools are brilliant for competitor analysis but useless for understanding user sentiment. Others excel at keyword research but won't tell you anything about pricing strategies. Getting this foundation right saves you time, money, and frankly, a lot of frustration down the line.

Free Tools for Basic App Market Research

When you're just starting out with mobile app market research, you don't need to break the bank. There are plenty of free tools that'll give you solid insights into your target market—and honestly, some of them are better than the paid alternatives I used years ago!

Google Trends is your best friend for understanding search behaviour around app categories and related keywords. Type in terms related to your app idea and you'll see how interest has changed over time. It's particularly useful for spotting seasonal trends; I've seen fitness apps spike in January and food delivery apps surge during winter months. You can also compare different keywords to see which concepts are gaining or losing popularity.

The app stores themselves are goldmines of information if you know where to look. Browse the top charts in your category on both iOS and Android, read user reviews carefully, and pay attention to what people are complaining about. Those complaints? They're opportunities. I always tell clients to spend at least an hour reading one-star reviews of their potential competitors—it's like getting free user research.

SimilarWeb offers limited free data that shows website traffic and basic app performance metrics. While the free version isn't comprehensive, it gives you enough to understand which players are driving the most traffic and engagement in your space.

Quick Research Checklist

• Check Google Trends for seasonal patterns and search volume
• Analyse top 50 apps in your category across both app stores
• Read 100+ recent user reviews for competitor apps
• Use SimilarWeb to identify traffic leaders
• Monitor social media mentions using native search functions

Set up Google Alerts for your app category and competitor names. It's completely free and you'll get daily or weekly updates about industry news, new app launches, and trending topics that could affect your market positioning.

When you're serious about understanding the mobile app market—and I mean really serious—free tools only get you so far. There comes a point where you need the kind of data that can genuinely inform major business decisions, and that's where professional market intelligence platforms come in.

I've used pretty much every major platform out there over the years, and honestly? The depth of insight you get is like night and day compared to free alternatives. We're talking about platforms like App Annie (now data.ai), Sensor Tower, and Similarweb Mobile—tools that cost proper money but deliver the kind of intelligence that can make or break your app strategy.

These platforms give you access to download estimates, revenue data, and user acquisition insights that simply aren't available anywhere else. Want to know how much your competitor is spending on Facebook ads? Or which countries are driving their highest revenue per user? This is where you'll find those answers.

But here's the thing—and I can't stress this enough—these tools are only as good as how you use them. I've seen companies spend thousands on subscriptions only to barely scratch the surface of what's possible. The real value comes from understanding market trends, identifying seasonal patterns, and spotting opportunities before your competitors do.

My advice? Start with a trial of one platform and really learn it inside out before considering others. Each one has its strengths—Sensor Tower excels at keyword intelligence, while data.ai offers incredible market share insights. Pick based on what matters most to your specific research goals, not just because someone recommended it.

App Store Analytics and ASO Tools

Right, let's talk about the tools that actually help you understand what's happening once apps hit the stores. App Store Optimisation (ASO) tools are absolutely mad useful—they're like having x-ray vision for the App Store and Google Play. I use these daily because they show you exactly how apps are performing, what keywords they're ranking for, and honestly? They reveal secrets your competitors probably don't want you to know.

App Annie (now data.ai) is the granddaddy of app analytics platforms; it shows download estimates, revenue data, and user demographics across both stores. Sensor Tower does similar things but I find their keyword tracking more reliable for ASO work. Mobile Action is brilliant for smaller budgets—it gives you keyword difficulty scores and tracks your app's visibility without breaking the bank.

Free ASO Tools Worth Using

Google's own App Store Intelligence gives you basic keyword data for free, and Apple Search Ads provides keyword suggestions that work for organic ASO too. App Radar has a limited free tier that's genuinely helpful for tracking a few competitors. TheTool (yes, that's actually its name) offers free keyword research that's surprisingly decent.

The best ASO strategy combines hard data with genuine user insight—you can't optimise what you don't measure, but you also can't measure what users truly care about without talking to them

Here's the thing though—these tools are only as good as how you use them. I've seen people get obsessed with keyword rankings and forget that actual user experience matters more. Use ASO tools to find opportunities and track progress, but don't let the data override common sense about what makes a good app that people actually want to use.

User Research and Survey Tools

Getting inside your users' heads—that's where the real magic happens in app development. I've seen too many brilliant technical solutions fail because nobody actually asked users what they wanted. The good news? There are some fantastic tools out there that make user research much easier than it used to be.

TypeForm is probably my go-to for surveys these days. It's got this conversational feel that doesn't make people want to run away screaming. Users actually complete TypeForm surveys, which is half the battle won already. Google Forms works fine too, but it's a bit... sterile? People seem to drop off more with the standard Google interface.

Direct User Feedback Tools

UserVoice is brilliant for ongoing feedback collection. You can embed it right into your existing app or website, and users can suggest features, report bugs, and vote on what matters most to them. It's like having a focus group that never ends—which sounds exhausting but is actually incredibly useful.

Hotjar takes things a step further with heatmaps and session recordings. Watching real users interact with your app prototype? It's eye-opening, sometimes painfully so. You'll spot usability issues you never would have found otherwise.

• TypeForm - Conversational surveys with high completion rates
• Google Forms - Free and functional, though less engaging
• UserVoice - Embedded feedback collection and feature voting
• Hotjar - Heatmaps and user session recordings
• Maze - Prototype testing with detailed user journey analytics
• UsabilityHub - Quick design validation tests

The key is mixing quantitative data (what people do) with qualitative insights (why they do it). Surveys tell you the 'what', but follow-up interviews reveal the 'why'—and that's where you'll find your biggest opportunities for improvement.

Competitive Analysis Tools

Right, let's talk competitive analysis—probably my favourite part of market research because it's where you get to properly spy on your competition. I mean, legally spy, obviously! When I'm working with clients, I always tell them: your competitors aren't just apps that do exactly what yours does. They're any app that competes for your users time and attention.

SimilarWeb is honestly one of the best tools I've used for this. You can see traffic patterns, user engagement metrics, and even where competitors are getting their downloads from. The free version gives you enough data to get started, but the paid plans unlock the really juicy stuff like audience overlap and demographic breakdowns. It's proper useful when you're trying to understand not just what your competitors are doing, but how well its working for them.

App Intelligence Platforms

AppTweak and Sensor Tower are my go-to platforms for deeper competitive analysis. They'll show you keyword rankings, revenue estimates, and download trends across both app stores. What I love about these tools is they help you spot opportunities your competitors have missed—maybe there's a keyword they're not targeting or a feature gap you could fill.

Mobile Action is another solid choice, especially for ASO competitive analysis. You can see exactly which keywords your competitors rank for and track their performance over time. The organic download estimates help you understand which strategies are actually working in the real world.

Set up automated reports to track your top 5 competitors monthly. Most platforms offer email alerts when competitors update their apps, change pricing, or hit major ranking milestones—this keeps you informed without constantly checking manually.

The key thing with competitive analysis tools? Don't just collect data for the sake of it. Focus on actionable insights that can actually influence your app development and marketing decisions.

Social Media and Trend Monitoring Tools

Social media monitoring isn't just about tracking mentions of your app—its about understanding what people actually want before they even know they want it. I've watched countless app ideas succeed or fail based on whether the developers were paying attention to the right conversations happening online.

Google Trends is probably the most underused tool in mobile app research. It shows you exactly what people are searching for and when those searches spike. I always check seasonal patterns before launching apps; there's no point releasing a fitness app in December when everyone's thinking about Christmas dinner, not gym memberships. The tool also shows you related queries that people are typing in—these often reveal problems your app could solve.

Reddit and Niche Communities

Reddit is pure gold for app research because people complain about everything there. Search for your app category and youll find threads full of users moaning about existing solutions—that's your opportunity list right there. The same goes for Facebook groups, Discord servers, and industry-specific forums. People share their genuine frustrations in these spaces, often using the exact words they'd type into app store searches.

Twitter's advanced search lets you find real-time complaints about competitor apps. Type something like "app name" AND "hate" or "app name" AND "wish"—you'll be surprised what you discover. Just last month I found three separate feature requests that nobody was building yet.

Social Listening Tools

If you've got budget for it, tools like Hootsuite Insights or Mention can automate this process. They'll track keywords across social platforms and send you alerts when relevant conversations happen. But honestly? Start with the free approaches first. Manual research often gives you better context than automated reports anyway.

Conclusion

Right then, we've covered quite a bit of ground here. From free tools that won't cost you a penny to professional platforms that require a proper investment—there's genuinely no excuse for launching an app without doing your homework first. I mean, you wouldn't open a restaurant without checking if people actually want what you're planning to serve, would you?

The thing is, mobile app market research isn't just about ticking boxes or following some prescribed formula. It's about understanding real people and their actual problems. Sure, tools like App Annie and Sensor Tower give you the data; but its what you do with that information that counts. The best research combines hard numbers with genuine user insights—something I've learned the hard way over the years.

Start with the free stuff if budget's tight. Google Trends, app store reviews, and basic social media monitoring can tell you more than you might expect. But as your project grows and budget allows, investing in proper competitive analysis tools and user research platforms pays for itself. Trust me on this one.

Here's what I always tell clients: your research phase should feel a bit uncomfortable. If everything you discover confirms what you already believed, you probably haven't dug deep enough. The best insights come from data that challenges your assumptions—even when it means going back to the drawing board.

Don't overthink it though. Pick two or three tools that match your goals and budget, learn them properly, then actually use the insights to make decisions. The worst research is the kind that sits in a folder gathering digital dust whilst you build based on gut feeling anyway.