Tool profile
Sonar: cost, fit and limits
Sonar is an agentic app store optimization tool made by Mono Inc. that gives developers live App Store and Google Play keyword data through a web app, a REST API, a CLI and an MCP server, and drafts AI replies to app reviews.
What to know first
Sonar sells an Indie plan at $29 a month ($290 a year), an Agency plan at $149 and an Enterprise tier by quote. Indie covers 10 apps, 2,500 tracked keywords, unlimited competitor tracking, all countries and 300 AI reply drafts a month. The same data is reachable by REST API, CLI and an MCP server named for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT. The trial lasts 7 days, needs a card and charges nothing upfront.
Sonar at a glance
| Maker | Mono Inc., Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | $29 per month for Indie |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI App Store Optimization Tools in 2026, rank 3 of 11 |
| Website | trysonar.app/ |
Who Sonar is best for
Developers who work inside AI coding tools
The MCP server is named for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT, so keyword research can be requested from the same assistant that edits the app.
Indie publishers with several apps
Indie covers 10 apps and 2,500 keywords with unlimited competitor tracking in all countries, which is a larger keyword allowance than several rivals give at similar prices.
Small studios sharing a login budget
Agency adds 5 seats and 3,000 AI reply drafts a month for $149, which suits a small studio handling reviews in several languages.
Sonar plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Indie | $29 per month; $290 per year | 10 apps, 2,500 tracked keywords, unlimited competitor tracking, all countries, 300 AI reply drafts a month, 1 seat and 1,000 API requests a day. |
| Agency | $149 per month | Everything in Indie plus 3,000 AI reply drafts a month and 5 seats. That is ten times the draft allowance of Indie, with seats for a small team. |
| API credits | From $10 | Top-up credits for API use, with 50 free credits on signup. Credits are separate from the monthly plan fee and suit bursts of scripted use. |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Larger app and keyword limits, with a Talk to us contact on the pricing page. |
Checked November 2026.
What Sonar does
- Live store data
- Search popularity, difficulty and rankings are described as live for both the App Store and Google Play, along with competitor keyword discovery. The same figures feed the REST API, CLI and MCP server.
- API, MCP and CLI
- The FAQ says Sonar is built API-first. The REST API, MCP server and CLI use the same data, so a script and an AI assistant see identical numbers.
- AI review responder
- The review responder drafts replies with AI, 300 a month on Indie and 3,000 on Agency. The pages do not say whether a person must approve each draft.
- Free browser tools
- Free ASO tools run in a browser without signup, and a free mode works without an account under daily limits, which lets a developer try the data first.
- Pay-as-you-go API credits
- API credits start at $10 and 50 free credits arrive on signup, so heavy scripted use can be topped up without moving to a higher plan.
How Sonar handles your data
The Sonar pages opened for this review did not state whether customer data trains models, how long data is kept, where it is hosted or whether any certification is held. The homepage names Mono Inc. as the company behind the site and gives no headquarters. Review-reply drafting means review text from connected apps passes through an AI feature, so ask the vendor which model provider handles it and whether prompts are stored. The pricing page, which this review used, makes no data handling claims.
Where Sonar falls short in practice
- Daily API cap on Indie. Indie allows 1,000 API requests a day. A script that polls many keywords across 10 apps can reach that cap, after which top-up credits at $10 or the Agency plan come into play.
- Card needed for the trial. The 7-day trial requires a card, though $0 is due today, and the page says there is no free plan, so forgetting to cancel leads to a $29 charge.
- Thin company and history detail. The pages opened give no headquarters, no history window and no creative testing tools, so teams that need trend lines over years or listing experiments must verify those with the vendor.
Works with
Alternatives to Sonar
Sonar: common questions
Does Sonar have a free plan?
The pricing page says there is no free plan. It offers a 7-day free trial that needs a card, with $0 due today, and a free mode that works without an account under daily limits. Free ASO tools also run in the browser without signup.
Which AI tools can use Sonar's MCP server?
The pages name Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT. The MCP server, REST API and CLI all use the same data, so an assistant sees the same keyword numbers as the web app. Check the vendor docs for setup steps in your client.
How many AI review replies does Sonar draft?
Indie includes 300 AI reply drafts a month and Agency includes 3,000. The pages call the feature a review responder that drafts AI replies. They do not state whether replies post automatically or whether a person approves each one first.
What is the difference between Sonar Indie and Agency?
Agency costs $149 a month and includes everything in Indie plus 3,000 AI reply drafts a month and 5 seats. Indie costs $29, or $290 a year, with 10 apps, 2,500 keywords, 1 seat and 1,000 API requests a day.
How does Sonar charge for API use?
Indie includes 1,000 API requests a day. Beyond plan use, API credits can be bought from $10, and 50 free credits arrive on signup. The FAQ describes Sonar as built API-first with a REST API, so scripted use is a core feature.