Daily Active Users / Monthly Active Users (DAU/MAU)
Definition
DAU and MAU measure the number of unique users who engage with a product daily and monthly, respectively. The DAU/MAU ratio, also called the stickiness ratio, reveals how frequently users return and is a leading indicator of engagement, retention, and long-term product-market fit.
Formula
Overview
DAU (daily active users) and MAU (monthly active users) are engagement metrics that count the unique users who perform a meaningful action within a given time window. The definition of "active" should be tied to a core value action, not merely logging in, to ensure the metric reflects genuine usage.
The DAU/MAU ratio (stickiness) tells you what fraction of monthly users return every day. A ratio of 20 to 25 % is considered strong for most B2B SaaS products, while consumer social apps may target 50 %+. A declining ratio even with growing MAU suggests your product is attracting users who do not stick around.
For subscription businesses, DAU/MAU is a leading indicator of retention. Customers who engage daily are far less likely to churn than those who log in once a month. Monitoring this metric by cohort and feature area helps product teams prioritize investments that drive habitual usage.
Example
An app has 3,000 DAU and 15,000 MAU. Stickiness = 3,000 ÷ 15,000 × 100 = 20 %, meaning one in five monthly users returns daily.
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