Buyer's guide
How to choose an app review tool
App Store Connect and Play Console already let you read and answer every review. A tool is worth paying for when it saves you time on both stores at once. These are the questions to ask before you choose one.
Sources
Sources checked on 23 October 2026.
Does it cover both stores, and publish there?
- Check that it publishes replies, not only drafts or reports. Both stores have a reply API:
POST /v1/customerReviewResponseson the App Store and…/reviews/{reviewId}:replyon Google Play. - Ask how often it checks Google Play: the API only shares reviews written or changed in the last 7 days.
- Ask how it learns about new App Store reviews: Apple sends no email and no webhook for them, so a tool has to check on a schedule.
What access does it ask for?
- On the App Store, an API key. A team key reaches every app whatever its role, so the role matters: Customer Support is the role made for answering reviews.
- On Google Play, a service account with the Reply to reviews permission.
- Ask whether replies wait for a person's approval or go out on their own, and make sure you can always tell which.
How good are its replies?
- Replies should answer what each review says rather than repeat one template; Apple recommends personal replies.
- They should follow the stores' rules: no personal information, no promotion, nothing abusive.
- On Google Play they have to fit in 350 characters.
- Try it on your own reviews in other languages: Play Console's suggested replies cover only English.
Day to day: alerts, team and price
- Alerts: Google Play emails you about new reviews but Apple doesn't, so check how the tool tells you about App Store reviews: email, Slack or Discord.
- Team: people who answer reviews shouldn't need access to billing or to every setting.
- Price: per app or per seat? Count your apps and the people who answer reviews, and check whether a free plan lets you try it on real reviews.
- AI assistants: if your team works in Claude, Cursor or a similar assistant, ask whether it can read reviews and prepare drafts there.
Questions developers ask
Do I need a tool to reply to app reviews?
No. App Store Connect and Play Console let you answer every review. A tool helps when you're on both stores, have several apps, or get reviews in many languages.
Is it safe to give a tool my App Store key?
Give it a key with the narrowest role: Customer Support is the role made for answering reviews. If a key is ever lost, revoke it in App Store Connect straight away.
Can a tool reply to older Google Play reviews?
Through the API it only sees reviews created or changed in the last 7 days, so it has to check often.
Do replies show up straight away?
Not on the App Store: allow up to 24 hours. Until then App Store Connect shows the reply as pending.
What should a tool never put in a reply?
Promotion and personal information. Google's rules forbid promoting anything in a reply, and Apple asks you to leave out personal information and marketing language.
Sources
- App Store Connect Help: Respond to reviews (opens in a new tab)
- Play Console Help: View and analyze your app's ratings and reviews (opens in a new tab)
- App Store Connect API: Creating API keys for App Store Connect API (opens in a new tab)
- Google Play Developer API: Reply to Reviews (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Developer: Ratings, reviews, and responses (opens in a new tab)
Where Merci AI fits
Merci AI brings App Store and Google Play reviews into one inbox, drafts each reply in the reviewer's language, and publishes only when you click Publish. Its App Store key only needs the Customer Support role. It checks for new reviews every 6 hours and can alert you by email, Slack or Discord. There's a free plan for one app.