Yes. RespectASO is a local desktop app. Your data stays on your machine, and nothing you research reaches us: there are no accounts, no analytics and no tracking. The only network calls go to Apple (App Store searches and app details, app icons, and with Pro your rivals' newest reviews), to Apple Ads only if you connect it, to your chosen LLM provider only for Pro features, to GitHub's public API to check for new releases, and with Pro to respectaso.com for the license check, which sends only a license identifier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does RespectASO Pro include?

Everything in the free app, plus: three AI tabs (AI Niche Researcher, AI Competitor Analyzer and ASO Score Simulator) that run on your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter or OpenAI-compatible key, or on a local model on your Mac; Top Search Terms, Apple's official weekly ranking of the most searched terms per storefront and category, once you connect Apple Ads; the Rival Tracker, which follows your app against up to 10 rivals in up to 3 countries every day; up to 1,000 keywords in one search, worked through in the background; and an MCP server with 32 tools for Claude, Cursor and other AI assistants.

Q: What platforms does RespectASO support?

RespectASO Pro requires the native macOS app (.dmg) on Apple Silicon (M1 or later). A free Docker image with core features is available for non-Mac users, but Pro features are macOS-only.

General

Is RespectASO really free?

Yes. The core app is free and open-source under AGPL-3.0. Keyword research, difficulty scoring, ranking tracking, competitor analysis, and opportunity discovery are all free forever. Pro features require a paid licence, bought for 3 months or 12 months.

What platforms does RespectASO support?

RespectASO is a native macOS desktop app (Apple Silicon, M1 or later) distributed as a .dmg. A free Docker image with core features (keyword research, difficulty scoring, ranking tracking) is available for Linux/Windows users. Pro features require the native macOS app and are not available via Docker.

Does it support the Google Play Store?

Not currently. RespectASO is focused on the iOS App Store. Google Play support may be added in the future.

Does RespectASO require an internet connection?

For anything new, yes. Keyword searches, ranking refreshes and Opportunity scans read Apple's App Store, the Rival Tracker checks it once a day, and the AI features read it too, even with a model that runs on your Mac. Everything you already have opens without a connection: Tracked Keywords, your apps and their rankings, saved Opportunity results, the Top Search Terms already downloaded, saved AI runs and the Rival Tracker's history.

Privacy & Data

Is my data private?

Yes. RespectASO is a local desktop app. Your data stays on your machine in a local SQLite database, and nothing you research reaches us: there are no user accounts, no analytics and no tracking. The only network calls are to:

Apple: App Store searches and app details from the public iTunes Search API; the same search from Apple's public App Store search page if that API fails; app icons; and with Pro, your rivals' newest reviews from Apple's public review feed
Apple Ads: only if you connect it, to download Apple's popularity data with your own key
Your LLM provider: only if using Pro features, and only to the provider you chose
GitHub API: to check for new releases (version check)
respectaso.com: with Pro, the license check, which sends only a license identifier

Where is my data stored?

On macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/RespectASO/. In Docker: the mounted volume at /app/data/.

Are my API keys safe?

API keys are stored locally with file permissions 600 (only your user account can read them). Keys are never transmitted anywhere except to the chosen LLM provider's API.

Licensing

What does RespectASO Pro include?

Everything in the free app, plus:

Three AI tabs: the AI Niche Researcher turns a seed keyword into a researched niche with metadata to match, the AI Competitor Analyzer works out a competitor's keyword strategy and how to set your app apart, and the ASO Score Simulator scores your title, subtitle and keyword field before you publish. They run on your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter or OpenAI-compatible key, or on a local model on your Mac. See AI Features.
Top Search Terms: Apple's official weekly ranking of the most searched terms, per storefront and category, with the week's movers, once you connect Apple Ads.
Rival Tracker: your app against up to 10 rivals in up to 3 countries, every day, with keyword ranks, ratings, App Store updates and a weekly AI summary of what their users complain about. See Rival Tracker.
Bulk keyword research: up to 1,000 keywords in one search, worked through in the background (more in the next answer).
MCP server: 32 tools that bring your research into Claude, Cursor and other AI assistants. See MCP Integration.

How many keywords can I research at once?

With Pro, paste up to 1,000 keywords into one search and RespectASO works through them in the background: you can switch tabs, quit the app, and it continues where it left off. The free version researches 3 keywords per search.

How does licensing work?

You purchase a license at respectaso.com/pricing. You receive a license key by email. Paste it into Settings → License in the app.

What happens when my license expires?

Pro features stop working, but the free features continue working normally. Your data is never deleted or locked. Buy a new licence from the pricing page with the same email to reactivate Pro features.

I lost my license key. How do I get it back?

Use the license lookup page to resend your key to the email address you used for purchase.

Troubleshooting

macOS says the app is damaged or from an unidentified developer

RespectASO is signed and notarized by Apple, but macOS Gatekeeper can occasionally be overzealous. Try: right-click the app → Open → Open. If that fails, run xattr -cr /Applications/RespectASO.app in Terminal.

Search returns no results

Check your internet connection. If it keeps happening, Apple's App Store may be briefly unavailable. Try again in a few minutes.

AI features return an error

Check that your API key is valid and has remaining credits. Go to Settings → AI to verify. Common causes: expired key, rate limiting, or insufficient API credits.

How do I update RespectASO?

RespectASO shows an update banner when a new version is available. Click the download link, install the new .dmg, and drag the app to Applications (replacing the old version). Your data is preserved: it's stored separately from the app.

Still Have Questions?

Email [email protected] or open a GitHub issue.