ASO & keywords
Apple Ads in 2026: Basic vs Advanced, Costs, How to Start
Apple Search Ads is now Apple Ads. Basic vs Advanced, where the ads show, how pricing works, the 91 countries it runs in, and how to pick keywords worth bidding on.
Apple Search Ads is now called Apple Ads, and it comes in two versions. Apple renamed it on April 14, 2025. Basic shows your app in App Store search results, charges only when someone installs, chooses keywords for you and caps spending at $10,000 per app per month. Advanced charges per tap, lets you pick your own keywords and audiences, can run on every App Store placement, and has no budget cap. Apple Ads runs in 91 App Store countries and regions. If you’re starting with one app and a small budget, Basic is the simpler test; once you know which keywords convert, Advanced gives you the control.
Apple Ads Basic vs Advanced
| Basic | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Where ads show | App Store search results | Today tab, Search tab, search results, other apps’ product pages |
| You pay | Per install (cost per install) | Per tap (cost per tap) |
| Keywords | Chosen by Apple; no keyword or audience settings | You choose keywords, or let Apple’s Maximize Conversions bidding manage them |
| Audiences | None | Device, location, new or returning users, users of your other apps, age and gender |
| Budget | Up to $10,000 per app per month | No maximum |
| Apps | Up to 50 | Unlimited |
Source: Apple’s comparison of Apple Ads solutions and audience settings, checked October 20, 2026. Audiences in Advanced must include more than 5,000 customers.
Where Apple Ads appear
- Search results: your ad shows when someone searches a keyword you target, at the top of the results or further down the page. This is the placement in both Basic and Advanced, and usually the one with the clearest intent.
- Search tab: on the Search tab, where people start a search (Advanced only).
- Today tab: on the App Store’s front page (Advanced only).
- Product pages: on other apps’ product pages (Advanced only; not available in mainland China).
How much Apple Ads costs
Apple Ads is an auction, so there’s no list price. In Basic you set the most you’re willing to pay for an install; in Advanced, the most you’ll pay for a tap. What you actually pay depends on how many other apps bid on the same keywords and audiences. Apple’s current help pages don’t mention a minimum spend or a setup fee, and Apple offers a $100 credit to eligible new accounts. Check Apple Ads for the terms in your country before you start.
How to pick keywords worth bidding on
Apple Ads shows a search popularity score from 1 to 5 for each keyword (Apple Ads glossary). That tells you roughly how often people search for it, not how hard it is to win. Before you bid:
- See who already ranks for the keyword. If the organic top 10 is full of huge apps with hundreds of thousands of ratings, every tap will be expensive and your organic chances are slim. The free App Store keyword tool shows the top 10 for any keyword on both stores.
- Bid on what your listing already promises. Ads send people to your product page; if the page doesn’t match the keyword, they won’t install, whatever you paid for the tap.
- Start with your own brand and your exact category terms, then add competitor and broader terms once you know your cost per install.
- Watch your organic rank next to your ads. Ads and ASO work on the same searches. GetAppNiche’s app ranking tracker checks where you rank organically every day, so you can see which keywords you’d still win without paying.
Should an indie app use Apple Ads?
It’s a good test once your product page converts. If people who find you organically mostly install, paid traffic on the same keywords will too, and Basic’s per-install pricing caps your risk. If your organic conversion is weak, fix the listing first: name, subtitle, screenshots and ratings. Ads can’t fix a page that doesn’t persuade. Our App Store optimization guide covers what top apps do with their listings, and how to launch an app shows what new apps that make money have in common.
Apple Ads at a glance
- Formerly Apple Search Ads; renamed Apple Ads on April 14, 2025.
- Basic: search results, cost per install, up to $10,000 per app per month, up to 50 apps.
- Advanced: four placements, cost per tap, your keywords and audiences, no budget cap.
- Available in 91 App Store countries and regions (full list).
- Keyword popularity shown on a 1–5 scale.
All facts above are from Apple’s own Apple Ads pages, checked October 20, 2026.