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If you need cross-store, panel-measured usage data and ad intelligence — the job both brands were built for — Sensor Tower is the direct continuation. Expect a demo and a quote. See Sensor Tower pricing and alternatives.
Answer · 2024 acquisition
Did Sensor Tower acquire data.ai?
Yes. Sensor Tower acquired data.ai in March 2024. data.ai — formerly App Annie — was then retired as a standalone brand, and its products and estimation panels were folded into the Sensor Tower platform. Customers looking for the former data.ai product now use Sensor Tower. The historical comparison below remains useful for understanding what was combined and which alternative fits smaller teams.
Competitor status and pricing are as reported at the time of writing and change often — confirm on the vendor's own site. Facts as of July 2026; Sensor Tower is quote-only, so cost figures are reported from procurement data, not official.
The one-paragraph answer
What happened after Sensor Tower acquired data.ai?
data.ai and Sensor Tower are no longer two products. App Annie became data.ai in 2022; Sensor Tower acquired data.ai in March 2024 and absorbed it. The data.ai site is now a login page with an acquisition notice. Both were enterprise, cross-store intelligence platforms sold by quote — panel-based estimates and ad intelligence across the App Store and Google Play. If you need that today, Sensor Tower is the one surviving option, at a Vendr-reported median of roughly $74,000/year. If you're an indie iOS founder, that's far more tool and cost than the job requires.
Historical head to head
data.ai vs Sensor Tower, before the merger
| Criterion | data.ai (App Annie) | Sensor Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Status in 2026 | Retired brand — acquired by Sensor Tower (March 2024) | Active — absorbed data.ai's products and panels |
| Origin | App Annie, rebranded data.ai in 2022 | Independent app-intelligence platform since 2013 |
| Built for | Enterprise publishers, brands, investors | Enterprise publishers, agencies, investors, UA teams |
| Platforms | iOS App Store + Google Play | iOS App Store + Google Play |
| Pricing model | Quote-based annual contracts (no public price) | Quote-based annual contracts (no public price) |
| Reported entry cost | Enterprise contracts; often tens of thousands/yr | Vendr-reported median ≈ $74,000/yr; sales-led |
| Estimates method | Panel-based, cross-store | Panel-based, cross-store (now incl. data.ai panels) |
| Usage data (DAU/retention) | Yes — panel-measured | Yes — panel-measured |
| Ad & creator intelligence | Yes | Yes — ad creatives and spend |
| Self-serve signup | No — sales-led | No — sales-led |
| Where it stands today | Login page + acquisition notice | The surviving platform of the two |
Sources: Sensor Tower's 2024 acquisition announcement, vendor sites, and procurement data published by Vendr (Sensor Tower is quote-only; figures reported, not official). The two products' capabilities overlapped heavily even before the merger — which is part of why it happened.
Sensor Tower's $74,000/yr is Vendr's reported procurement median — reported, not an official price (it is quote-only). GetAppNiche is $39/month billed monthly ($468/yr), the self-serve alternative. Facts as of July 2026.
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While it lands: this table is a preview. The full access database behind it is 1.1M+ iOS apps — each with pricing model, estimated revenue and downloads, keyword difficulty and reviews. Free to explore for 3 days.
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Picking a tool in 2026
Migrating off data.ai?
Export your history first, list the modules you actually used, then match the successor to your stage. Full checklist in our data.ai alternatives guide, plus the data.ai pricing breakdown.
Just researching iOS niches?
If you're a solo founder sizing a niche before you build, you don't need a five-figure contract. GetAppNiche gives iOS revenue and download estimates, keyword opportunity, and competitor teardown for $39/month. Compare on GetAppNiche vs Sensor Tower.
Want a number before you commit to anything? Look up any iOS app's estimated revenue free with the app revenue checker, or see the data behind it in how much an app makes. No third party has Apple's actual figures — every estimate here and elsewhere is modeled from public signals.
FAQ
Sensor Tower vs data.ai — quick answers
What is the difference between Sensor Tower and data.ai?
As of 2026 there isn't a live product difference to compare — they are the same company. Sensor Tower acquired data.ai (formerly App Annie) in March 2024, retired the data.ai brand, and folded its products and estimation panels into the Sensor Tower platform. Historically, both were enterprise, cross-store app-intelligence platforms sold by quote: panel-based download, revenue, and usage estimates across the App Store and Google Play, plus ASO and ad intelligence. Anyone searching 'Sensor Tower vs data.ai' today is really choosing between Sensor Tower's enterprise contracts and a lighter alternative.
Did data.ai shut down?
Effectively yes, as a standalone product. Sensor Tower acquired data.ai in March 2024 and absorbed its products and panels; the data.ai website today is essentially a login page with an acquisition notice, and there is no data.ai plan left to buy. Former data.ai customers are served through Sensor Tower's quote-based enterprise contracts.
Is data.ai the same as App Annie?
Yes. App Annie rebranded to data.ai in 2022, and the business was acquired by Sensor Tower in 2024. Searches for App Annie, data.ai, and Sensor Tower now all resolve to the same enterprise product family.
How much does Sensor Tower cost?
Sensor Tower does not publish a public price — it is sold through quote-based annual contracts. Procurement data published by Vendr puts the median buyer at roughly $74,000 per year, and reported contracts commonly start in the tens of thousands of dollars annually. There is no self-serve tier; access begins with a sales conversation.
What should an indie developer use instead of Sensor Tower or data.ai?
If you need enterprise, cross-store panels and ad intelligence, Sensor Tower is the direct continuation of both brands — request a demo. If you're a solo iOS founder who needs revenue and download estimates, keyword opportunity, and competitor teardown without a five-figure contract, a self-serve tool like GetAppNiche covers that job on iOS for $39/month (or $29/month billed yearly), with a free app revenue checker that is free to try.