DAU vs MAU
DAU and MAU are the two engagement metrics every consumer and SaaS product reports. The ratio between them tells you more than either number does alone.
The key difference: DAU measures how many people use the product on a given day; MAU measures how many use it at least once in a month — and DAU/MAU is the standard test of habit.
| Dimension | DAU | MAU |
|---|---|---|
| Time window | A single calendar day | A rolling 28- or 30-day window |
| Diagnoses | Daily habit / stickiness | Reach — total active user base |
| Larger of the two | Smaller — subset of MAU | Larger — anyone who showed up once |
| Benchmark | DAU/MAU ratio: >20% is decent, >50% is elite | Absolute MAU size vs comparable products |
| Best for | Social, messaging, tools people open daily | Products used weekly or on-demand |
When to use DAU
Lean on DAU when you're building a daily-use product — social, chat, dashboards, games — and habit is the whole business.
When to use MAU
Lean on MAU when the product is used weekly or occasionally (banking, travel, HR) and daily use isn't the goal.
FAQs
What's a good DAU/MAU ratio?
20% is the widely-cited "sticky" line. Facebook and WhatsApp sit above 60%; most SaaS tools land 5–15%.
Does opening a push notification count as a DAU?
Depends on how the product defines "active." Serious teams draw the line at a meaningful action (message sent, task completed), not just opening the app.
Why is WAU sometimes used instead?
For products used weekly (finance, fitness, B2B), WAU/MAU is a fairer stickiness test than DAU/MAU.
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