By Quick answer: What is a good app retention rate?
- Day 1 — about 25% on average across apps.
- Day 7 — around 10–13%.
- Day 30 — about 5–7%.
- Category matters — fintech and marketplaces high; fitness, education and casual games low.
- The curve matters most — does it flatten, or keep falling?
Key takeaways
- Benchmarks are context, not targets — definitions and samples differ across sources.
- A retention curve that flattens means you have a core of users who found value.
- Day-1 retention reflects onboarding; day-30 reflects product value.
- Compare cohorts over time to see whether your changes are working.
- Retention multiplies every marketing rupee you spend.
"Is our retention good?" is the question behind most growth meetings. Benchmarks help answer it — if you read them carefully. Published figures vary between sources because they use different samples, regions and definitions. So treat the numbers below as context, then spend most of your energy on the shape of your own curve.
Average retention across apps
- day-1 retention
- ~25%
- day-7 retention
- ~10–13%
- day-30 retention
- ~5–7%
Retention by category
| Category | Day 1 | Day 30 | Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fintech and banking | ~30% | ~6–12% | Strong long-term habit for money tasks |
| Marketplaces and shopping | ~24–34% | ~5–9% | Driven by purchase frequency |
| News | ~27% | ~11–13% | Daily habit for loyal readers |
| Social and messaging | ~25–29% | ~4–5% | Network effects decide winners |
| Dating | ~30% | ~5% | Users leave when they succeed — or give up |
| Food delivery | ~17% | ~4% | Frequent but highly competitive |
| Health and fitness | ~20% | ~3–4% | Motivation fades after the first weeks |
| Education | ~14–15% | ~2–3% | Hard habits without structure |
| Hyper-casual games | ~32% | ~2–4% | High curiosity, fast drop-off |
Some sources report notably different numbers for the same category — another reason to benchmark against yourself.
Read the curve, not a single number
Curve that flattens
After an initial drop, a steady share keeps using the app. You have product–market fit with a core group; grow it.
Curve that keeps falling
Users try, then leave, week after week. Fix value and habit before spending on acquisition.
Curve that rises (smile)
Users return after a gap — often from seasonal needs or re-engagement. Rare and valuable.
What each day tells you
| Metric | Mostly reflects | Improve with |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Onboarding and first impression | Faster time to value, fewer sign-up steps |
| Day 7 | Early habit formation | Reminders tied to real needs, quick wins |
| Day 30 | Lasting product value | Core feature quality, new value over time |
Uninstalls are part of the picture
An AppsFlyer study reported in 2018 found that about 28% of apps were uninstalled within 30 days, with India among the countries with the highest uninstall rates, partly due to limited phone storage4. App size and performance matter more in India than in many markets.
Measure your own
- Define "active" — a meaningful action, not just an app open.
- Group users into cohorts by install week and acquisition channel.
- Chart day-1, day-7 and day-30 retention for each cohort.
- Compare cohorts before and after product changes.
- Interview users who left — the curve tells you when; people tell you why.
If your curve keeps falling, a retention and churn audit finds where. For uninstall causes, see why users uninstall apps.
Key terms, defined
Retention rate — share of a cohort active after a set period. Cohort — users grouped by when or how they joined. Classic retention — active exactly on day N. Rolling retention — active on or after day N. Retention curve — retention plotted over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good day 30 retention rate?
Published benchmarks put the cross-app average at roughly 5–7% on day 30. Above 10% is strong for many consumer categories; utilities and finance apps can do better, games and fitness often lower. Compare within your category.
What is a good day 1 retention rate?
Around 25% is a commonly cited average. Below 20% usually signals onboarding problems; above 35–40% is strong for most consumer apps.
How do you calculate retention rate?
For a cohort of users who installed on the same day, divide the number active on day N by the number in the cohort. Classic (day N) retention counts users active exactly on that day; range or rolling retention counts users active on or after it.
Why are retention benchmarks so different between sources?
Sources use different samples, platforms, regions, definitions (classic vs rolling), and whether they count organic or paid users. Use one source's numbers consistently, and compare yourself to your own past cohorts.
How can I improve app retention?
Shorten time to first value in onboarding, build a habit loop around a real need, send useful personalised notifications, fix performance and crashes, and talk to users who left.
What is a retention curve?
A chart of the share of a cohort still active over time. A curve that flattens shows a core group that keeps using the app; one that keeps declining toward zero means users aren't finding lasting value.
Sources
- Phiture — Managing retention rate benchmarks and expectations
- Plotline — Retention rates of mobile apps by industry
- Pushwoosh — How to increase app retention: benchmarks and strategies
- PocketGamer.biz — Three out of 10 apps uninstalled after 30 days (AppsFlyer, 2018)
- Checked October 23, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- Retention and churn audit — find where your curve breaks
- Why users uninstall apps — and how to stop it
- Original dataApp retention in India: what published install and retention data says about how long Indian users keep appsApp retention in India from published data: day-1 and day-30 retention by category, the 2026 drop in shopping app retention, and what it means for app teams.
- Original dataAverage app rating by category: what 1,934 top apps on Google Play India score — and what a good rating isThe average app rating by category from 1,934 rated apps on Google Play India: health and word games lead, comics and kids' games trail. Full table inside.
- Original dataApp subscription pricing in India: what the in-app purchase price ranges of 1,366 top Google Play apps revealApp subscription and in-app purchase pricing in India from 1,366 top Google Play apps: entry prices, top-tier prices, common price points and category ranges.
- Original dataIndian app statistics 2026: subscribers, broadband, UPI, installs, startups and what top apps look likeIndian app statistics for 2026 from official and public data: 1.35 billion telecom subscribers, 24 billion UPI payments a month and top-app benchmarks.
- App marketing & ASOApp influencer marketing in India: costs by creator tier, results and the rulesApp influencer marketing in India: what nano, micro and macro creators charge, how to measure installs and retention, and ASCI disclosure rules.
- App marketing & ASOGoogle app campaign cost in India: cost per install, budgets and how to bidWhat Google App campaigns cost in India: CPI benchmarks by category, Google's 50× target CPI budget rule, bidding options and how to judge payback.
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