What Are the 10 Best Mobile App User Acquisition Companies in 2026?

The best mobile app user acquisition companies in 2026 are Applica, Phiture, Yodel Mobile, Admiral Media, Kurve, Rocketship HQ, Udonis, AppAgent, ShyftUp and SplitMetrics. Applica is our top pick for US subscription apps that want growth measured in ROAS and ARPU. Phiture and SplitMetrics lead on Apple Ads, while AppAgent and Udonis fit game studios.

Most agencies run the same channels, so the real differences lie in SKAN measurement, creative testing speed and revenue-based reporting. Discovery is changing too, as Apple now uses large language models to create App Store Tags shown in search results.

To build this list, we checked every case study on each agency’s site, read each Clutch profile review by review and confirmed awards with the awarding body. Where a public figure did not match its source, we say so.

Top 3 at a Glance

If you only have a minute, these are the three best mobile app user acquisition agencies for most US app teams.

How We Chose These User Acquisition Agencies

We built the shortlist from agency websites, Clutch and G2 profiles, and award lists from Business of Apps, The Drum and the EMMAs. We also checked Apple’s Ads partner page and partner directories at Adjust, RevenueCat, Mixpanel and Braze. All checks ran in October 2026. Every company was assessed against the same five criteria:

1. Verified user acquisition results. A case study on the agency’s own site with a named client and paid metrics such as CPI, CPA, ROAS or ARPU. Cases with dates and baselines earned more weight than install counts alone.
2. Channel, measurement and creative depth. Coverage of Meta, Google, TikTok, Apple Ads and ad networks, hands-on SKAN and MMP work, and how many creative concepts the agency tests and how fast.
3. AI readiness. AI creative tooling, AI bidding agents, and GEO, AEO or LLMO work on how AI assistants describe and recommend apps.
4. Review freshness and focus. New Clutch reviews in the last six months, the share of the profile that is really app user acquisition, and the share that is SEO or GEO. We flag profiles with nothing new in 12+ months as stale.
5. Client fit and recognition. Published minimums, typical client stage and revenue band, app categories and markets, plus awards and partner badges confirmed at the source.

AI readiness got its own criterion because app discovery is moving into AI answers. At I/O 2026, Google announced app discovery inside the Gemini app. In February 2026, Apple Ads, formerly Apple Search Ads, added a Maximize Conversions bid strategy for search results campaigns that relies on AI-powered ad serving. We apply the same AI test to web visibility in our ranking of the best GEO and AEO agencies for B2B tech.

The 10 Best Mobile App User Acquisition Companies

Here are the 10 best mobile app user acquisition companies that earned a place on our list:

1. Applica
2. Phiture
3. Yodel Mobile
4. Admiral Media
5. Kurve
6. Rocketship HQ
7. Udonis
8. AppAgent
9. ShyftUp
10. SplitMetrics

Comparison Table: Top Mobile App User Acquisition Agencies in 2026

1. Applica: Best for Subscription Apps That Want User Acquisition Measured in ROAS and ARPU

Applica presents itself as a mobile app growth partner that builds and runs growth systems for mobile teams. Its goal is to raise LTV and lower CAC across product, marketing and retention. According to its About page, Applica was founded in Lviv in 2022, although Clutch and Business of Apps list 2021. It is registered in the UK as Applica Solutions LTD, and a 25+ person team works across Europe and Latin America under founder and CEO Artem Kuzmych.

Applica has no US office, but the US is one of its two core markets. According to its homepage, its approach has been tested with 50+ Tier-1 mobile apps in the competitive US and EU markets. Seven of its Clutch reviewers are US companies, from California and New York to Florida and Maine.

The founders built and launched their own consumer app, Laveer, before starting the agency. That product background shows in how Applica runs paid user acquisition. It treats ads, store pages, paywalls and retention as one system. We went through its 27 case cards, and eight carried paid user acquisition metrics. Those cases put revenue numbers next to installs. ROAS, ARPU, cost per trial and cost per deposit come up again and again. For subscription apps, those numbers decide whether growth pays off, and we weighted that heavily when ranking Applica first.

Key services

• Performance marketing on Meta, TikTok, Google and Apple Ads, plus direct buys and web-to-app funnels, with budget moved by marginal ROAS
• Measurement that joins SKAN, Meta AEM and probabilistic modeling in one dashboard, with MMP health checks and incrementality lift as a tracked KPI
• A testing routine where every concept launches with three to four variations, judged after 24 to 48 hours on CTR, CPM, CPI and conversion rate
• Creative production with static, motion, UGC and AI-generated UGC, and more than 10,000 ads produced to date
• ASO with a dedicated step for app discovery in AI search, covering AI-discoverability audits and LLM listing optimization for ChatGPT and Perplexity

Case studies

• TouchRetouch, photo editing, Apple Ads, 2026. The TouchRetouch case compares March 1 to May 15, 2026 with December 15, 2025 to February 28, 2026. Revenue grew 41.3%, installs grew 52.2% and cost per trial fell 21.3%. Non-brand keywords rose from 5.8% to 31.2% of spend. In the United States, installs grew 115% and cost per trial improved 28%. A Smart Scenes custom product page in US branded campaigns cut CPI by 47.4%, from €1.56 to €0.82. We also noticed that the case reports a ROAS dip from 128.5% to 118.9% as colder non-brand traffic came in, which few agencies would publish.
• Nemo Money, investing app. The Nemo case covers January to July 2025. It reports a 4x lower cost per deposit overall, with 8x on Meta and 3x on Google Ads. The campaigns ran in Nigeria and the Gulf, with more than 700 creatives produced and tested.

Awards and recognition

We checked Applica’s partner badges in each directory. It is a certified partner in Adjust’s directory and a RevenueCat Certified Partner with certifications in Funnels, Paywalls and Experiments & Targeting. It is also a Mixpanel Certified Solutions Partner. Its client EF Hello won a 2024 App Store Award for Cultural Impact. Applica has run EF Hello’s iOS user acquisition since February 2024, and its EF Hello case says paid marketing contributed to the award. Its recognition page also lists a Business of Apps Top App Marketing Company title for 2024. We could not find that title on the Business of Apps site itself.

Client fit

• Type of business: B2C subscription apps in FinTech, WellTech and EdTech, plus photo, travel and navigation apps. Named clients include Drops, Fabulous, Slumber, EF Hello, AirHelp, Nemo Money and FXTM. We found no game case studies.
• Stage and size: ARR thresholds are not published. Clutch shows 50% small businesses under $10M in revenue, 35% mid-market and 15% enterprise clients. Managed paid user acquisition usually starts at $50,000+ a month in ad spend. A separate revenue-share track targets apps with early traction.
• Regions and US presence: RevenueCat lists North America, Europe, Latin America, India and Southeast Asia, and MENA. US results appear in the TouchRetouch, Workout for Women and Drops cases.
• Pain points: winning ads that decay faster than a team can replace them, iOS attribution gaps after SKAN, high cost per deposit in fintech, and siloed product and marketing teams.

Clutch and reviews

Applica holds a 5.0 rating from 19 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 50% of its service focus, followed by conversion optimization and UX/UI design at 20% each and app development at 10%.

Pricing: Paid user acquisition is billed as a transparent percentage of monthly ad spend. For creative testing, Applica recommends at least $10,000 to $20,000 in monthly spend. The revenue-share track has no retainer and no upfront fee. Clutch shows a $5,000+ minimum project and $50 to $99 per hour.

Best for: subscription apps in health, education or fintech that sell in the US and Europe and want growth measured in ROAS and ARPU.

Not ideal for: mobile games, apps spending under $50,000 a month on managed user acquisition, or teams that require a US-based account lead.

Our take: Applica is our pick for the best user acquisition agency for subscription apps. Its newest cases are dated and tied to revenue, and TouchRetouch breaks its results out for the US. Its measurement setup is built for life after SKAN. It is also one of only two agencies here with a defined AEO step for app discovery in AI assistants. The main limit is scale, since a 25+ person team without a US office will not suit brands that want a large US-based bench.

The Nemo case shows how expensive fintech acquisition gets once an app enters new markets. Fintech apps that also compete for search demand on the web can compare our ranking of the best fintech SEO agencies.

2. Phiture: Best for Funded Subscription Apps That Want AI Bidding on Apple Ads

Phiture is a Berlin mobile growth consultancy founded in 2016 by Andy Carvell and Moritz Daan. Its 100+ people work from hubs in New York City, Berlin, London and Barcelona. Precis acquired Phiture in February 2026, and Phiture says the team remains the same.

Key services

• Paid user acquisition on Google, Meta, TikTok, Snap and Apple Ads
• Catchbase, its own AI bidding tool for Apple Ads, plus SKAN and MMP setup
• ASO with the PressPlay AI testing agent, plus CRM and retention work

Case studies

For Planta, a plant care app, Phiture rebuilt Apple Ads campaigns to grow in the US market. Installs rose 335% year over year from January to July, while CPI stayed below target. In a six-week controlled test for Pinger, Catchbase lifted acquisitions 31% and cut CPA 23%. The often-cited Clue uplifts of 7%, 6%, 4% and 6% came from ASO listing tests, not Apple Ads.

Awards and recognition

Phiture won User Acquisition Company at the App Growth Awards 2023, the most relevant award we found on this list. Co-founder Moritz Daan received the Outstanding Contribution award in 2024.

Client fit

• Type of business: consumer subscription apps such as Spotify, Headspace, KAYAK and NordVPN, plus some games.
• Stage and size: mostly enterprise, at 55% of its Clutch clients. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: a New York office and US Apple Ads work for Planta.
• Pain points: rising Apple Ads CPA, new market entry and churn after the install.

Clutch and reviews

Phiture has a 4.9 rating from 21 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 60% of its focus, and SEO and GEO have no share. The latest review dates from July 2023, so the profile is stale.

Pricing: No public agency fees. Clutch lists a $25,000+ minimum project, and Catchbase starts at €499 a month.

Best for: funded subscription apps that want Apple Ads run with AI bidding, plus CRM and retention on the same team.

Not ideal for: early-stage apps with budgets under $25,000, or buyers who want recent third-party reviews.

Our take: Phiture backs its own Apple Ads bidding AI with a controlled test, and its New York hub suits US teams. Its roster leans enterprise, and our review of the best enterprise SEO agencies covers the web half of that funnel.

3. Yodel Mobile: Best for Enterprise Consumer Brands That Want Apple Ads and ASO Together

Yodel Mobile was founded in London in 2007 by Mick Rigby, who still leads it. NP Digital acquired the roughly 30-person agency in April 2025 to serve its US and international clients. Yodel’s own site lists only a London office, and its US work so far comes from mandates such as Zenni Optical and Blacklane.

Key services

• Paid user acquisition across Apple Ads, Google App Campaigns, Meta, TikTok, networks and DSPs
• ASO with always-on tests and localization in 35+ languages
• Creative Studio and a new AI visibility audit for apps

Case studies

For Yodel Delivery, a UK parcel carrier that only shares the agency’s name, Apple Ads was the core paid channel. Installs grew 85% year over year, CPA fell 30% and the app rating climbed from 1.8 to 4.6 stars. Yodel also reports 18,000 app store registrations for EczemaWise, the National Eczema Association’s app. When we read the Hoppa case, often described as paid growth, most of its results turned out to be organic.

Awards and recognition

Yodel Mobile won App Marketing Agency at the App Growth Awards 2024. At the EMMAs 2022, it was named Most Effective App Marketing Agency, and the Yodel Delivery campaign also won.

Client fit

• Type of business: non-game consumer brands such as B&Q, Tinder, UKTV, TUI and Gymshark.
• Stage and size: 40% enterprise and 40% mid-market clients on Clutch. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: UK first, with US mandates and service across US time zones.
• Pain points: weak store visibility, Apple Ads efficiency and moving customers from web to app.

Clutch and reviews

Yodel Mobile has a 4.9 rating from 34 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 75% of its focus, and web SEO and GEO are absent. Seven of the ten latest reviews cover ASO, and nothing new has arrived since January 2026.

Pricing: No public prices. Clutch lists a $100,000+ minimum project, the highest entry point on this list.

Best for: enterprise and mid-market consumer brands that want an award-winning ASO and Apple Ads team.

Not ideal for: indie apps, seed-stage startups, game studios, or buyers who need published US-market results.

Our take: Yodel Mobile has the strongest verified award record of any dedicated app agency here, but its published numbers lean on Apple Ads and organic growth. Health apps such as EczemaWise can compare the best healthcare SEO companies for the web side.

4. Admiral Media: Best for Consumer Apps That Need AI Creative Volume and Multichannel User Acquisition

Admiral Media was founded in 2019 by Andre Kempe and is based in Dubai, with a remote team in 15+ countries. It reports more than €500 million in managed ad spend for 150+ brands. Admiral has no US office and serves American clients remotely.

Key services

• Paid user acquisition on Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple Ads, Snapchat and Moloco, with SKAN and incrementality tests
• The AI Creative Factory, which makes video ads in batches of 20, 40 or 80 with human review
• Answer engine optimization for apps across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Gemini

Case studies

For Inshallah, a Muslim dating app, Admiral moved US campaigns to purchase optimization in September 2023 and set up the SKAN schema. US iOS revenue grew 1,253% and US iOS subscriptions 824%, though the page gives no baseline. A 2026 Moloco test for another dating app reached 117.8% Day 30 ROAS on Android.

Awards and recognition

Admiral won Silver in the AI category at The Drum Awards for Marketing EMEA 2026 for its Fastic work. One of its managers was a 2024 App Growth Awards finalist in the user acquisition manager category.

Client fit

• Type of business: subscription, dating, health, mobility, ecommerce and game apps such as FreeNow, Omio and Glovo.
• Stage and size: apps that already spend on paid media, ideally $50,000+ a month. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: North America, Europe and Asia, with US work delivered remotely.
• Pain points: opaque platform automation, creative fatigue and broken tracking.

Clutch and reviews

Admiral Media has a 4.9 rating from 49 Clutch reviews, the most on this list. Mobile and app marketing is 50% of its focus, and SEO and GEO are not service lines. The latest review is from May 2026, but only two arrived in the last 12 months.

Pricing: A monthly fee, either a retainer or a share of media spend. AI creative starts at €10,000 for 20 videos and ASO at €2,000 a month. Clutch lists a $5,000+ minimum project.

Best for: consumer apps that want a steady stream of AI-assisted creative and paid user acquisition across five or more channels.

Not ideal for: pre-seed apps with small budgets, or US teams that want an in-person agency partner.

Our take: Admiral is the only agency here that publishes batch prices for AI-made creative, and it also sells a packaged AEO service. B2B products that want the specialist version can compare the best AI visibility and LLMO agencies for SaaS brands.

5. Kurve: Best for Founder-Led Apps Scaling on TikTok and Paid Social

Kurve is a London growth consultancy led by founder and CEO Oren Greenberg, with company records going back to 2008. It has no US office, but it sells paid media, creative and user acquisition in both the UK and the US.

Key services

• Paid social on TikTok and Meta with Spark Ads, UGC and creators
• Apple Ads, Google App campaigns and mobile DSPs as apps scale
• Growth stack setup and ASO

Case studies

Treecard, an eco fintech app, hired Kurve to grow in the US market. In the Treecard TikTok case, installs rose 1,027% and install cost fell 63% between January 3 and March 6, 2023. TikTok’s own success story named Kurve, a third-party check few cases here have. Kurve also covered the UK and US for Sweatcoin, where TikTok reports CPI down 53% in 2022.

Awards and recognition

Kurve won App Marketing Agency of the Year at the App Growth Awards 2023. Its Treecard campaign also earned Silver and Audience Honors at the 8th Shorty Impact Awards.

Client fit

• Type of business: fintech, health and fitness, gaming and ecommerce apps such as Sweatcoin, Treecard and Nutmeg.
• Stage and size: founder-led apps, with packages from under 100,000 users to 100 million. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: the UK and US, with no US office.
• Pain points: growth plateaus, unprofitable paid acquisition and a weak growth stack.

Clutch and reviews

Kurve has a 4.8 rating from just 2 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 35% of its focus, with SEO at 10%. Both reviews date from August 2020 and cover B2B marketing, not apps.

Pricing: Kurve says its services start at £2,000. Clutch lists a $10,000+ minimum project.

Best for: founder-led consumer apps that want TikTok and paid social growth in the UK or US with a senior, hands-on team.

Not ideal for: apps that need programmatic scale, deep SKAN measurement or recent third-party references.

Our take: Kurve pairs a verified award with two TikTok-confirmed US campaigns, but its newest dated case is from 2023. Founders still weighing paid against organic can compare the best SEO and GEO agencies for startups.

6. Rocketship HQ: Best for Creative-Led User Acquisition With AI Testing at Scale

Rocketship HQ is a distributed agency with registered offices in New York and Tallinn, including a US LLC in New York. Its 20-person team works from Europe and Asia under founder and CEO Shamanth Rao, who led user acquisition at three apps that were later acquired. It pitches itself as a system that keeps finding winning ads at scale, rather than an agency that simply makes ads.

Key services

• Fully managed user acquisition across social, search, ad networks and programmatic
• Creative strategy built to test 50 to 100+ creatives a month
• AI agents for ad analysis, bulk Meta deployment and reporting, plus SKAN and MMM work

Case studies

For Firstcard, a fintech startup from Menlo Park, California, CAC dropped 50% and CPI 33% within 60 days on Meta, Google and Apple Ads. For the kids’ app Wonster Words, 80 creatives tested in two months cut cost per trial start by 32%. None of its case pages shows a date.

Awards and recognition

Shamanth Rao received the Outstanding Contribution award at the App Growth Awards 2023, a personal award rather than an agency title. His podcast, now called Intelligent Artifice, has 288 episodes on Castbox.

Client fit

• Type of business: games such as GSN, Big Fish and Wooga, plus subscription apps such as Bumble, Lingokids and Centr.
• Stage and size: apps past product-market fit that want to scale from early traction to large volume. Managed work requires $50,000+ a month in ad spend. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: a New York LLC and US clients such as Firstcard and JobGet.
• Pain points: creative fatigue, a top ad nobody can beat and ROAS after ATT.

Clutch and reviews

We could not find a Clutch or G2 profile for Rocketship HQ, so review recency and the SEO and GEO split could not be checked.

Pricing: A flat fee based on the complexity of the work, with a free growth audit.

Best for: games and subscription apps past product-market fit that want creative testing at high volume.

Not ideal for: pre-PMF apps, teams that need ASO as a core service, or buyers who want verified third-party reviews.

Our take: Rocketship HQ has the most clearly described AI creative system we found, but no Clutch profile or dated cases. Teams below $50,000 a month in paid media may get more from startup SEO services first.

7. Udonis: Best for Game Studios That Want User Acquisition and In-House Creative Under One Roof

Udonis was founded in 2015, is headquartered in Osijek, Croatia, and has focused on mobile games since 2018 under CEO Mihovil Grguric. It lists a Newark, Delaware address for North America, but we found no US team. It says it has managed $500 million+ in game user acquisition and creative budgets.

Key services

• Managed user acquisition for games, with full ad account access
• Creative production with gameplay, UGC and playable ads
• ASO and marketing dashboards

Case studies

Udonis publishes no case pages. The strongest proof is Singular’s case study on Playsome, where Day 180 ROAS grew 115%+ in a year and iOS scale grew 400%. Its own pages credit campaigns with 70 million+ downloads for Bottle Flip 3D, without dates or costs.

Awards and recognition

We found no awards confirmed by an awarding body and no certified partner badges. Its homepage shows logos from King, Voodoo, SYBO and Activision Blizzard.

Client fit

• Type of business: mobile games across hyper-casual, RPG and simulation genres.
• Stage and size: budgets from under $10,000 to $200,000+ on its contact form, with an even split of small and mid-market clients on Clutch. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: global campaigns run from Croatia, with no published US results.
• Pain points: cash-flow positive paid acquisition and enough creative to fight ad fatigue.

Clutch and reviews

Udonis has a 4.8 rating from 8 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 65% of its focus, with no SEO or GEO line. The latest review dates from February 2020, so the profile is stale.

Pricing: No public prices. Clutch lists a $25,000+ minimum project.

Best for: game studios that want managed user acquisition and high-volume ad creative from one vendor.

Not ideal for: non-game apps, or buyers who need recent, dated proof and US-market results.

Our take: Udonis brings real media buying scale for games but has the thinnest public proof on this list. Ask for current, dated results and a US reference before signing.

If you run a game studio and want more structure than a media buying vendor offers, AppAgent is the closer fit.

8. AppAgent: Best for Mid-Size and Large Game Studios That Want a Structured Growth Program

AppAgent is a self-funded Prague agency founded in 2016 that works only with mobile games. CEO Peter Fodor leads about 40 people, and US clients contract through AppAgent, LLC in Delaware. It has worked with 91 studios on 150+ titles.

Key services

• GamePlan, a two to four week audit with a three-month roadmap
• Growth Program for paid user acquisition on Meta, Google, TikTok, AppLovin, Unity Ads and DSPs
• Creative Program and the AdAgent AI creative engine

Case studies

For Pocket Paws by Landmark Games, overall ROAS rose about 45% while ad spend grew about 3x. CPI fell 50% and organic installs grew 8x. AppAgent also reports tripled monthly US installs for Joyglitch’s Wordling and a US-focused launch for Bellemint. An older Babbel deck, sometimes cited as a paid win, credits its install gain to conversion rate work.

Awards and recognition

AppAgent was a finalist for ASO Company and User Acquisition Company at the App Growth Awards 2023. Its agency titles from 2018, 2020 and 2022 are self-reported.

Client fit

• Type of business: mobile games only, for studios such as Supercell, Square Enix, Scopely and Outfit7.
• Stage and size: 70% mid-market clients on Clutch, with at least $30,000 a month in media recommended. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: clients in 43 countries and a US contracting LLC.
• Pain points: creative struggles, internal team gaps and acquisition difficulties.

Clutch and reviews

AppAgent has a 4.9 rating from 34 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 65% of its focus, and SEO and GEO have no share. The newest review is from June 2026, but the one before it dates from August 2024.

Pricing: No public fees. Clutch lists a $25,000+ minimum project.

Best for: mid-size and large game studios that want a structured audit before managed user acquisition and creative work.

Not ideal for: non-game apps, or studios that want a pure media-buying vendor without strategy work.

Our take: Pocket Paws shows ROAS rising while spend tripled, a combination rare among the top user acquisition agencies for games. AppAgent also publishes more US results than any other game specialist here.

Not every app is a game, and not every app grows from the store alone. Tech companies whose app sits next to a web product can compare the best SEO agencies for tech companies for the web side of acquisition.

9. ShyftUp: Best for Apps That Want Apple Ads and ASO Run as One Program

ShyftUp is a San Francisco app growth agency founded in 2017 by CEO Levent Sapci. Its 11-person team includes staff in Türkiye who work US business hours. Its work centers on Apple Ads and ASO, tracked in its own Metrikal dashboard.

Key services

• Apple Ads with keyword-level MMP data and custom product pages
• Google App Campaigns, Meta, TikTok and Snapchat
• ASO with an A/B test for every creative

Case studies

For AllTrails, ShyftUp supported expansion into France, Belgium and Germany after the app’s first US success. User acquisition grew 119% in six months from Apple Ads plus ASO, though the case does not split paid from organic. For Evernote, a new Apple Ads strategy lifted registrations 48%. Only one of its four cases carries a date, from 2021.

Awards and recognition

ShyftUp was a finalist for App Marketing Agency of the Year at the App Growth Awards 2024. It is also a certified Adjust and Adapty partner.

Client fit

• Type of business: mostly US consumer, fintech and subscription apps such as SoFi, Acorns, Peloton, Talkspace and Smartsheet.
• Stage and size: no minimum commitment, with 65% mid-market clients on Clutch. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: a San Francisco base and campaigns in 150+ geos.
• Pain points: ROI-positive growth and paid installs that turn into sign-ups and subscriptions.

Clutch and reviews

ShyftUp has a 5.0 rating from 4 Clutch reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 60% of its focus, and SEO and GEO get no share. Two reviews come from partner agencies, and the latest is from October 2023.

Pricing: No public packages. Clutch lists a $5,000+ minimum project.

Best for: US consumer, fintech and subscription apps where Apple Ads is the main paid channel.

Not ideal for: high-volume social or programmatic user acquisition, or creative testing at game-studio scale.

Our take: ShyftUp offers the most concrete link between paid keyword tests and ASO we found, but its proof stops at Apple Ads and ASO. For SaaS clients such as Evernote and Smartsheet, a SaaS SEO agency covers the entry points beyond the store.

10. SplitMetrics: Best for iOS-Heavy Apps That Want an Apple Ads Platform Plus Managed User Acquisition

SplitMetrics was founded in 2015 by Max Kamenkov and reports 800+ businesses served and $2 billion in managed ad spend. Its agency arm, SplitMetrics Growth Services, launched in 2021, and the company acquired App Radar in 2023. A Delaware entity and a US leadership team, in place since May 2026, cover the Americas.

Key services

• Managed user acquisition across 15+ paid channels, with MMP and SKAN setup
• Fully managed Apple Ads with custom product page testing
• Acquire, its Apple Ads platform, and the Iris AI agent

Case studies

For SumUp, Growth Services scaled Apple Ads, Google, Meta, TikTok, Moloco and Snapchat from late 2024. By May 2026, monthly sign-ups had grown 388.8% while blended CPA rose only 4.3%. The results cover 11 European markets, not the US. The 40.5% ROAS gain often credited to SplitMetrics for BetterSleep came from the client’s own team using Acquire.

Awards and recognition

SplitMetrics is the only company here listed on Apple’s Ads partner page. Its David Vargas won the user acquisition manager award at the App Growth Awards 2024.

Client fit

• Type of business: apps and games such as Babbel, Flo, Glovo, Skyscanner, Wargaming and SumUp, plus DraftKings and PlayStudios in the US.
• Stage and size: 45% mid-market and 30% enterprise clients on Clutch, plus a free Acquire tier for smaller iOS budgets. ARR thresholds are not published.
• Regions and US presence: Europe, the Americas and Asia, with US leadership since 2026.
• Pain points: limited in-house capacity, Apple Ads efficiency and channels that need enough spend to learn.

Clutch and reviews

The SplitMetrics Growth Services profile has a 5.0 rating from 23 reviews. Mobile and app marketing is 40% of its focus, and its 10% SEO share is store optimization, not web SEO or GEO. Nine of the ten latest reviews date from the App Radar era, though the newest is from October 2026. G2 is fresher, with a 4.8 rating from 32 reviews.

Pricing: Acquire is free for up to $25,000 in monthly ad spend. Growth Services is quoted per client, with a $10,000+ minimum project on Clutch.

Best for: iOS-heavy subscription, fintech and game apps that rely on Apple Ads and want a platform plus a managed team.

Not ideal for: teams that want a creative-led social agency first, or US buyers who need published US-market case studies.

Our take: SplitMetrics has the deepest Apple Ads stack on this list, but its US team is new, so ask for multichannel US references. For B2B software apps, the buying journey rarely starts in Apple Ads, and a software SEO agency covers Google and AI search.

How to Choose the Right Mobile User Acquisition Agency for a US App

Picking among the best user acquisition companies starts with your app category, your monthly ad spend and your biggest growth gap. These six checks came straight out of our research.

1. Match the agency to your category. AppAgent and Udonis work only or mainly with games. Applica, Phiture, Yodel Mobile and ShyftUp focus on non-game consumer and subscription apps. Admiral Media, Rocketship HQ and SplitMetrics work across both.
2. Check the ad spend floor, not only the fee. Agency entry points run from €2,000 a month for ASO at Admiral Media and £2,000 at Kurve to a $100,000+ minimum project at Yodel Mobile. Applica and Rocketship HQ expect about $50,000 a month in ad spend for managed user acquisition, and AppAgent recommends at least $30,000. Admiral Media names $50,000+ as its ideal but sets no fixed minimum.
3. Look at review freshness. Only Applica, Admiral Media, AppAgent and SplitMetrics added a Clutch review in the last six months. Phiture, Kurve, Udonis and ShyftUp have had nothing new since 2023 or earlier, and Rocketship HQ has no Clutch profile at all.
4. Ask how they handle AI discovery. Among the top mobile user acquisition agencies on this list, only Applica and Admiral Media sell a defined AEO service for apps. Yodel Mobile offers an AI visibility audit. Phiture, SplitMetrics, Rocketship HQ and AppAgent use AI mainly for bidding and creative. For apps whose buyers research on the web first, a SaaS GEO and AEO agency covers the AI answers that happen before the install.

Conclusion

The best mobile user acquisition companies in 2026 still win on media buying, creative testing and measurement. For US app teams, what separates them now is proof from the US market, a team that covers US hours, and readiness for discovery inside AI assistants. Applica leads this list for subscription apps that want user acquisition measured in ROAS and ARPU, backed by fresh US results. Phiture and SplitMetrics lead on Apple Ads tooling, Yodel Mobile suits enterprise brands, Rocketship HQ leads on creative volume, and AppAgent and Udonis lead for games.

If your subscription app sells in the US or Europe and needs user acquisition, creative and measurement run as one growth system, start with Applica.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a mobile user acquisition agency do?

A mobile user acquisition agency plans, buys and optimizes the paid media that brings new users into an app. The work covers channels such as Meta, TikTok, Google and Apple Ads, plus ad creative, MMP setup and SKAN measurement. The best user acquisition agencies also tie that spend to revenue metrics such as ROAS, ARPU and cost per trial.

How much do top mobile user acquisition companies charge?

In our October 2026 research, Clutch minimum projects for these agencies ranged from $5,000 to $100,000+, and hourly rates ran from $50 to $300. Among those that publish a fee model, Applica bills a percentage of ad spend, Admiral Media a retainer or a percentage, and Rocketship HQ a flat fee. The rest quote per client. Several also expect $30,000 to $50,000 a month in ad spend before they take on managed user acquisition.

How fast should paid user acquisition show results?

The cases we reviewed with stated timeframes showed clear movement within two to three months. Rocketship HQ cut Firstcard’s CAC by 50% within 60 days, and Kurve’s Treecard push on TikTok in the US ran about nine weeks. Larger programs, such as SplitMetrics’ work with SumUp, kept compounding for more than a year.

Do the best user acquisition agencies offer GEO, AEO and LLMO for apps?

A few do, and the overlap is growing. In an AppTweak survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, 58% had used an AI assistant to find or choose an app. Applica and Admiral Media sell AEO work for apps, and Yodel Mobile offers an AI visibility audit. For SaaS products, the comparison usually starts on the web, where the best SEO agencies for SaaS companies do that work.

What are the best mobile user acquisition agencies for games?

AppAgent and Udonis are the most game-focused companies on this list. AppAgent suits mid-size and large studios that want an audit and a structured growth program. It also publishes US results, such as tripled monthly US installs for Wordling. Udonis suits studios that need managed user acquisition and high-volume creative. Rocketship HQ and SplitMetrics also work with game studios such as Wooga and Wargaming.

What is the best user acquisition agency for a subscription app in the US?

The best fit ties growth to trials, ARPU and renewals rather than installs alone. Applica stands out for subscription apps in health, education and fintech, with dated US results such as 115% more US installs for TouchRetouch in spring 2026. Phiture is strong when Apple Ads and CRM need to work together, and it has a New York office.

Should I hire a user acquisition agency or use a platform?

Use a platform if you have an in-house user acquisition manager who can run bids and creative tests. SplitMetrics Acquire has a free tier for up to $25,000 in monthly Apple Ads spend. Phiture’s Catchbase starts at €499 a month for up to €25,000 in spend. Hire an agency if you need strategy, creative production and multichannel buying from one team.

What should I ask a user acquisition agency before signing?

Ask for a case in your app category with a named client, dates, a baseline, the market and revenue metrics. Ask who will run your account, where that person is based and which channels they will test first. Finally, ask how they measure iOS installs under SKAN and AdAttributionKit. Check whether ad spend minimums, creative fees or tool costs come on top of the management fee.