Crack App Analytics: Expert Guide to Win the App Store Game in 2025

We've all been there. Staring at those App Store Connect or Google Play Console graphs like they're written in hieroglyphics. Impressions up, installs down, conversion rate playing hide and seek. Meanwhile, your A/B test results come back "inconclusive" for the fourth time in a row.

We get it.

We've been elbows-deep in CPPs, custom store listings, and retention breakdowns long enough to know: this isn't about data — it's about answers.

This guide is for when you're tired of guessing. When your growth goals are real, and you need your analytics to show you more than just surface-level trends.

We'll walk you through the exact store metrics that actually move the needle — and how to read them like a pro. Because behind every weird dip or random spike? There's a story. Let's finally learn how to read it.

What Is App Analytics?

App analytics are the control center for your app store performance. It’s the system that tells you how people find your app, what convinces them to hit "install," and whether they actually stick around after.

More specifically, app analytics means the data you get from tools like Apple App Analytics and Google Play Console. This includes everything from store listing impressions, conversion rates, retention by acquisition source, keyword visibility, CPP performance, and revenue per region. It's how top growth teams make decisions — fast and informed.

So, what kind of questions can you actually answer with this?

• Are your screenshots converting browsers into installs?
• Which custom product pages are outperforming others?
• Did your keyword rankings tank after that metadata update?
• Are installs coming from Search, Browse, or referral campaigns?
• Is revenue growing in Tier 1 countries or stalling?

Here’s a real one: say your downloads drop by 25% week-over-week. No UI bugs. No bad reviews. You check app analytics and realize your highest-performing custom product page was accidentally removed during the latest release. Boom. One metric saved your growth momentum.

That’s the power of smart app store analytics. Web analytics can’t show you that. This is your app’s performance in the store, in real time — and once you know how to read it, you stop guessing and start growing.

Ok, but isn’t app analytics just like web analytics, but… for mobile?

No.

App Analytics vs. Web Analytics

Web analytics gives you a clean funnel: page views, bounce rates, time on site, goals. Everything happens in-browser, and you can track it with a tag or two. But apps? Apps are a whole other beast. You’re not just tracking what people do — you’re tracking where they came from, how the store presents you, and how that affects what they do inside the app.

With app analytics, you’re stitching together data from App Store Connect, Google Play Console, your MMP (hi, Adjust/AppsFlyer), and maybe even a tool like AppFollow or Firebase. You're looking at store listing conversion rates, CPP performance by channel, uninstalls by version, revenue by device type, and trying to reverse-engineer why churn jumped 12% after your last metadata refresh.

The store algorithm. The search terms you’re ranking (or not ranking) for. The performance of your creative assets in different geos.

Web analytics tells you what happens after someone lands.
App analytics? It tells you what made them land in the first place, how long they stayed, and what made them leave.

And in our world — where store visibility, installs, and LTV are life — that difference changes everything.

3 Types of App Analytics to focus in 2025

There are 3 types of app analytics you actually need to focus on in 2025 — because let’s be real, your dashboard’s already overflowing and half of it’s not even helping. So I’m cutting through the noise and giving you the categories that matter. The ones growth teams, product managers, and performance marketers are obsessing over right now.

1. Product Analytics

This is your “what are users doing once they’re inside?” layer. Tools like Firebase, Mixpanel, or Amplitude are your go-tos here. Product managers love this stack because it answers stuff like:

• Where are users dropping off in onboarding?
• Which features drive repeat sessions?
• Are people even making it past the paywall?

You’re tracking metrics like session duration, feature adoption, event funnels, and custom user properties (think: OS version, device type, signup method). If your mobile app has a freemium model or a complex UX, product analytics is your lifeline — and where the most useful app analytics data starts to take shape.

2. Marketing Attribution Analytics

This is what your growth team is watching like a hawk. Especially if you're spending money. Here we’re talking Adjust, AppsFlyer, Singular — the mobile measurement partners (MMPs) that help you understand where installs are actually coming from and which campaigns are bringing in valuable users.

You’ll use this to answer:

• Are Meta or TikTok installs more likely to convert into payers?
• What’s my ROAS on that influencer drop in Germany?
• Are organic users sticking around longer than paid?

Metrics here include cost per install (CPI), return on ad spend (ROAS), retention by campaign/source, and cohort LTV. Without this analysis, your UA strategy is basically guesswork. For enterprise app analytics, it’s non-negotiable.

3. App Store Analytics

This is the most underused and most powerful layer — especially when downloads stall and no one knows why. Tools like App Store Connect, Google Play Console, and even AppFollow tell you how your app is performing in the store, before anyone even opens it.

Who’s using this? ASO managers, marketers who own the product page, and smart devs who know metadata changes aren’t just cosmetic. It’s especially essential for app analytics Android users juggling split store listings.

It helps answer:

• Which custom product pages are converting best?
• Why did the search traffic tank after the last update?
• Is that new icon working — or hurting?

Here you’re tracking product page views, store conversion rates, top traffic sources (Search, Browse, Referral), keyword rankings, and installs by CPP. Compared to web dashboards, this is where mobile analytics meets decision-making. And with increasing pressure around privacy, making sense of fragmented information is now half the job.

And trust me — we’re diving deep into this one next, because it’s where most apps are leaking growth without even knowing it.

6 Must-have metrics to track in App Store analytics

You don’t need 27 charts and a color-coded spreadsheet to figure out if your app is doing well. What you do need is a clear understanding of the top mobile app analytics — the ones that tell you if people are seeing your app, clicking on it, and actually installing it. We promise, once you learn how to read this data properly, your whole marketing strategy shifts from “let’s try this” to “I know exactly what to do next.”

Let me walk you through the six metrics we swear by. They’re the ones I’ve used on repeat to help apps grow visibility, downloads, and revenue — without the guesswork.

Impressions

Think of this as your app’s daily exposure level. How often are users seeing your app — whether through search, browse, or a feature? What matters is not just the number, but where they’re coming from. If 70% of your mobile impressions are from browse and almost none from search, your keyword strategy needs work.

App impressions analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

Track the source breakdown inside your app analytics tool and keep an eye on trends — because a dip here usually means you’re losing ranking or visibility after an algorithm shift.

Bonus tip: after a metadata update, give it a week, then compare your impression sources.

Product Page Views

This is curiosity in action. Someone saw your app in a list or search result, and they tapped to learn more. If your impressions are solid but views are lagging, your icon, title, or subtitle probably isn’t doing its job.

Image source.

We had a client change their subtitle from “Stay Organized” to “Daily Habit Tracker with iCloud Sync” — and page views jumped 18%.

You’re not just optimizing visuals here. You’re guiding people into your funnel. In app analytics and optimization, this is your hook metric.

Conversion Rate (CVR)

Okay, this is where it gets juicy. CVR tells you if your app page is converting viewers into users. If your CVR is under 30%, it usually means your screenshots or recent reviews are turning people away. Over 50%? You’ve nailed the messaging, visuals, and trust signals.

What you really want is segmented CVR — by country, by traffic source, and by custom product page. We helped an app hit 59% CVR in Canada just by swapping out the default screenshots for lifestyle-focused creatives. CVR is the truth serum of your analytics setup.

Keyword Rankings

This is your visibility engine. Organic traffic depends on how well you’re ranking for high-intent, non-branded keywords. Don’t just track your top 5 — group them into themes: branded, competitor, feature-based, and long-tail. Watch how they move over time.

Keyword rankings analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

I’ve seen installs tank because a competitor overtook 3 long-tail terms overnight, and no one noticed for a week.

The best mobile app analytics tools let you overlay keyword movement with install trends, which is key for prioritizing metadata work.

Ratings & Review Volume

No one wants to install a 3.8 app with 28 ratings — especially in competitive categories. But it’s not just the star rating — it’s how fresh and consistent the reviews are. Apple’s algorithm favors velocity, and users read sentiment. Trigger review prompts after positive in-app moments, and make sure your team’s monitoring tone.

We had a client ignore a minor UX complaint that showed up in 20+ reviews post-update. Conversion dropped until we addressed it. Real talk? You want 500+ reviews with a 4.5+ average to build instant trust.

Category Ranking

This one’s underrated. Ranking top 10 in your category boosts organic installs — especially for users who browse charts for new apps. But even if you’re sitting in the top 20, that’s leverage. Mention it in your creative. Time your campaigns around it.

Category Rankings analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

One client hit #6 in Health & Fitness after a well-timed ASA boost and leaned into it across all channels. Category rank is part vanity, part data signal — but when you watch it closely, it tells you how you're stacking up.

Look, app analytics doesn’t have to be overwhelming. When you zero in on the six metrics that actually move the needle — impressions, product page views, CVR, keyword rankings, ratings volume, and category rank — you’ll finally see what’s working, what’s not, and exactly where to optimize.

Less noise, more clarity. And with AppFollow, tracking all of it becomes simple, fast, and actionable.

Sign up free today and start turning your app’s data into growth

Top 3 Best Practices for App Analytics from AppFollow Experts

You know those insights you only get after analyzing mobile app data day in, day out? The kind of things that don’t show up in documentation but make all the difference when you're deep into Apple app analytics and Google analytics?

We asked a few of our AppFollow teammates to share their go-to, battle-tested best practices — real tips their teams, clients, and products use to track smarter, grow faster, and stay user-first.

Track Metrics Side-by-Side, Not in Silos

Never Rely on One Keyword Tool

Link Ratings & Updates to Spot Hidden Issues

Criterias of the Perfect Tool for IOs & Android App Analytics

Let's have the conversation most marketers avoid until it’s way too late: choosing your analytics tool. And we mean a real one — not just refreshing App Store Connect and hoping it suddenly shows keyword trends or conversion dips by territory (spoiler: it won’t).

When you’re juggling ASO updates, ASA performance, creative testing, and “why did our installs dip in France last week?” convos with your team, you need a tool that brings clarity, not chaos. You need something that tracks what actually matters, ties the pieces together, and saves your product and growth teams from spending their week buried in spreadsheets.

So what should the right app analytics apple or app analytics android tool actually include?

• First off, real-time keyword tracking — and we mean across countries, with historical data, visibility scores, and competitor overlap. You want to see how a metadata update impacts your rankings today, next week, and in context of the competition. Without that, you’re basically flying blind.
• Then, you need segmented conversion rate (CVR) data. No more relying on a single number. I’m talking CVR by product page variant, traffic source (Search, Browse, ASA), and territory. You haven’t lived until you’ve caught a 20-point CVR gap between two countries just because of a mismatch in screenshots.
• Now let’s talk review tracking and management — because reviews aren’t just for product or support. They’re one of your strongest conversion levers. A good analytics tool should let you filter reviews by app version, country, keyword, and sentiment. It should tag common themes automatically and let you respond or triage feedback across the team. I’ve seen users bounce back just from addressing a recurring complaint in review replies. It’s not just about the stars — it’s about understanding the user behind them.
• Next up, category ranking trends. Not just where you are today, but how you got there and why. Your tool should help you correlate ranking changes with events — like a version update, paid campaign, or being featured. You want to know what moved the needle, not just that it moved.
• And here’s the one most teams overlook: competitor tracking. You should be able to monitor how your closest rivals are ranking, how their ratings trend over time, and which keywords they’re gaining on. Competitive visibility isn’t optional anymore — it’s where growth opportunities hide, especially in saturated mobile app markets.
• Last but not least: smart alerts and custom reporting. You want a heads-up when your top keyword drops out of the top 10 or when reviews in a region turn negative post-update. Bonus points if the tool lets you pull insights into your web reporting stack or integrate with tools your privacy-minded team already uses.

Because here’s the truth: the perfect analytics tool doesn’t just tell you what happened. It helps you understand why it happened — and what to do next.

So before you commit, ask yourself:

• Does this tool actually track the metrics we use to make decisions every day?
• Does it help me improve the product, the user journey, and results — without adding complexity?

Choose the one that gives your team fewer tabs, more insight, and most importantly — room to grow with your mobile app.

3 Tried-and-True Tools to Track Your App Analytics Like a Pro

Now that we’ve broken down what really matters when choosing an app analytics solution, it’s time to look at a few that actually deliver.

Below are three tools that don’t just check the boxes — they help teams, products, and mobile apps grow with real data, not guesswork. Let’s dive into the ones worth your time (and dashboard space) ????

AppFollow.io

Navigating the world of app analytics can be like trying to find your way through a dense fog. But with AppFollow.io, the path becomes crystal clear. This platform is designed to help app developers and app marketers effortlessly manage reviews, monitor performance, and gain valuable insights to enhance their apps.​

Features

• AI-Powered Review Management. Automate responses to user reviews, ensuring timely and personalized engagement.​
• App Performance Monitoring. Keep a close eye on your app's performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement.​
• Competitor Analysis. Gain insights into competitors' strategies, helping you stay ahead in the market.​

Pricing

AppFollow offers a flexible pricing model starting at $0 forever free plan. Then follows the $179/month for the Essential plan, perfect for indie developers and small teams tracking up to 5 apps.

• The Team and Business plans scale for growing and mid-size companies managing multiple apps and regions.
• For larger organizations, the Enterprise plan includes custom limits, dedicated support, and advanced integrations.

Each plan comes with a 10-day free trial, giving you full access to explore features before committing — so you can pick the right fit for your team, product, and growth goals.

Banner to sign up here pls

Sensor Tower

Image source. Sensor Tower dashboard

Sensor Tower is another powerhouse when it comes to app store analytics. Focused heavily on Google Play and Apple App Store data, Sensor Tower provides app performance insights to optimize app store listings and marketing efforts.

Features

• App Store Metrics: Track your app’s rankings, downloads, and revenue data.
• App Store Optimization (ASO): Understand search keywords, rankings, and category performance to boost app visibility.
• Competitor Tracking: Monitor your competitors’ app performance, download trends, and marketing strategies.
• User Reviews & Ratings: Analyze user reviews and sentiment to improve your app’s store listing.

Pricing

Sensor Tower does not publicly disclose its pricing on their official website. However, according to third-party sources, annual subscription costs can range from approximately $18,933 to $136,332, with a median price around $30,000.

These variations depend on factors such as the number of products, users, and API access. For smaller teams, yearly subscriptions may range from $25,000 to $40,000. ​

App Radar

Image source. App Radar dashboard

Imagine having a radar that not only detects obstacles but also guides you through the stormy seas of app store optimization (ASO). App Radar does just that, offering a comprehensive suite to boost your app's visibility and organic downloads.

Features

• Keyword Tracking: Monitor and optimize keywords to enhance your app's search rankings.​
• Competitor Analysis: Keep tabs on your rivals' strategies and performance metrics.​
• Review Management: Engage with user feedback directly, fostering a loyal community.​
• AI-Powered Suggestions: Leverage artificial intelligence for actionable ASO recommendations.

Pricing

App Radar offers a 7-day free trial, allowing you to test the waters before committing. Their pricing plans are tailored to various needs, ensuring flexibility for both indie developers and large enterprises.

cta_get_started_purple

FAQs

What is app analytics, and why should I care?

Imagine throwing a party but never actually looking at who showed up, what music they vibed to, or when they ghosted. That’s what running an app without analytics looks like.

App analytics tells you exactly who’s using your app, what they love (or hate), and why they might be dropping off. It’s like having a backstage pass to your users’ journey — so you can fix what’s broken and double down on what works.

Is app analytics different from web analytics?

Absolutely! Tracking an app like a website is like using a fishnet to catch butterflies — you’ll miss all the important details. Web users browse; app users tap, swipe, rage-quit, and (hopefully) come back.

App analytics tracks engagement, retention, crashes, app store rankings, and even how your latest update affects churn. In short: web analytics tells you what happened; app analytics tells you why it happened.

What’s the most important metric to track for app downloads?

If you only focus on one thing (which you shouldn’t, but let’s play along), conversion rate is your golden ticket. Your app could be showing up in searches, but if no one’s hitting “Install,” something’s off. Maybe your screenshots are meh, or your reviews are scaring users away. Track, test, and tweak until that conversion rate climbs.

How can I actually use app analytics to grow my app?

Real growth comes from using app analytics to understand how your customers behave, where you’re losing retention, and which features are driving engagement. For example, you can identify drop-off points in your funnel, see which app versions boost CVR, or spot patterns in user reviews that point to bugs or wins.

If you're scaling fast, enterprise app analytics helps you go even deeper — connecting insights across regions, products, and teams. Whether you're building your first million-user app or managing several, analytics gives you the clarity to prioritize what actually moves the needle.

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