State of ASO in India 2026: how 100 top Google Play apps score

We audited the Google Play listings of 100 top apps in India (25–27 October 2026). The median app scored 79.5 out of 100. 24 of the 91 apps we could read reviews for did not reply to any of their 200 newest reviews, 36 in 100 leave room in their 30-character name, and 64 in 100 have no promo video.

How the top apps score

Each app got the same audit anyone can run on Growdone: fixed checks on the name, short description, description, screenshots, video, ratings, reviews and freshness, rolled into one score out of 100. The same listing always gets the same score; no AI was used to score or to write anything in this study.

Most big apps do the basics well: 95 in 100 were updated in the last 60 days, and only 4 have fewer than 6 screenshots. The gaps are in the cheap, quick things: the words in the name and short description, the video, and replying to reviews.

36 in 100 leave space in the app name

Google Play gives every app a name of up to 30 characters, and it's the field that matters most for being found in store search. The median top app uses 28.5. But 36 in 100 stop short of 27 characters, and 21 use fewer than 20, often just the brand. 7 names are the brand and nothing else.

A famous brand can afford that: people search its name. A smaller app can't. The pattern that works is Brand: what it does, like "ixigo Train,Bus Ticket Booking" or "Zepto: Groceries in minutes".

The short description (up to 80 characters, shown right under the name) tells the same story: 27 in 100 use less than 64 of its characters. Our guide to writing the name and short description shows how to fill both.

1 in 4 didn't reply to any recent review

On Google Play, developer replies show under each review for everyone to read, and a reviewer can change their rating after a good reply. We read each app's 200 newest English reviews in the India store and counted how many had a reply.

The split by category is sharp. Every Finance and Food & grocery app we could read replied to at least some reviews. Social apps mostly don't: 7 of 9 replied to none. Replying costs nothing but time, and it is one of the few things a small app can do better than a giant. Here is how to reply to reviews.

64 in 100 have no promo video

Google Play lets you add a YouTube promo video, shown at the top of the listing. Only 36 of the top 100 apps use it. A video takes effort, which is exactly why it is still a gap. See screenshots, icon and video for what to show in it.

By category

Each row links to that category's leaderboard, where every app has its own public report.

Best in class

The ten highest scores in the study. Open any of them to see what they get right.

1. Groww Stocks, Mutual Fund, IPO (Finance): 91
2. ixigo Train,Bus Ticket Booking (Travel): 91
3. Myntra - Fashion Shopping App (Shopping): 91
4. PhonePe UPI Payments, Loan App (Finance): 90
5. Photo & Video Editor - Canva (Productivity): 90
6. Zepto: Groceries in minutes (Food & grocery): 90
7. JioSaavn - Music & Podcasts (Music & audio): 89
8. LinkedIn: Community & Network (Social): 89
9. BookMyShow | Movies & Events (Entertainment): 88
10. Google Pay: Secure UPI payment (Finance): 88

What to do this week

1. 1

   Fill your app name

   Brand, a colon, then the one search you most want to win, up to 30 characters. Check the length with the character counter.
2. 2

   Use all of the short description

   One clear sentence with two or three search words that are not already in the name. Try it in the listing simulator to see how it looks in search.
3. 3

   Reply to every 1–3 star review

   Within 48 hours, with a fix or a workaround. Then reply to the next ones as they come.
4. 4

   Add a 30-second promo video

   Show the main thing the app does in the first 3 seconds. A phone screen recording is enough to start.
5. 5

   Write real release notes

   Two lines naming what changed. 21 in 100 top apps leave this empty or nearly empty.

How we did it

• Apps: 100 of the most-used apps on Google Play in India, 10 in each of 10 categories, picked by hand. They include Indian apps and global apps popular in India. The full list is in the CSV below.
• Data: the public Google Play listing in the India store (English), read 25–27 October 2026. No developer accounts, no SDKs.
• Checks: the same fixed checks as every Growdone audit. The headline numbers use only checks read straight from the listing (name length, short description, video, screenshots, review replies, update date). Keyword checks use our own estimates, so they count in the score but not in the headlines.
• Reviews: the 200 newest English reviews per app. For 9 apps we couldn't read reviews, so the reply numbers are out of 91.
• Limits: top apps only, not the long tail. Google Play only (most phones in India run Android). One English listing per app; we did not count Hindi or other language listings. A single snapshot in time.