Just dropped: the ASO & Apple Ads trends and benchmarks report 2026

How do top apps and games use metadata, ratings, and in-app events to win visibility? And what does it cost to acquire users through Apple Ads?

These are some of the questions we answer in our latest benchmark report. It analyzes the top 1,000 apps and games in the U.S. across the App Store and Google Play, and, new this year, benchmarks from around 2,800 U.S. Apple Ads advertisers tracked by AppTweak.

The ASO & Apple Ads trends and benchmarks report 2026 is your blueprint for what top-performing apps and games are doing right now to win visibility, conversions, and paid performance across the App Store and Google Play.

Key takeaways

About the data

We analyzed the top 1,000 apps and games in the U.S. across the App Store and Google Play, from January to December 2025, for our organic benchmarks.

New this year, we also analyzed around 2,800 U.S. Apple Ads advertisers tracked by AppTweak over the same period for our paid benchmarks.

What’s inside this report

Actionable benchmark data for app visibility, engagement, conversion, and paid performance:

• Frequency of metadata updates and A/B testing across the App Store and Google Play
• Ratings distribution among featured apps
• In-app event and promotional content adoption trends
• Custom store listings usage on Google Play
• Metadata localization patterns by country or region
• AI app download and category trends across the app stores
• New this year: Apple Ads benchmarks across categories, campaign types, placements, and seasons

A first look at the data

Here are four findings from the report to give you a sense of what is inside.

1. In-app events are now standard for top games

On the App Store, 51% of top games ran more than 5 in-app events last year, compared to 38% of apps. For games, that share has climbed three years running, from 38% in 2023 to 46% in 2024 to 51% in 2025. For top games, in-app events have moved from an edge case to a standing part of the release calendar.

2. Featured apps almost all sit at 4.0 stars or higher

Around 95% of featured apps on the App Store are rated 4.0 or higher, and 65% sit at 4.6 or higher. Google Play is almost identical, at around 96% rated 4.0 or higher. If featuring is part of your growth plan, review management is worth treating as a priority rather than an afterthought.

3. Screenshot testing is a must

A/B testing on the App Store centers heavily on screenshots: 35% of top apps and 33% of top games ran two or more screenshot tests last year. Other assets see far less attention. Around 90% of top apps never A/B tested their icon or a video, and on Google Play, between 76% and 80% of apps never tested an icon, video, or feature graphic. For teams with the bandwidth, icon and video testing is one of the few levers most competitors are leaving untouched.

4. New this year: Apple Ads benchmarks by category

Median cost per install (CPI) ranges from $1.33 for Shopping to $26.70 for Sports, with Games at $4.63. Because costs differ by category, a category benchmark is the fastest way to check how your own campaigns are doing. The report benchmarks CPI alongside cost per tap (CPT), tap-through rate (TTR), and tap-to-install conversion rate (CVR) across categories and campaign types.

See how your app store strategy stacks up

The full report brings our organic ASO and Apple Ads benchmarks together in one place, so you can see where you stand by category, campaign type, and country or region.

Download the report