DAU/MAU (Daily Active Users / Monthly Active Users)

DAU/MAU ratio formula: (DAU / MAU) × 100 Example: 10,000 DAU, 50,000 MAU. Ratio = (10,000 / 50,000) × 100 = 20%. On average, users engage 6 days per month (20% of 30 days). Why DAU/MAU matters: It measures stickiness—how essential your product is. High DAU/MAU = users return daily (habit-forming). Low DAU/MAU = users check in occasionally (nice-to-have). Investors love high DAU/MAU—it predicts retention and long-term value. DAU/MAU benchmarks: Social apps (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok): 50-60%+ (users check daily). Productivity tools (Notion, Slack, Linear): 30-50% (used multiple times per week). Marketplaces (Airbnb, eBay): 10-20% (occasional use). SaaS tools vary widely—depends on use case. What counts as 'active'? Define it clearly. Is opening the app enough, or do they need to take an action (send message, create document, run query)? Tighter definition = lower DAU but more meaningful engagement signal. Growing DAU/MAU: (1) Habit loops—notifications, streaks, reminders bring users back daily, (2) Daily use cases—if your product is only useful weekly, DAU/MAU will be low by design (that's okay), (3) Reduce friction—faster load times, better onboarding, clearer value. DAU/MAU vs. other metrics: DAU/MAU shows engagement, not growth. You can have high DAU/MAU but low absolute DAU (sticky but small). Track both: absolute DAU (are you growing?) and DAU/MAU ratio (are users sticking?). Common mistakes: (1) Vanity signups—1M MAU but 10k DAU = 1% stickiness (bad), (2) Inflating DAU with bots or inactive accounts, (3) Not segmenting—power users vs. casual users have wildly different engagement patterns.

Facebook's DAU/MAU is ~66% (users check daily). Snapchat's is ~60%. Most B2B SaaS tools are 20-40%. GitHub is ~15% (developers don't commit code every day). Know your product category—context matters.