Choose in-house ASO when you have ongoing volume, and you can staff strategy, copy, design, testing, and localization with enough capacity for each role. Choose an ASO agency when you need specialists and a proven process sooner than you can hire, or when you want a team that already has the tools and category experience. Many growth-stage apps do both: an agency to run the cycle, and an internal owner to set goals and ship product changes.
The ASO Project is built to work as an extension of your team - a full ASO staff, not a solo contractor - with monthly service starting at $2,500/month and month-to-month work after an initial three months.
The work is bigger than updating keywords
App Store Optimization is often scoped as “someone to write our title and subtitle.” In practice, effective ASO is a bundle of jobs:
- Keyword and competitor research, refreshed as the category moves
- Metadata writing and implementation across storefronts
- Screenshot, icon, and preview-video design
- Split testing and analysis
- Review monitoring and replies
- Localization that is more than translation
- Optional paid acquisition on Apple Ads and Google App Ads
- Reporting that ties store results to real business metrics
A single in-house generalist can cover part of this. It is much harder for that same person to also be your researcher, copywriter, designer, video editor, and analyst without every workstream waiting its turn. That is the problem we describe on our pricing page: if one person handles research, copy, design, video, and reporting, every part of the project competes for their attention.
When in-house ASO is the right move
Building the capability internally can be the correct long-term decision. It usually is when most of the following are true:
- App Store growth is a standing priority with executive support, not a side project.
- You can hire or assign specialists (at least a strategist and a designer who understands store creative), rather than adding ASO to a product marketer’s existing workload.
- You will buy professional ASO tools, and someone will actually use them every week.
- You have enough release and creative capacity to test continuously.
- You are prepared to keep this investment in place when a quarter gets busy.
In-house teams also have an advantage agencies cannot fully copy: they sit next to product, engineering, and brand every day. If you already have that bench, an agency may be a complement, not a replacement.
When an ASO agency is the better fit
An agency is usually the better first move - or the better ongoing model - when:
- You need a complete ASO cycle running now, not after a hiring search.
- Your current “ASO owner” is already doing three other jobs.
- You are entering new countries and need native-quality metadata and creative.
- You want design, video, and strategy looking at the same plan, with more than one reviewer.
- You would rather add or drop services as you grow than staff each function permanently.
Agencies also concentrate pattern recognition. A team that has optimized many apps has already seen what tends to work in a category, how long tests need, and where storefronts behave differently. That does not replace your knowledge of your product, but it shortens the time to a sound plan.
Other well-known ASO agencies in this market include firms such as Phiture, Gummicube, Moburst, and Yodel Mobile. They are real options, and you should compare them on process, fit, and commercial terms. Our published differences are straightforward: you can see a starting price before you talk to us, we begin with a three-month agreement rather than a long-term lock-in, we include in-house tools, and a senior strategist sits on every account. We also educate your team as we go, so you are not dependent on a black box.
Cost is more than the agency invoice
It is fair to compare our starting price - $2,500/month for managed ASO - with the cost of doing it yourself. It is not fair to compare it only with a software subscription or a few hours of a generalist’s time.
An honest in-house budget includes people (strategy, design, and often localization or ads), tools, and the opportunity cost of slower testing. An agency fee should be judged against that full picture, and against whether the work will actually happen every cycle.
Our commercial model is designed to reduce lock-in risk. The initial agreement is three months, which is enough time to audit, implement, and test more than once. After that, the work is month-to-month. Launch packages start at $6,000 one-time if you need a defined upfront delivery rather than an ongoing team. Details are on pricing.
A hybrid model is often the strongest
The choice is not only “agency or in-house.” Plenty of teams keep an internal owner - usually product marketing or growth - and bring us in to run research, metadata, creative testing, localization, or Apple Ads.
That model works well because:
- You keep strategy and brand decisions close to the business.
- We supply the specialized execution and the tooling.
- Your team learns the process with us, instead of handing ASO over and looking away.
- You can start with one service and discuss scope changes as your needs evolve, subject to the agreed terms. Our agency page is set up à la carte for that reason.
Clients often describe this as working with an extension of their team, not a vendor that disappears between monthly decks.
“I highly recommend The ASO Project team if you're looking to work with an agency that feels like an extension of your team, and prioritizes delivering results!” - Erin Webster-Shaller, VP of Marketing
“The ASO Project feels like an extension of our team. They're thoughtful, data-driven, and always bring practical recommendations backed by evidence. They've helped us run better experiments, make smarter decisions, and improve performance.” - Chris Cowan, Marketing Manager
What you get with The ASO Project that a single hire usually cannot cover
- Specialists doing the work they specialize in, including multiple designers and video editors, with more than one set of eyes on strategy and creative.
- In-house technology included in the engagement: ASO Dashboard, Search Ads Manager for Apple Ads clients, Reviews Manager, and Looker Studio connectors.
- A documented cycle: research, implementation, testing, and iteration, with bi-weekly meetings, reporting, Slack access, and AI-assisted analysis.
- The option to keep organic ASO, localization, and paid UA on one team, so keyword insights and product-page tests show up in your ads as well.
If you are still deciding whether you need a team or a platform, read ASO agency vs ASO tools. Tools are valuable; they do not replace the people who have to act on the data.