MAU(Monthly Active Users)
The number of unique users who were active in your app or product at least once during a 30-day period or calendar month.
Definition
MAU (monthly active users) counts the distinct people who used your product at least once in a month. What counts as "active" is up to you: opening the app, signing in, or completing a meaningful action such as sending a message or logging a workout. MAU is the standard size metric for apps, social networks and games, and many engagement platforms, such as Braze, CleverTap and Pushwoosh, price their plans on MAU.
Why It Matters
MAU shows the reach of your product: how many people get value from it in a typical month. Combined with daily actives, it reveals how habitual the product is, and tracked over time, it shows whether growth comes from keeping users or constantly replacing them. MAU also matters for costs, because MAU-priced tools get more expensive as your audience grows, even if most of those users never receive a message.
How It Works
Pick a definition of active that reflects real value, then count unique user IDs (or device IDs for anonymous apps) meeting it in the last 30 days or the calendar month. Rolling 30-day MAU smooths day-of-week effects; calendar MAU is easier to compare in reports. Break MAU into new, retained and resurrected users to see what drives changes. The DAU/MAU ratio, daily actives divided by monthly actives, is the common measure of stickiness.
Example
A recipe app's numbers for October:
- 120,000 people opened the app at least once: MAU by app opens is 120,000.
- 74,000 viewed at least one full recipe: MAU by meaningful action is 74,000.
- Average daily active users were 18,500, so DAU/MAU by meaningful action is 25%.
The team reports the 74,000 figure, because it reflects people actually cooking with the app.
Best Practices
- 1Define active as a meaningful action, not just an app open or background refresh
- 2Count unique people, merging devices once users sign in
- 3Split MAU into new, retained and returning users
- 4Watch DAU/MAU alongside MAU to judge engagement, not just size
- 5Check how vendors that price on MAU define it before you sign a contract
Push and in-app without MAU pricing
Sequenzy does not charge by monthly active users. Push notifications and in-app messages are unlimited on every plan, including Free.
Learn MoreMAU Definitions Compared
| Definition | Counts | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Any app open | Everyone who launched the app | Inflated by accidental or background opens |
| Signed-in session | Users with an account session | Misses anonymous users |
| Core action | Users who did the main valuable thing | Requires agreeing on the core action |