App marketing metrics comparison

ARPPU shows how much money, on average, a single paying user generates over a set period of time.

The CPI is a predetermined price that the advertiser agrees to pay the publisher every time a user installs their app as a direct result of an ad served by the publisher.

App owners, marketers, and product managers

Advertisers and publishers

• Isolates paying users in a freemium model, so you can focus on revenue
• Helps you understand characteristics of paying users so you can attract lookalikes
• Informs campaign decisions around the most effective creatives and channels

• Low risk for advertisers relative to other pricing models
• Good for creating a buzz around your app
• Good indicator of the effectiveness of your campaign

• Convince non-paying users to become paying ones
• Reward and incentivize your “whales” who spend the most
• Adjust your pricing models to encourage higher spend
• Experiment with different ad formats – test different placements, or try playable or rewarded ads

• Make revenue the primary KPI
• Keep a close watch on fraud
• Understand incentivized traffic behaviour
• Analyze user behaviour in the app

Average revenue per paying user (ARPPU)

Cost per install (CPI)