Ads Growth Tools
SEOSEOPaid AcquisitionPaid acquisitionProgrammaticWebsite MonetizationProgrammaticApp UAApp MonetizationWebsite monetizationKeyword ResearchSearch IntentApp acquisitionROASCPAApp monetizationCPCLTVAffiliateeCPMRPMRetail MediaAttributionConversion TrackingCreative IntelMMPHeader BiddingDSPSSPRTBAd ViewabilityFill RateASOSKAdNetworkARPDAURewarded VideoAd MediationAffiliateCreative TestingA/B TestingRetargetingLookalike AudiencesCampaign OptimizationBrand SafetySupply Path
SEOSEOPaid AcquisitionPaid acquisitionProgrammaticWebsite MonetizationProgrammaticApp UAApp MonetizationWebsite monetizationKeyword ResearchSearch IntentApp acquisitionROASCPAApp monetizationCPCLTVAffiliateeCPMRPMRetail MediaAttributionConversion TrackingCreative IntelMMPHeader BiddingDSPSSPRTBAd ViewabilityFill RateASOSKAdNetworkARPDAURewarded VideoAd MediationAffiliateCreative TestingA/B TestingRetargetingLookalike AudiencesCampaign OptimizationBrand SafetySupply Path

App User Acquisition

Apple Ads

Paid

Apple Ads, formerly Apple Search Ads, is Apple's advertising platform for promoting apps across the App Store. Its Basic and Advanced solutions support placements on the Today tab, Search tab, search results, and product pages, with campaign controls for countries, audiences, keywords, bids, budgets, custom product pages, automation, reporting, and Apple attribution options. It is essential for many iOS acquisition teams because ads reach users close to download intent, but profitability still depends on store conversion, measurement, retention, and lifetime value.

Launchapple adsapp store advertisingios acquisitionsearch campaigns

What it does

Apple Ads, renamed from Apple Search Ads in 2025, is Apple's own advertising platform for App Store visibility, and for many iOS apps the single highest-intent acquisition channel because ads appear while users are actively searching for apps. Placements cover App Store search results, the Search tab, the Today tab, and product page recommendations. The Advanced tier offers keyword bidding with match types, audience refinement, custom product pages for ad-specific store creative, and cost-per-tap pricing; the Basic tier automates with cost-per-install pricing. AdServices attribution integrates with the major MMPs. Because Apple controls the surface, search results ads avoid most tracking limitations that constrain other iOS channels.

Where it fits

Apple Ads operates at the launch stage of iOS acquisition, converting App Store search demand that ASO work surfaces organically.

Core features

  • Search results ads with keyword bidding and match types
  • Today tab, Search tab, and product page placements
  • Custom product pages for ad-tailored store creative
  • AdServices attribution API with MMP integration
  • Basic automated tier and Advanced manual tier

Best for

  • iOS apps defending and capturing branded search traffic
  • UA teams seeking high-intent installs near the download decision
  • Developers scaling from automated Basic to keyword-managed Advanced

Beginner notes

  1. Bid on your own brand terms first, because competitors can and will, and brand campaigns typically show the strongest returns.
  2. Search ads convert only as well as the product page behind them, so invest in ASO and custom product pages alongside bids.
  3. Discovery campaigns with broad and search match are for finding keywords; move winners into exact match campaigns to control costs.
Visit official website

Concepts behind this tool

Cost Per Install

CPI is the average advertising cost for an attributed app install.

More tools: App User Acquisition

Freemium

AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer is a measurement, analytics, deep linking, and data collaboration platform built for mobile-first marketing teams. It attributes installs and downstream events across paid and owned channels, supports privacy-preserving measurement frameworks, connects campaign data to business outcomes, and offers fraud prevention through Protect360 plus audience, clean-room, and cross-platform capabilities. It suits app businesses that need an independent measurement layer across many media partners and can invest in disciplined SDK implementation, event governance, consent, and data validation.

App User Acquisition
Freemium

Adjust

Adjust is a mobile measurement and analytics platform owned by AppLovin for app marketers and growth teams. It provides campaign attribution, cost and revenue analysis, fraud prevention, deep linking, audience workflows, incrementality tools, and privacy-focused measurement across mobile and connected environments, with integrations to major advertising and data partners. It fits organizations that need centralized acquisition reporting and optimization signals, especially when teams can maintain accurate event schemas, partner mappings, consent controls, and reconciliation against internal revenue data.

App User Acquisition
Freemium

Tenjin

Tenjin is a mobile measurement and marketing analytics platform focused on games and growing app businesses. It combines install attribution, campaign cost aggregation, return-on-spend reporting, user-level and aggregated privacy measurement, ad revenue attribution, data warehousing exports, and integrations with advertising and monetization partners. It is particularly useful for small and midsize teams that need practical acquisition and monetization analysis without a large enterprise implementation, while still requiring careful SDK setup, event mapping, privacy configuration, and revenue reconciliation.

App User Acquisition