RespectASO

Free, open-source ASO keyword research tool for macOS. No API keys. No accounts. No data leaves your machine.

RespectASO helps iOS developers research App Store keywords privately. Download the .dmg, drag to Applications, and get keyword popularity scores, difficulty analysis, competitor breakdowns, and download estimates, all without sending your research data to third-party services.

Website: respectaso.com has the docs, the scoring methodology and RespectASO Pro.

Why RespectASO?

Most ASO tools require paid subscriptions, API keys, and send your keyword research to their servers. RespectASO takes a different approach:

No API keys or credentials needed: works out of the box with the public iTunes Search API; connecting Apple Ads for official popularity data is optional
Runs entirely on your machine: App Store data comes from Apple straight to your computer
No telemetry, no analytics, no tracking: zero data sent to any third party
Free and open-source: AGPL-3.0 licensed, forever
Native Mac app: download the .dmg, drag to Applications, done

Features

| Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | Keyword Popularity | Popularity scores (1–100): a built-in estimate calibrated against Apple's official search-popularity data, or (optionally) Apple's own weekly values via your Apple Ads connection | | Difficulty Score | Competition difficulty analysis across multiple factors with ranking tier breakdowns for Top 5, Top 10, and Top 20 | | Ranking Tiers | Separate difficulty analysis for Top 5, Top 10, and Top 20 positions, because breaking into the top 5 is different from reaching the top 20 | | Download Estimates | Estimated daily downloads per ranking position based on search volume, tap-through rates, and conversion rates | | Competitor Analysis | See the top 10 apps ranking for each keyword with ratings, reviews, genre, release date, and direct App Store links | | Country Opportunity Finder | Scan all 175 App Store storefronts, or the ones you pick, to find which countries offer the best ranking opportunities for your keyword | | Multi-Keyword Search | Research several keywords at once (comma-separated): 3 per search in the free edition, up to 1,000 with Pro | | Multi-Country Search | Search the same keyword across multiple countries simultaneously | | App Rank Tracking | Add your apps and see where you rank for each keyword alongside competitor data | | Search History | Browse past keyword research with sorting, filtering, and expandable detail views | | CSV Export | Export your keyword research data for use in spreadsheets | | ASO Targeting Advice | Automatic keyword classification (Sweet Spot, Good Target, Supporting, Worth Climbing, Low Volume) based on opportunity scoring |

Quick Start

1. Download

→ Download RespectASO.dmg (macOS 12+, Apple Silicon)

2. Install

Open the .dmg and drag RespectASO into your Applications folder.

3. Launch

Open RespectASO from Applications (or Spotlight: ⌘ Space → "RespectASO"). The app window opens automatically: type a keyword, select a country, and click Search.

First launch: If macOS shows a security dialog, right-click the app → Open → Open. This is only needed once; the app is code-signed and notarized by Apple.

Updating

When an update is available, a banner appears on the Dashboard with release notes and a Download Update button. Download the new .dmg, drag to Applications (replace the old version), and relaunch. Your data is preserved: it lives in ~/Library/Application Support/RespectASO/, separate from the app bundle.

Data Location

Your keywords, search history, and settings are stored at:

~/Library/Application Support/RespectASO/

This data survives app updates and deletions. Delete this folder only if you want a completely fresh start.

🐳 Docker (free features only)

Docker provides the free edition of RespectASO (keyword research, difficulty scoring, ranking tracking). AI-powered Pro features require the native macOS app above.

Prerequisites

Docker installed and running

Install via Docker

git clone https://github.com/respectlytics/respectaso.git
cd respectaso
docker compose up -d

Open http://localhost in your browser.

Updating (Docker)

cd respectaso
git pull
docker compose down
docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d

Migrating from Docker to Native App

Your existing data carries over. Run this one-time migration:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/respectlytics/respectaso/main/desktop/migrate-from-docker.sh | bash

Then install the native app and verify your data is intact. Once confirmed:

docker compose down     # Stop the container
docker compose down -v  # Also remove the volume (only after confirming native app works)

How Scoring Works

RespectASO uses the public iTunes Search API plus, when you choose to connect it, the official Apple Ads Platform API with your own free API key. If Apple's search API fails, RespectASO reads the same search on Apple's public App Store search page instead, takes only the list of apps in Apple's order, and looks up their details through the iTunes Search API as usual. No private APIs, no paid data services.

Popularity Score (1–100)

Estimates how frequently a keyword is searched by analyzing multiple signals from iTunes Search results, including the number and quality of competing apps, keyword relevance patterns, and market depth. Higher scores mean more people are searching for that keyword.

Difficulty Score (1–100)

Estimates how hard it would be to rank for a keyword by evaluating competition strength across factors like existing app ratings, market dominance, publisher diversity, and content relevance.

Tiers: Very Easy (<16) · Easy (16–35) · Moderate (36–55) · Hard (56–75) · Very Hard (76–90) · Extreme (91+)

Download Estimates

Estimates daily downloads per ranking position based on search volume, expected tap-through rates by position, and install conversion rates. Results are shown as ranges with tier breakdowns for Top 5, Top 6–10, and Top 11–20.

For full methodology details, visit the Methodology page inside the app or explore the source code.

Configuration

Custom Local Domain (Docker only)

If running via Docker, you can use a cleaner URL. Add this to your /etc/hosts file:

sudo sh -c 'echo "127.0.0.1  respectaso.private" >> /etc/hosts'

Then access the tool at http://respectaso.private

The .private TLD is reserved by RFC 6762 and avoids conflicts with macOS mDNS resolution (unlike .local).

Tech Stack

Python 3.12 + Django 5.1
pywebview: native macOS WebKit window
SQLite: local single-user database
wsgiref: built-in Python WSGI server
WhiteNoise: efficient static file serving
Tailwind CSS: dark theme UI, compiled locally with no CDN, so styling works offline
PyInstaller: macOS .app bundle

Privacy

RespectASO is designed with privacy as a core principle:

100% local: the tool runs entirely on your machine as a native app
No accounts: no registration, no login, no user tracking
No telemetry: zero analytics, zero phone-home, zero data collection
No API keys required: the public iTunes Search API needs no credentials; the optional Apple Ads connection uses your own key, which never leaves your machine
No middleman: App Store data comes straight from Apple to your machine, never through a RespectASO server
Your data stays yours: keyword research, competitor analysis, and search history never leave your network

We built RespectASO because we believe developers should be able to research keywords without handing their competitive intelligence to a third party.

License

AGPL-3.0: free to use, modify, and distribute. If you modify and deploy RespectASO as a service, you must share your changes under the same license.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Security

See SECURITY.md for reporting vulnerabilities.

Contact

[email protected]

Built by Respectlytics: privacy-focused mobile analytics for iOS & Android. We help developers avoid collecting personal data in the first place.

respectlytics/respectaso: Free, open-source ASO keyword research tool — self-hosted via Docker. No API keys, no accounts, no data leaves your machine.