Hammer vs OpenASO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hammer
Inspect and analyze network traffic on your iPhone and iPad. This toolkit helps developers and QA engineers debug APIs, mobile apps, and backend services by capturing and reviewing HTTP/HTTPS requests and responses locally.
- Live HTTP/HTTPS traffic capture
- Detailed request and response inspection
- HTTPS debugging with certificate support
- Request history and session organization
- Traffic filtering and rule management
- HAR file export for analysis
- Local-first data privacy
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Hammer is a professional HTTP and HTTPS debugging toolkit for developers, QA engineers, mobile teams, and technical users who need a clear way to inspect, analyze, and troubleshoot network traffic on iPhone and iPad. Whether you are testing an API, debugging a mobile app, checking request headers, reviewing response data, or exporting sessions for deeper analysis, Hammer helps you understand what is happening between your app, website, and backend services. Designed for local-first network inspection, Hammer keeps captured data on your device by default. Requests, responses, headers, cookies, and session history remain local unless you choose to export or share them. How Hammer Works: Hammer uses Apple's public Network Extension framework and a Packet Tunnel Provider to enable on-device traffic capture. When you tap Start and approve the iOS system configuration prompt, Hammer creates a local Packet Tunnel. Traffic included in the active capture session is routed through Hammer's local proxy process on the same device, where requests and responses can be inspected and displayed. The Packet Tunnel does not connect your traffic to a remote VPN server. Hammer does not provide anonymous browsing, change your virtual location, or hide your public IP address. iOS displays VPN-related permission text and may show a VPN status indicator because Apple manages Packet Tunnel Provider configurations through its VPN configuration infrastructure. Key Features: Live Traffic Capture Capture HTTP and HTTPS requests in real time. Review method, host, path, status code, protocol, timing, size, and request details in a clean debugging interface. Detailed Request Inspector Inspect URL parameters, request and response headers, message bodies, status codes, timing metrics, and content types. HTTPS Debugging Use optional certificate-based HTTPS inspection in development, testing, or other authorized environments. Certificate installation and trust are controlled by the user through iOS Settings. Request History Keep capture sessions organized locally so you can revisit traffic, compare results, and investigate issues after testing. Rules and Filters Manage rules for bypassing hosts, blocking traffic, rewriting requests, mapping responses, and controlling traffic during debugging. HAR Export Export captured sessions as HAR files for desktop analysis, bug reports, team collaboration, or long-term debugging records. Local Proxy Workflow Use Hammer's on-device Packet Tunnel and local proxy workflow to inspect traffic from apps, browsers, and services you are authorized to analyze. Clean Debugging Interface Work with readable request lists, structured detail views, protocol statistics, favorites, and practical tools for repeated debugging. Local-First Privacy Captured network content is processed and stored locally by default. Hammer does not require an account, and the Packet Tunnel does not upload captured traffic to a remote VPN server. Data leaves your device only when you explicitly export, share, or submit it through a user-initiated action. Hammer is useful for: • Debugging mobile app API requests • Inspecting HTTP and HTTPS traffic • Reviewing headers, cookies, and response bodies • Testing backend services and REST APIs • Checking status codes, redirects, and timing • Exporting HAR files for issue reports • Managing traffic rules during development • Investigating network behavior during QA testing Hammer is intended for legitimate development, testing, and debugging workflows. Use it only with apps, websites, services, and network traffic that you own or have permission to inspect.
OpenASO
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Understand how apps rank across the App Store — and keep your research on your device. OpenASO is a local-first workspace for App Store Optimization research. Track keyword positions, review ranking history, compare storefronts, and organize your discovery work without creating an account. Built for independent developers and app makers, OpenASO helps you turn public App Store data into a focused research workflow. KEYWORD RANKINGS AT A GLANCE • Track keyword positions by storefront and device • Compare current and previous rankings • Review best, worst, and historical positions • Quickly see which keywords improved, declined, or stayed unchanged • Follow ranking changes over time with clear charts and snapshots RESEARCH ACROSS STOREFRONTS • Track the same keyword across multiple App Store countries • Compare how an app appears in different markets • Research iPhone and iPad search results • Organize keywords for localization and regional discovery work ADD AND RESEARCH ANY PUBLIC APP • Search by app name, App Store ID, URL, or bundle identifier • Review public app information, ratings, and customer reviews • Track your own apps or research competitors • Keep multiple app workspaces organized in one place BUILT FOR PRACTICAL ASO WORK • Add keywords individually or import them from CSV • Export keyword data for further analysis • Save notes alongside apps and keywords • Refresh tracked research in the background • Review historical snapshots whenever you need them LOCAL-FIRST BY DESIGN • No account or sign-up required • Your tracked apps, keywords, notes, and snapshots stay on your device • Your research is stored in a local database • Export your data whenever you need a backup or external workflow FOCUSED AND TRANSPARENT • Built around publicly available App Store information • No impression, download, or revenue estimates • No invented popularity scores presented as official Apple data • Designed as a research companion, not an App Store Connect replacement OpenASO is an independent research tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Research keywords. Follow the movement. Find your next opportunity.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: OpenASO at none against Hammer's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Hammer | OpenASO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | — |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 253 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BARATHEON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED | Que Anh Bui Nguyen |
In-app purchases
Hammer
No in-app purchases
OpenASO
No in-app purchases









