★ IndieRank Awards 2026 — First Half

The Best Indie Apps & Developers

March 2026 · IndieRank

Every year, Apple picks a handful of winners for the App Store Awards. But thousands of remarkable indie apps — built by solo developers and tiny teams — never get that spotlight. The IndieRank Awards exist to change that. Selected purely from data across 4,000+ indie developers and 20,000+ apps, these are the best of the best.

★ App of the Year

★ App of the Year 2026

Intermittent Fasting Tracker

by Kai Oelfke · Health & Fitness

For achieving what most teams of dozens cannot — a 4.9-star rating across 44,000 reviews in one of the most competitive categories on the App Store.

★ Developer of the Year

★ Developer of the Year 2026

Yukito Shibuya

#1 Ranked Developer · Productivity · 2 Apps

For proving that a single developer with two apps can outrank thousands — 59,000 reviews and the undisputed #1 spot on IndieRank Japan.

★ Rising Star

★ Rising Star 2026

Takeshi Ejiri

#8 Ranked Developer · Utilities · 2 Apps

For reaching the top 10 in Japan with just two apps — a fuel-tracking utility beloved by drivers, proving that solving a focused problem brilliantly is enough.

★ Best in Category

Best Productivity App

Best Photo & Video App

1998 Cam - Vintage Camera

Nostalgia in your pocket — capturing the warmth of 1998 disposable cameras with stunning fidelity.

A dark-fantasy RPG from a prolific solo game creator with 81,000+ total reviews across 16 games.

Best Education App

Math Brain Booster Games

Making math fun for millions — a brain-training game that proves education apps can be addictive.

Best Health & Fitness App

Intermittent Fasting Tracker

The highest-rated health app in our database — 4.9 stars across 44,000 reviews is nearly unheard of.

Best Finance App

Budget Planner App - Fleur

Beautiful budgeting made simple — proving that personal finance apps don't have to feel clinical.

Over 44,000 people agree — the best way to create custom stickers is this one indie app.

Best Music App

Hayaemon - Music Player

A music player with speed and pitch control, beloved by musicians and language learners across Japan.

★ Hidden Gem of the Year

★ Hidden Gem 2026

Ifa Oma: Ifa Lucumi Reference

by Angel Rodriguez · Education

A deeply specialized reference app for Ifa Lucumi tradition — 4.9 stars from a devoted community. The definition of niche done right.

The IndieRank Awards are determined entirely by data: App Store ratings, review counts, and the IndieRank scoring algorithm. No sponsorships. No editorial picks. Just numbers.

Explore all 4,000+ indie developers on IndieRank →

Methodology

Winners were selected from IndieRank's database of 4,000+ verified indie developers and 20,000+ apps as of March 2026. “App of the Year” uses a composite score of rating × log(review count) to balance quality with popularity. “Developer of the Year” is the #1 ranked developer by IndieRank's overall scoring system. “Hidden Gem” requires fewer than 500 reviews with a 4.5+ star rating. Category winners are the top-scoring app in each major App Store category.