Average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU)
Monetisation metric. Do they pay, and is it worth what they cost?
What is average revenue per daily active user?
Average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU) is one day's revenue divided by that day's active users, usually averaged over a week or a month.
Ad ARPDAU: ad revenue only, divided by DAU.
How to calculate ARPDAU
ARPDAU = Daily revenue ÷ DAU- Daily revenue
- purchase, subscription and ad revenue for the day
- DAU
- unique users active that day
Where definitions differ
| Variant | Formula | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Weighted ARPDAU over a period | Total revenue in the period ÷ Sum of daily DAU | Weights busy days more; the recommended way to average. |
| Mean of daily ARPDAU | Average of each day's ratio | Gives quiet days equal weight; can differ from the weighted figure. |
ARPDAU calculator
Example inputs: change them to your own numbers. The examples only make the calculator show a worked answer; they are not benchmarks or targets. Runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
- ARPDAU (weighted)
- $0.10
Why do games use ARPDAU instead of ARPU?
Game economies change daily with events, offers and ad placements, so a daily revenue metric shows the effect of a change within days. Multiplied by the average number of days a player stays, it also gives a quick LTV estimate.
How ARPDAU differs by vertical
| EdTech | Rarely used; monthly ARPU fits subscription learning better. |
|---|---|
| Fintech | Rarely used. |
| OTT and streaming | Used for ad-supported tiers. |
| Gaming | A standard live-ops metric. |
Common mistakes
- Averaging daily ratios and calling it the period ARPDAU.
- Comparing ARPDAU with and without ad revenue.
Questions
How do you calculate ARPDAU?
Divide a day's revenue by that day's DAU. For a month, divide the month's revenue by the sum of daily DAU: $45k over 450k user-days is $0.10.
Does ARPDAU include ad revenue?
Usually yes in games, because many players never pay and earn revenue only through ads. Label the figure if you leave ads out.
How does ARPDAU relate to LTV?
A simple estimate multiplies ARPDAU by the expected number of active days per user, which comes from adding up the retention curve.
Why do tools report different values for the same metric?
Because definitions differ: what counts as active, which attribution window applies, whether organic users are included and how days are cut by timezone. Align the definition before comparing numbers.
Which currency do the calculators use?
The calculators show US dollars, but every formula works in any currency: enter your own figures in the currency you report in and read the results in that currency.
What is the difference between a metric and a KPI?
A metric is any measured quantity; a KPI is a metric a team has chosen as a target for judging performance. Most metrics here become KPIs only for the teams whose work moves them.