# App Store Apps Scraper (`brightpath-data/app-store-apps`) Actor

Mobile analysts and ASO teams tracking competitor apps get structured app metadata, ratings, pricing, category rank and release history, straight from Apple's own public endpoints.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/brightpath-data/app-store-apps.md
- **Developed by:** [Nick Randall](https://apify.com/brightpath-data) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 app records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## App Store Apps Scraper

Mobile analysts and ASO teams tracking competitor apps get structured app metadata, ratings, pricing, category rank and release history, straight from Apple's own public endpoints. Search, look up specific apps, or pull top charts in one Actor instead of three separate tools.

Get structured app metadata as JSON, CSV or Excel, or call it as a tool from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT or any MCP client. Pay only for the results you receive.

### What you get

Three modes, one Actor:

- **Search**: find apps by keyword, with name, developer, price, rating, genre, version and release dates.
- **Lookup**: full current details for specific apps by numeric App Store ID or bundle ID (e.g. `com.spotify.client`).
- **Top charts**: the Top Free, Top Paid or Top Grossing chart for any storefront, with rank.

Every result is a flat record tagged with `mode` and `country`, so search, lookup and chart rows from the same run drop straight into one table, spreadsheet or database.

### Why use this instead of the app

- One Actor covers search, lookup and charts across every supported storefront
- Rank, rating count and genre included, not just a name and price
- Results in JSON, CSV, Excel or via API, or piped into Zapier, Make, n8n and Google Sheets
- Works as an MCP tool, so AI agents can research apps on demand
- No browser, no proxies, no personal data: fast runs and a tiny cost per result

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Meaning |
|-------|------|---------|---------|
| `mode` | string | `search` | `search`, `lookup` or `topCharts` |
| `query` | string | | Keyword to search for (mode `search`) |
| `appIds` | array | | Numeric App Store IDs or bundle IDs (mode `lookup`) |
| `chart` | string | `topFree` | `topFree`, `topPaid` or `topGrossing` (mode `topCharts`) |
| `countries` | array | `["us"]` | Two-letter storefront codes, or `["all"]` for every supported storefront |
| `maxResults` | integer | 100 | Cap on results saved. You are charged per result, so this caps your cost. |

Example input:

```json
{
  "mode": "topCharts",
  "chart": "topFree",
  "countries": ["us", "gb"],
  "maxResults": 100
}
```

### Output

Sample rows from a live run:

| name | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Picsart AI Photo Editor, Video | Photo & Video | 4.7 |
| Airbrush: Face Photo Editor | Photo & Video | 4.8 |
| Lightroom: AI Photo Editor | Photo & Video | 4.8 |

Example result (search mode):

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "country": "us",
  "appId": 1013943394,
  "bundleId": "com.pixite.tangent",
  "name": "Photo Editor by Pixlr",
  "developer": "Pixlr Inc.",
  "price": 0,
  "currency": "USD",
  "averageRating": 4.6,
  "ratingCount": 128000,
  "primaryGenre": "Photo & Video",
  "genres": ["Photo & Video"],
  "version": "3.9.1",
  "releaseDate": "2015-03-10T00:00:00Z",
  "currentVersionReleaseDate": "2026-08-01T00:00:00Z",
  "minimumOsVersion": "16.0",
  "fileSizeBytes": 145000000,
  "trackViewUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1013943394",
  "sellerUrl": null
}
```

Field reference: `mode`, `country`, `appId`, `bundleId`, `name`, `developer`, `price`, `currency`, `averageRating`, `ratingCount`, `primaryGenre`, `genres[]`, `version`, `releaseDate`, `currentVersionReleaseDate`, `minimumOsVersion`, `fileSizeBytes`, `trackViewUrl`, `sellerUrl`. Top-charts results additionally carry `chart` and `rank`.

### Pricing

Pay per event. You are charged **$2.00 per 1,000 results** saved to the dataset, plus a fraction of a cent per run start. Nothing is charged for results you do not receive. Set "Max total charge per run" in the run options to cap spending on any run. When a run reaches your cap it stops cleanly and keeps everything it already saved.

Rough guide: 1,000 results cost $2.00 and take about 40 seconds.

### Use it from an AI agent (MCP)

This Actor is available as an MCP tool through the Apify MCP server. Add it to your client, then ask the agent for the data in plain language.

Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor (`mcp.json` / `claude_desktop_config.json`):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?actors=brightpath-data/app-store-apps",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}
```

ChatGPT and other clients that support remote MCP servers: add `https://mcp.apify.com/?actors=brightpath-data/app-store-apps` as a connector with your Apify token.

Example prompt once connected: "Show me the top 10 free photo editing apps in the US and UK App Stores."

### Use it from code

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/brightpath-data~app-store-apps/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"mode":"search","query":"photo editor","countries":["us"],"maxResults":100}'
```

Python:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("brightpath-data/app-store-apps").call(run_input={"mode": "search", "query": "photo editor", "countries": ["us"], "maxResults": 100})
items = client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items
```

### Limits and fair use

- Up to 10,000 results per run.
- Search and lookup return up to 200 apps per storefront per run (Apple's own limit for those endpoints).
- Requests to search and lookup are paced at 1.2 seconds apart to stay well under Apple's informal rate limit; the top-charts feed has no such limit.
- A storefront with no matching app, or no chart for the requested type, is skipped rather than treated as an error.

### Data source and legal

Data comes from Apple's public iTunes Search and Lookup API and the public Apple Marketing Tools top-charts feed (`rss.marketingtools.apple.com`), both served without authentication. This Actor collects public, non-personal app metadata only and does not bypass logins, paywalls or access controls. You are responsible for how you use the data.

### Support

Found a problem or need a field added? Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab. Fixes for broken runs are prioritized.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

search: find apps by keyword. lookup: full details for known apps by ID or bundle ID. topCharts: top free, paid or grossing apps for a storefront.

## `query` (type: `string`):

Keyword to search apps for. Used when Mode is "search".

## `appIds` (type: `array`):

Numeric App Store IDs or bundle IDs, e.g. "324684580" or "com.spotify.client". Used when Mode is "lookup".

## `chart` (type: `string`):

Which top chart to pull. Used when Mode is "topCharts".

## `countries` (type: `array`):

Two-letter storefront country codes to check, or \["all"] for every supported storefront.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of apps to save. You are charged per result saved, so this also caps the cost of a run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "query": "photo editor",
  "chart": "topFree",
  "countries": [
    "us"
  ],
  "maxResults": 100
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

The dataset with one flat record per result. Append ?format=csv or ?format=xlsx to the URL for other formats.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

OUTPUT record in the key-value store: counts of results pushed and charged, requests, retries and duration.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "query": "photo editor"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("brightpath-data/app-store-apps").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "query": "photo editor" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("brightpath-data/app-store-apps").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "query": "photo editor"
}' |
apify call brightpath-data/app-store-apps --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,brightpath-data/app-store-apps"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/iZy4Brgtx5AClI2QA/builds/beEW9KLyntPL6oBv7/openapi.json