Mobile app churn benchmarks vary dramatically by category. A day-30 retention of 25% is best-in-class for gaming and concerning for subscription apps. Same number, opposite verdicts.
Here are the real 2026 numbers.
Day-30 retention benchmarks by category
| Category | Best-in-class | Healthy | Concerning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming (casual) | 30%+ | 15-30% | Below 15% |
| Gaming (hardcore) | 40%+ | 25-40% | Below 25% |
| Utility (productivity, tools) | 40%+ | 25-40% | Below 25% |
| Subscription (fitness, meditation) | 50%+ | 30-50% | Below 30% |
| Social / messaging | 45%+ | 25-45% | Below 25% |
| E-commerce | 35%+ | 20-35% | Below 20% |
| Media / streaming | 55%+ | 35-55% | Below 35% |
| Finance / banking | 50%+ | 35-50% | Below 35% |
Why the categories differ so much
Three structural differences drive the spread:
Install intent
A game install is often casual curiosity ("saw an ad, why not"). A fitness subscription install is deliberate ("I'm going to work out this year"). Deliberate installs retain better because the user chose them, not because the product is better.
This is why gaming benchmarks look bad compared to utility. The install pool is fundamentally different.
Time-to-value
Utility apps deliver value on first use (a QR scanner scans a QR code). Gaming requires 5-10 sessions before the game "clicks." Subscription apps require a habit to form.
The longer time-to-value, the more first-week uninstalls you see. Compare day-1 retention against day-30 retention to see how much your product loses in the value-formation window.
Alternative pressure
E-commerce apps compete with the mobile browser (users can just go to the site). Games compete with hundreds of similar titles in the store. Utility apps often have less competitive pressure per install.
What to measure alongside day-30 retention
Day-30 retention is the headline number. The supporting metrics that predict it:
- Day-1 retention. Catches onboarding problems immediately.
- Day-7 retention. Catches novelty fatigue and value-delivery gaps.
- Install-to-first-value time. Every extra step between install and value costs retention.
- Push opt-in rate. Below 50% is a leading indicator of retention problems.
- Session frequency in week 1. More sessions in week 1 = higher day-30.
How to improve if you are below benchmark
The order that works for most mobile teams:
- Onboarding first. Time-to-first-value is the biggest lever. See why users uninstall your app for the fixes.
- Push notification strategy second. Aggressive pushes cause 28% of uninstalls. See the push notification playbook.
- Pre-uninstall detection third. Catch declining users 7-14 days before they leave. See how to detect app uninstalls.
- Post-uninstall recovery fourth. Email is the only channel that survives uninstall. See the offboarding email guide.
The bigger picture
For the mobile-specific retention playbook and the ICP-level view, see the mobile apps guide. To score your setup across 5 dimensions in 60 seconds, take the Churn Health Check.