Daily active users (DAU)
Engagement metric. How often and how deeply do they use it?
What is daily active users?
Daily active users (DAU) is the number of unique users who do a qualifying action in an app on a given day.
Unique user: a user counted once in the period, however many times they were active.
How to calculate DAU
Average DAU = Sum of each day's unique active users รท Days in the period- Each day's unique active users
- users counted once per day, however many sessions they had
- Days in the period
- the number of days you are averaging over
Where definitions differ
| Variant | Formula | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Open-based DAU | Users who opened the app that day | The loosest definition and the highest number. |
| Action-based DAU | Users who did a core action that day | Closer to real usage; lower and more stable. |
| Timezone | Days cut in UTC or local time | Changing the timezone moves users between days; fix one. |
DAU 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.
- Average DAU
- 15,000
What counts as an active user?
Whatever you define, which is why DAU varies so much between tools: an app open, a session over a few seconds, or a core action. Write the definition down and keep it fixed.
How DAU differs by vertical
| EdTech | Daily learners matter more than daily opens; consider DAU on lesson started. |
|---|---|
| Fintech | Many fintech apps are not daily-use; MAU or transacting users often fit better. |
| OTT and streaming | Daily viewers is the natural definition. |
| Gaming | A core metric, and the denominator of ARPDAU. |
Common mistakes
- Adding up DAU across days and calling it MAU; the same user is counted many times.
- Comparing DAU from two tools that define active differently.
Questions
How is DAU calculated?
Count the unique users who did your qualifying action on a day. For a period, add each day's DAU and divide by the number of days to get average DAU.
Is DAU the same as daily installs?
No. DAU counts everyone active that day, new and returning; installs count only new devices.
Why does DAU differ between my analytics tool and my MMP?
They often define active differently (any open vs a session of a minimum length) and may cut days in different timezones. Align both before comparing.
Are the calculator's example inputs benchmarks?
No. The example inputs only make the calculator show a worked answer when the page loads; they are not typical, good or target values. Replace them with your own numbers.
Does the calculator send my numbers anywhere?
No. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.
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.