Table of contents
How we vet every listicle
Every agency featured on Web Tonic passes our 84-point editorial review before a single listicle goes live. This is how we vet each pick:
Verified client outcomes: We require real case studies with measurable KPIs — revenue, ROAS, CPA, retention — tied to the exact category being ranked. No cherry-picked wins, no unverifiable numbers.
Independent reputation: We cross-check Clutch, Google, G2, and Trustpilot ratings, and screen for review-bombing or suspicious patterns. Only operators with a consistent, verifiable track record make the cut.
Beyond that, every listing goes through a quarterly re-audit. We check 84 criteria across 6 pillars to make sure it still holds up — here are some of the checks we run:
An Apple Search Ads agency runs the paid ads that appear at the top of App Store search results: it picks and bids on keywords, structures brand, category and competitor campaigns, sets tap and install targets, tests custom product pages and reports on cost per install and revenue. Portland outdoor gear, sportswear, food and subscription software apps use Apple Search Ads to buy placement at the top of App Store results.
To make this list, each of the eight external agencies had to show an Apple Search Ads or Apple Ads service on its own website. Not all of them have an office in Portland, so each card names the agency's real base, and clients and prices appear only where published.
Which agencies handle Apple Search Ads for Portland apps?
Web Tonic plus eight external agencies with an Apple Search Ads service on their own sites. None is headquartered in the Portland metro area; all run Portland campaigns remotely. Seven name a client publicly and two publish a price.
1. Web Tonic
About: Web Tonic runs Apple Search Ads from our Portland office alongside ASO and in-house creative, so keywords, bids, custom product pages and store tests sit with one team. Reporting is built around cost per paying user and revenue rather than taps alone, and the Apple Ads account stays in the client's own name.
Key Services: Growth Marketing, Paid Social, PPC, Meta Ads, SEO, Google Ads, Snapchat Ads, Amazon Ads, Reddit Ads, TikTok Ads, TikTok Shop, GEO-AEO, Webflow Design, Shopify Design, WordPress Design, UGC, Social Media Management, Pay Per Click Management, Marketing Analytics, Analytics Implementation & CDPs, Performance Branding, Performance 360° Audit, Programmatic Ads, OOH Ads, HR Marketing
Industries Served: eCommerce, SaaS, B2B, Construction Professionals, Home Services, SMEs, Health Spa & Wellness, Retail, Legal & Judicial Services, Food & Beverages, Pets, Fitness, Family & Children, Finance & Insurance, Travel, Non-Profits & Organizations, Furniture & Decoration
Notable Clients: WorldRemit, Jack & Jones, Ardene, L’Oréal, Sendwave, Nestlé, Airbnb. Serve Fortune 500 companies and smaller fast-paced startups.
Locations: Local Portland office, with the main HQ in San Francisco and notable offices in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Montreal, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and more. Offices on five continents.
Pricing: Starting at USD $3,000 per month. Flexible and scalable plans at any time according to your enterprise needs. Book a call to learn more.
Great For: Mid-market to enterprise-level businesses requiring ongoing, on-tap growth and performance marketing services.
Website: Web Tonic
2. App Legendary
About: App Legendary is an app growth partner focused on India and global acquisition that publishes its pricing. It runs Apple Ads, Google App campaigns and Meta app promotion at a 4% management fee with no media markup and client-owned accounts, next to productized ASO plans.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, App Store Optimization, Google App Campaigns, Meta App Promotion, Custom Product Pages, AI Discovery Tracking
Industries Served: Fintech, Consumer Apps, Productivity Apps, Ecommerce Apps, Subscription Apps
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: India and global markets (office address not published on the pages we checked)
Pricing: 4% of managed ad spend (no media markup)
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: App Legendary
3. Rocket Lab
About: Rocket Lab is an app growth company founded in Miami in 2019, with offices in Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Spain, and it was acquired by MiQ in 2026 while running as an independent unit. Apple Ads is one of its named solutions, next to OEM first-impact ads, programmatic and CTV.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, OEM First-Impact Ads, Programmatic Ads, CTV and OTT, Re-engagement Campaigns, Growth Strategy
Industries Served: Entertainment, Food Delivery, Retail, Finance, Ecommerce
Notable Clients: Max, iFood
Locations: Miami, Florida (founded), Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: Rocket Lab
4. Xaso
About: Xaso is a PPC agency on Hinton Road in Bournemouth that shows Apple Search Ads certification next to its Google, Microsoft and Amazon credentials. Its Apple Search Ads page covers keyword research, metadata work, competitor analysis and campaign management in more than 20 languages.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Advertising, Keyword Research, App Localization
Industries Served: Ecommerce, Retail, Electronics Recycling, Commercial Property, Tech Startups
Notable Clients: Sussex Beds, Compare and Recycle, Bolts.co.uk, Gutter Supplies
Locations: Bournemouth, UK
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Businesses adding Apple Ads to an existing search plan, Brands with an iOS app and a small paid budget, Teams that want one agency for Google and Apple Ads
Website: Xaso
5. Growthr
About: Growthr is an embedded growth agency founded in 2021 and based in San Francisco, with a fully remote team. Its app marketing service runs paid user acquisition across Apple Search Ads, Google App Campaigns, Meta, TikTok and in-app networks, and optimizes each network to an in-app event rather than the install.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, Google App Campaigns, Meta and TikTok App Ads, App Store Optimization, Creative Production, Analytics and Dashboards
Industries Served: Fintech, Crypto, B2B Startups, Consumer Apps, Music
Notable Clients: Trim, Truebill, StellarFi
Locations: San Francisco, California (fully remote team)
Pricing: From USD $10,000/month (embedded team plan)
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: Growthr
6. adtraffic
About: adtraffic is a performance marketing agency on Kirchdorfer Strasse in Bruckmühl, Bavaria. Its app campaign and ASO service lists Apple Search Ads next to Google, Facebook and Instagram app ads, and it publishes app cases of more than 500,000 downloads for the pharmacy marketplace iA.de and more than 100,000 for ATP Autoteile.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, Google App Campaigns, Facebook and Instagram App Ads, App Store Optimization, Google and Bing Ads, Tracking and Feed Management
Industries Served: Ecommerce Marketplaces, Automotive Parts, Pharmacy, Home Building, Kids Fashion
Notable Clients: iA.de, ATP Autoteile, WeberHaus, Vertbaudet
Locations: Bruckmühl, Germany
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: adtraffic
7. Scalebay
About: Scalebay is a mobile growth agency on rue de la Croix Nivert in Paris, with a second team in Madrid. It buys media on Meta, Google, TikTok and Apple Search Ads and models lifetime value net of VAT and store fees, and it publishes an Apple Search Ads custom product page case for Free2move.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, User Acquisition, App Store Optimization, Creative Strategy, Retention and CRM, LTV and KPI Modelling
Industries Served: Mobility, News and Media, Ticketing and Events, Consumer Apps, Subscription Apps
Notable Clients: Free2move, Euronews, Le Point, Le Parisien, Shotgun
Locations: Paris, France (headquarters), Madrid, Spain
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: Scalebay
8. Paid Media Guys
About: Paid Media Guys is a performance marketing agency for B2B SaaS and ecommerce brands that runs campaigns across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the wider GCC. Its Apple Search Ads service splits accounts into brand, generic, competitor and discovery campaigns, and its published case study for an AI video app reports a 44% lower exact-match install cost in three weeks.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Landing Page Strategy, Full-Funnel Analytics
Industries Served: B2B SaaS, DTC Ecommerce, Cybersecurity, Real Estate, Events
Notable Clients: MyUKHub, The Entertainer, My Pediatrician
Locations: Serves Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the wider GCC (office address not published on the pages we checked)
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: Paid Media Guys
9. Galactic Fed
About: Galactic Fed is a growth marketing agency founded in Silicon Valley that runs paid media, SEO, CRO and email for funded companies. Its Apple Search Ads service covers creative and custom ads for app downloads and re-engagement, and a published case for a fintech startup reports a 42% higher conversion rate across Google UAC, Google Search and Apple Search Ads.
Key Services: Apple Search Ads Management, Paid Media, Google App Campaigns, SEO and AI Search, Conversion Rate Optimization, Email Marketing
Industries Served: Fintech, SaaS, Ecommerce, Travel, Consumer Brands
Notable Clients: Jeeves, Buddig, Remote Year, Everfast
Locations: Founded in Silicon Valley (office address not published on the pages we checked)
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer and subscription apps, App teams pairing Apple Search Ads with ASO, Companies scaling iOS installs profitably
Website: Galactic Fed
Quick Comparison Table
| Agency | Key Specialty | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Web Tonic | Full-Service Performance Marketing | USD $3,000/mo | Mid-market to Enterprise (local Portland office) |
| 2. App Legendary | Published, percentage-based Apple Ads fee | 4% of managed ad spend (no media markup) | Consumer and subscription apps |
| 3. Rocket Lab | Apps scaling in the US and Latin America | Quote-based | Consumer and subscription apps |
| 4. Xaso | Multilingual Apple Ads management from a UK PPC team | Quote-based | Businesses adding Apple Ads to an existing search plan |
| 5. Growthr | Embedded app UA team optimizing to in-app events | From USD $10,000/month (embedded team plan) | Consumer and subscription apps |
| 6. adtraffic | German app campaigns across Apple, Google and Meta | Quote-based | Consumer and subscription apps |
| 7. Scalebay | Apps judging Apple Ads on payback, not installs | Quote-based | Consumer and subscription apps |
| 8. Paid Media Guys | Subscription apps tracking installs to paid users | Quote-based | Consumer and subscription apps |
| 9. Galactic Fed | Venture-backed apps wanting ASA inside a wider plan | Quote-based | Consumer and subscription apps |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose an Apple Search Ads agency in Portland?
Start with the goal: cheaper installs, more paying subscribers, or protecting your brand name from competitor bids. Then check proof. Seven of these eight agencies name a client on their own site (Max and Sussex Beds among them). Ask how they split brand, category, competitor and discovery campaigns, how they set bids against install value, whether they test custom product pages and how they separate paid from organic installs in reporting.
How much does an Apple Search Ads agency cost in Portland?
Two external agencies publish a fee here: App Legendary at 4% of managed ad spend (no media markup); Growthr at from USD $10,000/month (embedded team plan). The rest quote per scope. Fees usually depend on monthly ad spend, how many countries and apps are covered and whether ASO or creative work is bundled. Apple bills the media on a cost-per-tap basis, so ask whether the fee is a flat retainer or a share of spend.
What is the difference between Apple Search Ads and ASO?
Apple Search Ads is paid placement: you bid on App Store searches and pay when someone taps your ad. App store optimization is the free side, where keywords, titles, screenshots and ratings lift organic rank and conversion. The two feed each other, because paid search shows which keywords convert and a stronger store page lowers the cost of every paid install. Several agencies here sell both.
How long do Apple Search Ads take to show results?
Campaigns can go live within days, and Apple Search Ads usually shows tap and install data in the first week. Bids and keyword lists need two to six weeks of spend to settle, and judging subscriber or revenue quality takes longer because trial and purchase events arrive later. In a market like Portland, give an agency at least one quarter before you judge cost per paying user.
Should a Portland business hire a local Apple Search Ads agency or a remote one?
None of the eight agencies here is headquartered in the Portland metro area; they run campaigns from bases such as Bournemouth, Bruckmühl and Miami. Growthr in San Francisco is the closest base. A local agency helps when you want to meet in person, but bidding, keyword work and reporting in Apple's console all run online. Experience with your audience and a creative process you trust matter more than the address.
Choosing an Apple Search Ads Agency in Portland
Start with your own numbers. Know what an install, a trial and a paying subscriber are worth to you, and which keywords already bring organic traffic. An agency can only set bids and targets around numbers it has been given.
Check experience you can verify. Seven of the eight external agencies name a client on their own site and two publish a price. Ask the rest for a reference you can call, and see how our Apple Search Ads service handles bidding and reporting.
Agree how you will work together. Settle who owns the Apple Ads account, how often bids and keywords are reviewed and which result month three is judged on. Our performance creative team can design the custom product pages your ads point to.
Never skip the consultation. Book calls with two or three agencies from this list, bring the same brief to each and compare the questions they ask about your users. If you want a team in the city, meet our Portland office.
