App competitor analysis that shows what your rivals changed
Pick the apps you compete with, or let us suggest them, and Competitor Watch records their store listings: text, screenshots, version notes, ratings, installs and price. Every Monday it captures them again and shows you exactly what changed.
| Duolingo | Babbel | Busuu | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 46.9M | 1.1M | 1.2M |
| Primary keyword | spanish french | learn languages | learn & speak |
| Watched since | Your app | Monday | Monday |
App competitor analysis means studying the listings of the apps you compete with for the same installs, and noticing when they change. ReachFront's Competitor Watch tracks up to 5 rivals per app on each store. It captures each rival's title, subtitle, descriptions, screenshots, version and release notes, rating and rating count, Google Play installs and star breakdown, and price, then re-captures them every Monday and lists what changed since the last capture. Your own app's rating and installs are recorded daily for comparison.
Set up a watch in three steps
What is app competitor analysis?
In the app stores you rank against the other apps chasing the same keywords. Competitor analysis is the habit of studying those listings: what they say in their title and subtitle, how they show the app in screenshots, how strong their ratings are.
A one-off look is useful; a record over time is better. When a rival rewrites its subtitle, ships new screenshots or starts climbing in ratings, that is a signal about what is working in your category.
Competitor Watch keeps that record for you. It captures each rival's public listing, compares it with the previous capture, and lists the differences, so you can learn from their tests without opening a dozen tabs every week.
A Monday change feed
What the change feed might show for two rivals of a habit tracker.
| Rival | What changed since last Monday | Worth asking |
|---|---|---|
| StreakPro | Subtitle: "Daily Habit Tracker" to "Habits Without Guilt" | Are they moving toward your angle? |
| StreakPro | 3 of 8 screenshots replaced | Which benefit now leads the gallery? |
| Routinely | Version 4.2 with release notes about widgets | Is a widget becoming table stakes? |
| Routinely | Rating count up by 1,240 | Did they run a review prompt or a promo? |
Watching rivals by hand vs. with Competitor Watch
| By hand | With Competitor Watch | |
|---|---|---|
| Finding rivals | Guess who you compete with. | Search, paste a URL, or take a suggestion from your listing's strongest phrase. |
| Comparing listings | Flip between store tabs and take notes. | Your app and up to 5 rivals per store side by side. |
| Spotting changes | Notice weeks later, if at all, that a rival changed its subtitle. | A Monday change feed listing every difference since the last capture. |
| Screenshots | Screenshot their screenshots and file them somewhere. | Each capture saves the set, so new screenshots show up as a change. |
| Both stores | Repeat everything for iOS and Android. | Watch rivals on the App Store and Google Play. |
What Competitor Watch records
The public parts of each rival's listing, captured on a schedule so you can see the changes.
Who Competitor Watch is for
Anyone whose app competes for the same keywords as a handful of known rivals.
Competitor Watch at a glance
- Competitor Watch tracks up to 5 rivals per app on each store.
- Rivals are re-captured weekly, on Mondays, and the change feed compares each capture with the last.
- It records listing text, screenshots, version notes, ratings, Google Play installs and price.
- Apple's keyword field is private; Competitor Watch shows the keywords in a rival's public listing text.
Competitor Watch, answered
How often are competitors checked?
Weekly. Rivals are captured every Monday, and any rival that missed a capture for 7 days is caught up on another day. Your own app's rating and installs are recorded daily. There are no real-time alerts.
What does it track for each rival?
Title, subtitle, Google Play short description, full description, screenshots, version and iOS release notes, rating and rating count, Google Play installs and star breakdown, price, ads and in-app purchase flags, content rating and size.
How many competitors can I watch?
Up to 5 rivals per app on each store.
What if I don't know who my competitors are?
Use discover: it searches the store for your listing's strongest phrase and suggests the apps that come up. You can also search by name or paste a store URL.
Can I see a competitor's keywords?
You can see the keywords in their public listing text: title, subtitle and descriptions. Apple's 100-character keyword field is private, so no tool can show it, and we do not claim to list every term a rival ranks for.
Does it cover both stores?
Yes. Watch rivals on the App Store and Google Play. Install counts and the star breakdown are Google Play only, because Apple does not publish them.
How much does Competitor Watch cost, and is there a free trial?
Competitor Watch is part of ReachFront Max, which is $19 a month (or $15 a month billed annually). Max monthly starts with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers: we take your card at checkout, charge nothing for 7 days, and the first payment comes on day 8 unless you cancel before then. Max lets you watch up to 5 rivals per app on each store. Studio is $49 a month for higher limits and more apps.
Free tools and guides for this job
- Free Google Play rating checker. A rival's live rating and full star breakdown, no account.
- Free ASO checker. Audit a rival's listing and see where it is weak.
- Free app rank checker. See who ranks for a keyword in five countries.
- App Store Optimization guide. What to compare in a rival's listing, and why.
- App store keyword research. Find the keywords you and your rivals fight over.
Start watching your competitors
Add your rivals and get your first side-by-side comparison today. Max monthly is free for 7 days: your card is taken at checkout and nothing is charged if you cancel before day 8.