New apps often pick competitors too broadly. If every large app in the category becomes a competitor, the research gets noisy and discouraging.
The right competitor set should answer different questions: who does the same job, who appears for the same searches, who defines category expectations, and who shows the level of product page quality users are used to seeing.
Use four competitor types
Pick direct alternatives, apps ranking for your target searches, category leaders, and apps with the audience or positioning you want to learn from.
Direct alternatives help with feature and pricing context. Search competitors help with keyword strategy. Category leaders help with user expectations. Aspirational products help with positioning, screenshots, onboarding, and trust.
Search competitors matter most for ASO
Your App Store competitors are not always the same as your product competitors. If an app ranks above you for “invoice maker”, it matters even if the product is simpler or aimed at a slightly different user. It is occupying the search result you want.
Start by searching the keywords you want to win. Save the apps that repeatedly appear in the top results across countries. Those are the competitors that shape your ASO work.
Do not only track giants
Category leaders show what users expect, but reachable competitors show where a new app can actually move first.
A huge brand can teach category standards, but it may not teach your first move. Smaller apps ranking in the top 10 are often more useful because they reveal what a non-dominant app can do to win relevance: sharper title, narrower positioning, better screenshots, stronger localization, or fresher reviews.
Include country competitors
A competitor in the US may not be the same competitor in France, Brazil, Japan, or Germany. Country-specific search results can reveal easier markets.
If you plan to localize, build competitor sets by country. A local app with fewer global downloads may still be the real competitor in its storefront because it has local language, local trust, and local pricing.
Avoid false competitors
Do not track an app just because it is famous. If it targets a different job, different buyer, different price point, or different search intent, it may be a reference but not a competitor. Too many false competitors will push your ASO work toward vague category language.
Keep notes on why each app is tracked
Each competitor should have a reason: ranks for target keyword, strong screenshot story, local leader in Germany, similar pricing model, direct alternative, or aspirational positioning. If you cannot write the reason, remove it from the weekly list.
Refresh the list monthly
Competitor sets should change as your app grows. Add apps that repeatedly beat you on important keywords and remove apps that no longer shape decisions.
The list should evolve from discovery to operating system. Early on, it helps you understand the market. Later, it helps you notice changes and decide what to ship next.