App-Store-Connect-CLI

Open source alternative to Xcode Cloud

8.1K stars
MIT
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Oct 31, 2026

Automate App Store Connect from a single Go binary: TestFlight, builds, metadata, signing, analytics, and Apple Ads. MIT licensed, zero dependencies, CI-ready.

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who App-Store-Connect-CLI is for#

iOS and macOS teams automating release pipelines

asc covers the full App Store release flow from build upload through review submission in a CI pipeline. The official GitHub Actions setup action, GitLab component, Bitrise step, and CircleCI orb reduce integration to a few lines of YAML. JSON output by default in non-TTY environments makes every command parseable without extra format flags.

Skip if:

Teams using Xcode Cloud exclusively with no need for scripted release steps or custom CI pipeline integration. Xcode Cloud handles build-test-submit natively within Apple's managed infrastructure, which is sufficient for many standard workflows.

AI coding agents automating iOS App Store submissions

asc ships 23 pre-built skills installed via `asc install-skills` that teach agents the full submission workflow: builds, TestFlight groups, metadata, screenshots, pricing, and signing. Developers have reported complete TestFlight submissions from zero configuration in under two minutes using an agent equipped with these skills.

Skip if:

Projects not using an AI coding agent or automation layer that can consume skill definitions. The skills add value only when an agent can read and act on them; they have no effect in a standard manual workflow.

Solo iOS developers replacing Fastlane

For developers maintaining Fastlane primarily for TestFlight uploads and metadata pushes, asc covers both with a single binary and no Ruby dependency. The `asc publish appstore` command handles the canonical upload-attach-submit flow in one command, and `asc metadata pull/apply` manages metadata files across locales.

Skip if:

Projects that rely heavily on Fastlane plugins for screenshot generation, custom lanes, or third-party integrations beyond App Store Connect. asc covers the App Store Connect API surface but is not a drop-in Fastlane replacement when those plugins are critical to the workflow.

Growth teams managing Apple Ads campaigns from scripts

asc's `ads` command group covers Apple Ads campaigns, ad groups, keywords, creatives, budgets, targeting, and reports with separate Apple Ads OAuth credentials. All ad operations produce structured JSON output, making them usable in reporting pipelines or scheduled automation alongside the regular release workflow.

Skip if:

Teams using the Apple Search Ads web console for one-off campaign changes. The CLI value is in automation and bulk operations; for single manual edits the web console is faster to use.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Publishing an iOS or macOS app is not a single-step operation. A typical release involves uploading a build, configuring TestFlight groups, waiting for build processing, writing release notes across locales, attaching screenshots, handling code signing, and submitting for review. All of this happens through Apple's App Store Connect web interface, which offers no scripting support and requires manual context switching at every step.

The pain compounds in a team setting. Different engineers need the same App Store Connect credentials, CI pipelines need to trigger and poll steps that the web UI handles interactively, and any change to metadata or signing requires someone to log in and click through the same form sequence again. Teams that have moved to automated release workflows often rely on Fastlane, but Fastlane carries a Ruby toolchain and a large dependency graph that can break on toolchain version updates.

how App-Store-Connect-CLI solves it

How it solves it#

76 command groups across 1,216+ API endpoints

asc exposes the full App Store Connect API surface through 76 command groups backed by 1,216+ endpoints. Commands cover every resource App Store Connect manages: builds, submissions, TestFlight, signing, metadata, screenshots, subscriptions, pricing, analytics, and more. No need to chain raw API requests or parse documentation to automate a release step.

Single Go binary with zero external dependencies

The CLI ships as a precompiled Go binary with one declared dependency. Installing via Homebrew or the install script requires no Ruby toolchain, no npm, and no container runtime. The binary starts instantly, making it fit for use as a CI step, a script, or an interactive terminal command without environment setup overhead.

23 pre-built AI agent skills

asc ships 23 pre-built skills for coding agents covering Apple Ads, builds, TestFlight, metadata sync, submission health, screenshots, pricing, signing, and workflow automation. The `asc install-skills` command installs all skills at a pinned, verified commit. Separate `asc search`, `asc schema`, and `asc capabilities` commands provide deterministic API discovery for agents.

Repo-local workflow automation

Workflow files let teams define and run multi-step release sequences with `asc workflow run --file .asc/workflow.json`. Workflows can be validated in dry-run mode before execution and are designed to be checked into version control, making release steps repeatable and diff-able across machines and CI environments.

Apple Ads campaign management

The `ads` command group manages Apple Ads campaigns, ad groups, keywords, creatives, budgets, targeting, and reports through separate Apple Ads OAuth credentials. All ad operations are scriptable and produce structured JSON output, fitting reporting pipelines or scheduled automation alongside the release workflow.

Official CI/CD integrations for major platforms

Official integrations exist for GitHub Actions (`rudrankriyam/setup-asc@v1`), GitLab CI, Bitrise, and CircleCI. The CLI is non-interactive by design, defaults to JSON output in non-TTY environments, and uses `ASC_*` environment variables for secure credential management in CI pipelines.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

MIT license, free to run anywhereasc is MIT licensed. You can run it on your own infrastructure, in your CI pipeline, or on a developer machine without licensing fees or usage-based billing. Unlike Xcode Cloud, which is a proprietary Apple service, there is no per-seat pricing or API quota tied to a subscription. The full source is on GitHub with 8,145 stars.
No Ruby toolchain, unlike FastlaneFastlane, the dominant iOS release automation tool, requires a Ruby environment and a large dependency graph that breaks on toolchain version updates. asc ships as a single Go binary with no such requirement, reducing the chance of build-environment failures caused by toolchain drift in locked-down CI runners.
Active maintenance with zero open issuesThe repo has 8,145 GitHub stars, 710 forks, and the GitHub API reports zero open issues. The last push was on 2026-10-31. This level of community activity indicates a well-maintained project where bugs are caught and addressed quickly.
TTY-aware output for terminals and CIasc defaults to table output in interactive terminals and JSON output in pipes, files, and CI environments. The same commands work for humans and automation pipelines without any format flags. Explicit `--output` flags override the default when specific formatting is needed.

Trade-offs

-macOS 13 Ventura or later required for the latest releaseReleases built with Go 1.27 require macOS 13 Ventura or later. Developers on older Macs must retain an older compatible release or upgrade macOS before updating asc. The README documents this constraint explicitly. On Linux there is no equivalent restriction.
-Telemetry is enabled by defaultasc sends pseudonymous command-level usage telemetry by default: CLI version, OS, command path, duration, and HTTP status on API failures. It does not include credentials or raw arguments. Disable it with `asc telemetry disable` or the `ASC_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` environment variable, but the opt-out is manual.
-Requires an App Store Connect API key before any commands workAll functionality requires an App Store Connect API key, issuer ID, and a `.p8` private key file from Apple's developer portal. Developers without an active Apple Developer Program membership or the necessary API access permissions cannot use the tool. New users need to complete authentication before running any commands.

versus alternatives

App-Store-Connect-CLI vs alternatives#

App-Store-Connect-CLI vs Xcode Cloud

App-Store-Connect-CLI and Xcode Cloud both interact with App Store Connect, but they solve different problems. asc is a general-purpose CLI for the full App Store Connect API; Xcode Cloud is Apple's managed CI/CD service focused on building, testing, and distributing apps.

Feature	App-Store-Connect-CLI	Xcode Cloud
License	MIT	Proprietary
Infrastructure	Self-hosted (any environment)	Apple-managed only
API scope	1,216+ endpoints, 76 command groups	Build, test, and distribute
AI coding agent skills	23 pre-built	Not provided

asc is the better choice when a team needs automation beyond the build-test-submit loop: scripted metadata updates, Apple Ads campaign management, screenshot workflows, code signing, subscription pricing, or full CI/CD pipeline control outside Apple's infrastructure. asc also works alongside Xcode Cloud through the asc xcode-cloud command group, which can trigger, monitor, and wait on Xcode Cloud builds from the terminal or a CI script.

Xcode Cloud is the simpler path for teams that work entirely within Apple's ecosystem. It integrates directly into Xcode, handles the build-test-submit cycle natively, and requires no binary to install or configure. For a team whose release workflow is build-in-Xcode, run tests, and ship to TestFlight, Xcode Cloud covers the use case with minimal setup.

Teams that need scripted control over the full Apple developer lifecycle, that run their own CI infrastructure, or that use AI coding agents for release automation will find asc covers ground that Xcode Cloud does not.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Install asc via Homebrew on macOS or the install script on macOS and Linux.

```bash
# Homebrew
brew install asc

# Install script
curl -fsSL https://asccli.sh/install | bash
```

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: GoPythonSwift

frequently asked

FAQ#

How do I install asc?

Install via Homebrew with brew install asc (recommended for macOS), or use the install script: curl -fsSL https://asccli.sh/install | bash for macOS and Linux. Windows users can download release binaries directly from the GitHub releases page at github.com/rorkai/App-Store-Connect-CLI/releases/latest while the WinGet package is pending acceptance.

How is asc different from Fastlane?

asc ships as a single Go binary with no Ruby toolchain. It exposes 1,216+ App Store Connect API endpoints, provides TTY-aware output (table in terminals, JSON in CI), and includes local command search, schema inspection, and repo-local workflow files. Fastlane requires a Ruby environment and a larger dependency graph that can break on toolchain version updates.

Does asc support AI agents and coding assistants?

Yes. asc includes 23 pre-built skills for coding agents covering Apple Ads, builds, TestFlight, metadata sync, submission health, screenshots, pricing, signing, and workflow automation. Install them with asc install-skills or npx skills add rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills. The CLI also provides asc search, asc schema, and asc capabilities commands for deterministic command and API discovery.

Does asc work with CI/CD pipelines?

Yes. asc has official integrations for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Bitrise, and CircleCI. It is non-interactive by design and defaults to JSON output in pipes and CI environments. Credentials can be stored without keychain access using --bypass-keychain or the ASC_BYPASS_KEYCHAIN=1 environment variable for headless runners.

Can asc trigger and monitor Xcode Cloud builds?

Yes. The asc xcode-cloud command group triggers workflows, reruns build runs, and waits on cloud builds from the terminal. Use asc xcode-cloud run --app "123456789" --workflow "CI" --branch "main" --wait to start a workflow and block until it completes, without opening the App Store Connect web UI.

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App-Store-Connect-CLI vs Xcode Cloud

Feature	App-Store-Connect-CLI	Xcode Cloud
License	MIT	Proprietary
Infrastructure	Self-hosted (any environment)	Apple-managed only
API scope	1,216+ endpoints, 76 command groups	Build, test, and distribute
AI coding agent skills	23 pre-built	Not provided

Who App-Store-Connect-CLI is for#

iOS and macOS teams automating release pipelines

Skip if:

AI coding agents automating iOS App Store submissions

Skip if:

Solo iOS developers replacing Fastlane

Skip if:

Growth teams managing Apple Ads campaigns from scripts

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

76 command groups across 1,216+ API endpoints

Single Go binary with zero external dependencies

23 pre-built AI agent skills

Repo-local workflow automation

Apple Ads campaign management

Official CI/CD integrations for major platforms

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

App-Store-Connect-CLI vs alternatives#

App-Store-Connect-CLI vs Xcode Cloud

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Similar open-source tools#

Open source tools in these categories#

Developer Tools

DevOps & CI/CD

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who App-Store-Connect-CLI is for#

iOS and macOS teams automating release pipelines

Skip if:

AI coding agents automating iOS App Store submissions

Skip if:

Solo iOS developers replacing Fastlane

Skip if:

Growth teams managing Apple Ads campaigns from scripts

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

76 command groups across 1,216+ API endpoints

Single Go binary with zero external dependencies

23 pre-built AI agent skills

Repo-local workflow automation

Apple Ads campaign management

Official CI/CD integrations for major platforms

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

App-Store-Connect-CLI vs alternatives#

App-Store-Connect-CLI vs Xcode Cloud

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Similar open-source tools#

Open source tools in these categories#

Developer Tools

DevOps & CI/CD

Find open source alternatives to paid software