What does an ASO agency do, and is it worth hiring one?
We sell this service, so weigh this accordingly. Here is what the work actually is, what it costs, how to spot a bad fit, and when you are better off doing it yourself.
An ASO agency is a team you pay to grow an app's organic installs from the App Store and Google Play. The good ones ship changes every month. The weak ones send reports. Here is how to tell the difference, from people who do this for a living.
ASO agency meaning: what the work includes
| Workstream | What actually ships |
|---|---|
| Keyword research | Terms mapped to intent, for each store and market |
| Metadata | Title, subtitle or short description, keyword field, descriptions |
| Creative | Icon, screenshots and preview concepts, then the assets themselves |
| Testing | Store listing experiments and product page optimization |
| Localization | Listings adapted for priority languages |
| Ratings | Review replies and in-app prompts within store rules |
| AI discovery | Listing and website clarity for Ask Play and AI assistants |
For the basics, see what is app store optimization. Scope varies a lot, so ask for a sample month, not a list of services.
ASO agency pricing
| Option | Typical monthly cost | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise agency | $15,000–$50,000 | Full stack, usually after a scoping call |
| Mid-market agency | $5,000–$15,000 | Research and metadata; creative and localization often extra |
| Zeevron | $1,500 | Full ASO scope, month to month, no lock-in |
| In-house | Salary plus tools | Best once ASO is a permanent function |
The agency ranges are industry-reported figures, not quotes, and most agencies don't publish prices. Always ask what is excluded. Creative production and localization are the usual extras.
How to choose the best ASO agency for you
- Who does the work? Ask to meet them, not just the salesperson.
- What ships in month one? You want named changes and dates.
- How is success measured? Look for organic installs and conversion, not just keyword counts.
- Can they show console data? Case studies should have real metrics you can question.
- Do they cover both stores? Apple and Google have different fields and rules.
- Is there a lock-in? ASO takes months, but you should be able to leave. See how long ASO takes.
Red flags
- Guaranteed rankings. Nobody controls the stores' algorithms.
- Bought installs or reviews. Google and Apple both prohibit manipulating these, and your app carries the risk.
- Competitor names in your keyword field. App Store Connect doesn't allow them. See our breakdown.
- Reports with no changes. If nothing shipped, nothing was optimized.
When you don't need an ASO agency
If your app is pre-launch, crashes often, or has few ratings, fix that first. If you have time, our Google Play audit checklist and the ASO score tool will take you a long way for free. An agency earns its fee once store search is a real channel and nobody owns it.
Looking for an ASO agency in India?
Location matters less than market knowledge. If India is your market, look for experience with regional languages, low-end devices and Hinglish search, covered in ASO for India. Zeevron works with teams in India and abroad.
Want a second opinion? See how we run our ASO agency engagement, including the 31.7% listing conversion case.
Questions people ask
What does an ASO agency do?
It researches keywords, rewrites store metadata, produces and tests creative, handles localization and ratings work, and reports on organic installs and conversion.
How much does an ASO agency cost?
Most don't publish prices. Industry-reported ranges run from about $5,000 to $15,000 a month for mid-market agencies and $15,000 to $50,000 for enterprise ones. Zeevron charges $1,500 a month.
Is an ASO agency worth it?
It can be once store search is a real channel and nobody in your team owns it. Before launch, or with serious stability issues, fix the product first.
How do I find the best ASO agency?
Compare who does the work, what ships each month, how results are measured and what is excluded. Avoid guaranteed rankings and bought installs.
Want this mapped onto your product?
See how our ASO work runs, or send your store link and a founder will reply personally.
