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What does App Store Optimization cost?
There is no useful universal price for ASO. A public listing review, a rewrite for one storefront and an ongoing programme across two stores and several languages are different purchases. Ask for a current proposal that names the work and terms for your actual app.
A lower fee can still buy the wrong project
Suppose the immediate problem is an unclear opening screenshot sequence. Quote A offers monthly keyword tracking and reporting. Quote B includes a message review, a three-frame brief and designer handover. Before comparing fees, ask whether either scope addresses the problem and whether production is included. Buying the cheaper irrelevant output is still waste.
Start with the work, not the billing model
| Model | What to clarify | When to consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project | Named outputs, review rounds, delivery dates and handover | A defined audit, rewrite, creative brief or training need |
| Monthly service | Work delivered each month, operating responsibilities and minimum term | A recurring programme your team needs someone to operate |
| In-house | Staff time, experience, tools and design capacity | ASO is a continuing part of your product and growth work |
My consulting uses an agreed project scope and fee. That is a useful option when you need a specific decision or deliverable. An agency can be appropriate when the work requires several disciplines and ongoing operations.
The six details that change a quote
- Stores: an iOS project and a combined iOS/Android engagement cover different fields and workflows.
- Markets: count the actual storefronts and languages, including native review.
- Research: specify the competitor set, available data and question being investigated.
- Creative: separate messaging and a storyboard from finished design or video production.
- Implementation: say who uploads, approves, launches tests and reviews outcomes.
- Handover: name the drafts, source files, decision records and training your team keeps.
Compare the total commitment
Multiply a recurring fee by the minimum contractual term, then add setup fees, required subscriptions and separately billed assets. Keep advertising spend separate from the fee for managing it. Check the notice period and what happens to assets and access when the work ends.
An illustrative comparison
| Proposal | Listed fee | Minimum fee commitment | Still to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: two-month programme | 2,000 per month | 4,000 | Whether design, subscriptions and handover are included |
| B: defined project | 3,000 once | 3,000 | Whether its deliverables cover the same work as A |
These are invented amounts in the same currency, not vendor quotes or prices for my services. Proposal B has a smaller fee commitment, but it is only better value if its scope meets your need. Comparing annual totals with a one-off job without comparing the work is misleading.
Questions that make pricing useful
- What specific files or changes will we receive?
- Which tasks repeat, and what business decision does each support?
- Who performs the work and who reviews it?
- What costs sit outside this fee?
- What happens if a test is inconclusive or a release is delayed?
- What do we keep, and what can we run ourselves afterward?
Ask for a scope you can assess
Send your store link, priority market and main problem. I can recommend an audit, listing project or training scope, then agree the fee and timing before work begins. If you already have a proposal, start by identifying the outputs and responsibilities rather than trying to guess the provider’s internal margin.
Questions and answers
Do you publish a universal ASO price?
No. The scope and fee are agreed for the stores, markets and deliverables your app needs. Share the listing and your main question to begin.
Is a retainer always poor value?
No. It can pay for real recurring work. Ask what will be done, by whom and how the priorities will be reviewed.
Should the cheapest quote win?
Only after comparing relevant outputs, evidence, responsibility and total commitment. A cheaper quote that excludes necessary implementation can cost more overall.
Work directly with Gabriel
Find the problem. Leave with the priorities.
Send your listing and the decision you are stuck on. I’ll scope an audit with annotated evidence, prioritized actions and a handover your team can use. A report without a next action is an expensive obituary.
Want a first opinion? Get a free video teardown of your listing.