# Fledly vs Astro By Mika Heinonen (Indie iOS developer and maker of Fledly). Published 2026-10-28, updated 2026-10-28. Canonical: https://fledly.app/compare/fledly-vs-astro/ > Astro is a fast Mac app for App Store keyword tracking with Apple's popularity data. Fledly is a web tool that adds app idea research from young apps that already earn. Prices, features and when to choose each. **Key takeaways** - **Choose Astro** if you want a native Mac app for keyword tracking with unlimited keywords and apps in 60+ countries for **$108 a year** ($9 a month, billed yearly only). - **Choose Fledly** if you want a **web** tool that works from any device, a **free plan**, monthly billing, and **app idea research**: scored ideas and the young apps already earning on the Top Grossing charts. - **Both** are iOS only and use Apple Ads search popularity. - Astro has more countries and no keyword cap on its paid licence. Fledly caps keywords by plan (15, 500 or 2,500) and tracks 16 storefronts. *Disclosure: we make Fledly. Astro's price and features are from [tryastro.app](https://tryastro.app/), checked on October 28, 2026. Confirm there before you buy.* ## At a glance | | Astro | Fledly | |:--|:--|:--| | **Form** | Native Mac app (macOS 14 and later) | Web app, plus an MCP server for AI assistants | | **Stores** | App Store only | App Store only | | **Price** | Single Mac licence $108/year ($9/month, billed yearly) | Free; Pro $9/month or $79/year; Studio $24/month or $199/year | | **Monthly billing** | No | Yes | | **Free option** | Not listed on Astro's site; third-party reviews mention a 10-keyword free version | Free plan: 1 app, 15 keywords, 3 app ideas a week | | **Keywords** | Unlimited on the paid licence | 15 / 500 / 2,500 by plan | | **Countries** | 60+ (where Apple Ads is available) | 16 storefronts for rank tracking | | **Popularity** | From Apple Ads | From Apple Ads where available, estimated elsewhere | | **Keyword suggestions and competitors** | Yes | Yes | | **Ratings analysis** | Yes, across stores worldwide | Competitor complaints inside idea cards | | **App idea scoring** | No | Yes | | **Young apps on the Top Grossing charts** | No | Yes, with revenue ranges | | **Works when your Mac is off** | Runs on your Mac | Runs in the cloud | | **Team seats** | Single Mac licence | 3 seats on Studio | ## What Astro does better **Unlimited keywords and more countries for one price.** Astro's paid licence has no keyword or app cap and covers more than 60 countries. If you track hundreds of keywords across many countries, Astro's $108 a year is hard to beat. **A native Mac app.** Astro is fast, local and designed for the Mac. Your data stays on your machine. If you prefer desktop software over a web dashboard, that's a real advantage. **Translations.** Astro shows keyword translations with DeepL, which helps with localization work. ## What Fledly does differently **It answers "what should I build?"** Astro tracks keywords for an app you already have. Fledly also looks at the market: every day it collects the US Top Grossing charts, keeps apps under 24 months old that aren't from big publishers, groups them into app concepts and scores each concept from 0 to 100 on proof, repeat, pull and window. See [the scoring method](/blog/validate-ios-app-idea/) and [this month's ideas](/blog/best-app-ideas-indie-ios-2026/). **Web and cloud.** Fledly runs in the browser on any device, and ranks are collected in the cloud every day, whether or not your computer is on. **A free plan and monthly billing.** Fledly's Free plan tracks 1 app and 15 keywords with popularity, and Pro is $9 billed monthly if you don't want a yearly commitment. Astro's site lists annual billing only. **AI assistants.** Fledly's remote MCP server at fledly.app/mcp lets Claude, ChatGPT (developer mode), Cursor and other MCP clients query young earners, idea scores and your tracked keywords after signing in. [Setup guide](/docs/mcp/). ## Prices compared | | Astro | Fledly | |:--|:--|:--| | Free | Not listed on the official site | Free: 1 app, 15 keywords | | Yearly | $108 (one Mac) | Pro $79 (5 apps, 500 keywords); Studio $199 (20 apps, 2,500 keywords, 3 seats) | | Monthly | Not offered | Pro $9; Studio $24 | For a developer with one or two apps and under 500 keywords, Fledly Pro billed yearly ($79) costs less than Astro ($108). Above 500 keywords, or for more than 20 apps, Astro's unlimited licence is better value. *Fledly counts a tracked keyword as one search term in one country, for example "gym log" in the US. Other tools may count keywords differently, so compare limits with that in mind.* ## Which one to pick - **"I have one app, I'm on a Mac and I want simple keyword tracking."** Astro. - **"I track a lot of keywords in many countries."** Astro. - **"I want to decide what to build next and see the evidence."** Fledly. - **"I want to check my ranks from my phone or another computer, or work with a teammate."** Fledly. - **"I'm not ready to pay yet."** Fledly's Free plan. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Fledly an Astro alternative? Yes, for App Store keyword tracking with Apple Ads popularity, and it adds app idea research. The main differences: Fledly is a web app with a free plan and monthly billing; Astro is a Mac app with unlimited keywords and more countries for $108 a year. ### Does Astro have a free version? Astro's website lists only the paid Single Mac licence at $108 a year, with refunds within 14 days. Some third-party reviews describe a free version limited to 10 keywords without popularity data. Fledly's Free plan includes 1 app and 15 keywords. ### Does Astro work on Windows or in the browser? Astro is a macOS app (macOS 14 and later). Fledly runs in any browser. ### Which tool shows app revenue? Fledly shows estimated monthly revenue ranges for apps on the Top Grossing charts. Astro doesn't describe revenue estimates. ## Sources - Astro website, [tryastro.app](https://tryastro.app/), checked October 28, 2026. - Free-version details from [Sonar's Astro comparison](https://trysonar.app/vs/astro) (checked by Sonar on October 19, 2026), a competitor's description. - Fledly plan limits from the live product, October 28, 2026.