Growth and creative in one team
Media buyers and AI creative producers work side by side, so new ads are built for the channel and judged on live results.
Agency comparison
Admiral Media vs Applica compared: focus, services, ad channels, creative, ASO, AI search, pricing model and Clutch ratings, sourced in October 2026.
Last verified 4 October 2026Published by Admiral Media, one of the two agencies comparedEvery Applica fact links to its source
Both run paid UA, ASO, ad creative and CRO for mobile apps, and both optimise apps for AI search.
Key facts
What each offers
Based on what each agency publishes about its own services, checked 4 October 2026. Partly means the service exists in a narrower form.
About Admiral Media
Media buyers and AI creative producers work side by side, so new ads are built for the channel and judged on live results.
AI UGC, video and static ads at published batch prices: EUR 10,000 for 20 videos, EUR 16,000 for 40, EUR 29,000 for 80.
The specialists you meet run the work. Monthly retainers, a fee separate from your media budget, no long lock-ins.
Paid UA on Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple Ads, Snapchat and Telegram, plus ASO from EUR 2,900 per month per app and market.
In detail
| Criterion | Admiral Media | Applica |
|---|---|---|
| Founded and HQ | 2019, remote team | Founded 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine; team across Europe and Latin America[2] |
| Team size | Senior specialists manage accounts directly | 25+ specialists, per its own site[2] |
| Focus | Mobile apps and games, plus ecommerce and shopping apps | Subscription apps, with FinTech, WellTech and EdTech as its named industries[1] |
| Core services | Paid UA, AI creative, ASO, CRO and AEO | Performance marketing, creative production, ASO, CRO, A/B testing and data analysis, retention and engagement[1] |
| Ad channels | Meta, TikTok, Google (Search, App campaigns, YouTube), Apple Ads, Snapchat and Telegram | Meta, TikTok, Google and Apple Ads, plus direct buys and web-to-app campaigns[4] |
| Creative production | AI Creative Factory: AI UGC, video and static | UGC, motion and static ads with AI-assisted production; it reports 10,000+ ads produced[5] |
| ASO | iOS and Google Play, from EUR 2,900 per month per app and market | iOS and Google Play: keywords, store A/B tests, localisation, in-app events and custom product pages[3] |
| AI search (AEO/GEO) | AEO (AI search visibility) service, plus a free GEO Checker | AEO for app discovery in ChatGPT and other AI assistants, as part of its ASO service[3] |
| Pricing model | Monthly management fee (flat retainer or % of media spend), separate from media; no long lock-ins | Performance marketing: a percentage of monthly ad spend; no price list published[4] |
| Published minimum | No minimum published; ASO from EUR 2,900 per month per app and market | Performance marketing usually begins at $50k+ per month in ad spend, per its FAQ[4] |
| Clutch rating | 4.9 from 48 reviews | 5.0 from 19 reviews[7] |
In their words
“We turn one-time installs into long-term subscribers through lifecycle systems, behavioral segmentation and automated CRM journeys.”
Retention and lifecycle marketing is one of Applica's six services, next to CRO and A/B testing.
Source [9] · checked 4 October 2026“We don't charge a monthly retainer. Our compensation is tied to the revenue growth we generate together.”
This is Applica's partnership model for selected app publishers that already have early traction.
Source [6] · checked 4 October 2026“We work on a performance-based model, taking a transparent percentage of your monthly ad spend.”
Applica gives this answer to the question of how it charges for performance marketing.
Source [4] · checked 4 October 2026Published results
Admiral Media works on mobile games as well as apps. Applica names FinTech, WellTech and EdTech as its industries and lists no game case studies on its site.
+45%ROAS · Star Chef 2 case studyApplica also runs paywall, onboarding, A/B testing and CRM lifecycle programmes. Admiral Media focuses on paid UA, AI creative, ASO, CRO and AEO.
−66%cost per subscription · FET case studyApplica charges a percentage of monthly ad spend, or a revenue share for selected app publishers. Admiral Media charges a monthly management fee and publishes its ASO and AI creative prices.
Fit
Applica lists CRO, A/B testing and retention as services next to performance marketing.
Applica offers a revenue share partnership for selected app publishers instead of a monthly fee.
Admiral Media pairs paid UA for games with AI creative batches of 20 to 80 videos.
Admiral Media publishes both, from EUR 2,900 per month for ASO and EUR 10,000 per 20 AI videos.
Pricing
A monthly management fee, either a flat retainer or a percentage of media spend, separate from the media budget, with no long lock-ins. ASO from EUR 2,900 per month per app and market. AI Creative Factory: EUR 10,000 / 16,000 / 29,000 per batch of 20 / 40 / 80 videos.
Not published. Its performance marketing FAQ says it charges a percentage of monthly ad spend and that work usually begins at $50k+ per month in ad spend. Clutch lists a minimum project size of $5,000+ (checked 4 Oct 2026).
Switching
Clients and recognition
“Since the beginning of our work with Admiral Media, we have seen only one direction: upwards.”
Phillip WaymanCMO, Fastic“With the experience of the Admiral Media team, we were able to super-scale our growth on TikTok.”
Stefani StaeckHead of Mobile User Acquisition, Bonial“We were especially impressed by their professionalism, speed, and level of expertise.”
Sarah FronckevicCMO, BreezeQuestions
Admiral Media is the more focused choice for games, because it works on games as well as apps and has a published game result: +45% ROAS for Star Chef 2. Applica names FinTech, WellTech and EdTech as its industries and lists no game case studies on its site (checked 4 Oct 2026).
Either can fit, depending on what you need. Applica adds paywall, onboarding, A/B testing and CRM lifecycle work to UA and ASO. Admiral Media pairs paid UA with AI creative, ASO and CRO, with results such as -66% cost per subscription for the FET dating app.
Admiral Media publishes its prices and Applica does not publish a price list. Applica charges a percentage of monthly ad spend for performance marketing, says this work usually begins at $50k+ per month in ad spend, and offers a revenue share model for selected app publishers. Admiral Media charges a monthly management fee, ASO from EUR 2,900 per month per app and market, and AI creative from EUR 10,000 per 20 videos.
Yes, both do. Applica's ASO checker scores an App Store listing against its category and nearby competitors, and reads the Apple App Store only. Admiral Media offers a free ASO Checker, plus a GEO Checker and a Creative Testing Assessment.
Applica is rated 5.0 from 19 reviews and Admiral Media is rated 4.9 from 48 reviews (checked 4 Oct 2026).
Sources and method
Each Applica fact was read on its own website or public profile on 4 October 2026 and is quoted or summarised without estimates. Admiral Media figures come from admiral.media and published case studies. We re-check this page every 90 days. If anything here is out of date or wrong, tell us through the contact page and we will review it within 5 working days.
More comparisons
Talk to our team
Share your app, markets and goal. A senior strategist replies within one business day, and will tell you if another agency is a better fit.
Book a meeting
