Introduction
Mobile app analytics can feel overwhelming with hundreds of possible metrics. This guide distills the essential metrics across four categories—acquisition, engagement, retention, revenue—that actually drive growth decisions.
Acquisition Metrics
- Installs: Total app downloads
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Cost per install/user
- Install-to-signup rate: % of installs that create an account
- Channel attribution: Which sources drive quality users
Engagement Metrics
See our comprehensive engagement metrics guide. Key ones:
- DAU/MAU: Daily habit formation (see DAU/MAU ratio guide)
- Session length & frequency: Time and depth of engagement
- Feature adoption: % using core features
Retention Metrics
See our retention curves guide for full benchmarks. Key metrics:
- Day 1/7/30 retention: % returning at each interval
- Churn rate: % of users lost per period
- Resurrection rate: % of churned users who return
Revenue Metrics
- ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): Total revenue / total users
- LTV: See LTV/CAC ratio guide
- Conversion rate: Free-to-paid conversion %
- Payback period: Time to recover CAC
Analytics Tools & Setup
Compare Mixpanel vs Amplitude for your core analytics platform. Add a CDP to unify data across sources once you scale.
Conclusion
Track metrics across all four categories—acquisition, engagement, retention, revenue—but don't drown in data. Pick 5-8 core metrics, benchmark against your category, and review weekly.
Related Resources
- App User Engagement Metrics That Matter
- North Star Metrics for SaaS Apps
- LTV/CAC Ratio: Unit Economics
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