App Stickiness

App stickiness measures how frequently users return to your app and engage with its features, giving insight into how engaging and valuable your app is. It reflects not just visits, but meaningful interactions like checking progress, using personalized tools, or completing tasks.

For example, if 2,000 out of 8,000 monthly users open the app daily, it shows that a significant portion of your audience finds the app useful enough to come back regularly. High stickiness indicates strong user engagement and loyalty, while low stickiness may signal that improvements are needed to keep users returning.

Why use App Stickiness?

  • Improve user retention by understanding how frequently users return, helping reduce churn and boost lifetime value.
  • Increase engagement and conversions by crafting personalized experiences that encourage repeated app use and deeper interaction.
  • Drive organic growth as sticky apps create loyal users who promote the app through word-of-mouth and sustained use.

App Stickiness vs. User Retention vs. Session Duration vs. DAU/MAU Ratio 

TermWhat It MeasuresUnique Feature / FocusHow It Complements App Stickiness
App StickinessFrequency of user return and engagementHabitual use and regular activity patternA core indicator of how often users engage repeatedly
User RetentionPercentage of users active over timeLong-term loyalty and sustained valueMeasures whether users keep using the app over weeks/months
Session DurationAverage time spent per app visitEngagement depth and content consumptionReveals the quality and immersion of each session
DAU / MAURatio of daily to monthly active usersSnapshot of engagement intensityUnderpins stickiness calculation, shows active user ratio

FAQs

What is the difference between stickiness and retention?

Stickiness measures how frequently users come back (daily vs. monthly), highlighting habit formation. Retention measures how many users return after specific time intervals (like 7, 30, or 90 days). Both are critical to understanding your engagement and to optimizing journeys.

Why do users uninstall apps with low stickiness?

Low stickiness often signals poor onboarding, weak personalization, or a lack of engaging features. If users don’t find ongoing value, they are more likely to abandon or delete the app. Using behavioral insights and predictive segmentation can help brands understand and fix those engagement gaps.

How can you improve app stickiness?

Improve stickiness by personalizing onboarding experiences and in-app messages so users see value quickly. Send relevant, well-timed push notifications to bring users back. Refresh in-app content based on behavior and add motivational triggers like streaks, rewards, or gamified elements.

What is a good stickiness ratio to aim for?

While it varies by industry, high-performing consumer apps often have a stickiness rate between 20% and 50%. Different app categories (social, commerce, productivity, finance) will have different benchmarks, so use your analytics to compare.