What does MAU stand for? Monthly active users explained

Ever wonder why some apps keep you hooked while others fade into oblivion? It's all about understanding user engagement and retention. One key metric that businesses use to measure this is Monthly Active Users, or MAU. But what exactly does MAU mean, and why is it so important?

In this blog, we'll dive into the world of MAU, exploring how it's calculated, its limitations, and how you can leverage it to boost your business growth. Whether you're a product manager, marketer, or just curious about app analytics, this guide will shed light on everything you need to know about MAU.

Understanding monthly active users (MAU)

Let's start with the basics: Monthly Active Users (MAU) is a metric that counts the number of unique users who interact with your product over a 30-day period. It gives you a snapshot of how many people are actively engaging with your app or service each month. In other words, it's a vital indicator of your product's overall health and how well you're retaining users.

Now, you might be wondering how MAU is different from Daily Active Users (DAU) or Weekly Active Users (WAU). While DAU and WAU measure user engagement on a daily or weekly basis, MAU looks at the bigger picture of monthly usage. This makes it especially handy for products that aren't used every day—think banking apps or services you check a few times a month. By focusing on longer-term engagement, MAU helps you understand your product's "stickiness." Check out our for more insights.

To calculate MAU, you first need to decide what counts as an "active user" for your product. This could be someone who logs in, makes a purchase, or performs a specific action within your app. The key is to be consistent with your definition so you can accurately track MAU over time.

Keeping an eye on your MAU can tell you a lot about your user base's health and growth. By tracking MAU trends, you can spot patterns in how users are engaging and staying with your product. This can inform strategic decisions and help you find new growth opportunities. Take Duolingo, for example—they boosted user engagement by focusing on improving their Current User Retention Rate (CURR), which had a big impact on their MAU growth.

Calculating MAU: methods and best practices

So, how do you actually calculate MAU? It starts with defining what an "active user" means for your product. This might vary depending on your app or service, but it should align with your goals and how users typically engage with you. For instance, an active user could be someone who logs in, makes a purchase, or completes a specific task.

To track unique users over a 30-day period, you can use methods like user IDs, cookies, or device identifiers. The important thing is to accurately identify unique users without counting them more than once. And remember—consistency is key. Using the same criteria and methods over time allows for meaningful comparisons and trend analysis.

But beware of some common pitfalls. The , for example, can be tricky to interpret and might not always reflect daily engagement accurately. Also, since there's no standard definition of "active user," comparing MAU across different companies can be misleading.

To get the most out of MAU, establish clear definitions and stick to them. Define exactly what actions qualify a user as "active" and make sure these criteria stay consistent. By doing so, you'll be able to track and analyze your MAU data effectively, leading to better insights and decisions.

Limitations and challenges of MAU

As useful as MAU is, it's not perfect. One big limitation is the lack of a standard definition for what counts as an "active user." This means that comparing MAU across different companies can be like comparing apples to oranges since each might have its own criteria.

Another issue is that MAU doesn't tell you how engaged your users are. Someone who logs in once a month is counted the same as someone who uses your app every day. So, MAU can sometimes overestimate the real level of user activity and retention.

Looking at MAU in isolation can also be misleading. The can help, but it can be tricky to interpret without context. A low ratio might not be bad if your product isn't meant to be used daily. That's why it's important to consider other metrics like retention rates and user segmentation to get a full picture of user behavior.

Measuring MAU can also present challenges when you're doing A/B testing. Aligning your test periods with the 28-day MAU window isn't always straightforward, and different experiment lengths might need different approaches to assess their impact on MAU accurately.

By the way, platforms like Statsig can help you navigate these challenges. With robust A/B testing tools and analytics, Statsig makes it easier to measure the real impact on your MAU and other key metrics.

Leveraging MAU for business growth

So, how can you use MAU to drive your business forward? Analyzing MAU trends can uncover valuable insights into user engagement and retention. If you notice your MAU is climbing, it could mean your strategies are working—or if it's dropping, there might be issues needing attention.

Combining MAU with other metrics like DAU and WAU gives you a fuller picture of user behavior. The DAU/MAU ratio is particularly handy—it shows you how often your users engage with your product. A higher ratio means users are coming back more frequently.

Pairing MAU with metrics like Lifetime Value (LTV) and Cost Per Action (CPA) helps you optimize your acquisition and retention strategies. For instance, if you know how much a user is worth over time, you can make smarter decisions about marketing spend.

Segmentation is also key. By breaking down your users into groups based on demographics, behavior, or how they found your app, you can tailor your strategies to each group's needs. Cohort analysis, which tracks user behavior over time, is another powerful tool for understanding how different user groups interact with your product and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Companies like Duolingo have leveraged MAU data to fuel their growth. By focusing on user retention and engagement metrics, they were able to make data-driven decisions that significantly boosted their MAU.

And don't forget, using tools like Statsig can make all this analysis much easier. With advanced analytics and experimentation features, Statsig helps you turn MAU insights into actionable strategies.

Closing thoughts

Understanding and effectively leveraging Monthly Active Users (MAU) can be a game-changer for your business. By consistently tracking MAU, defining what an active user means for your product, and combining MAU with other key metrics, you gain valuable insights that can drive growth and improve user engagement.

Remember, MAU is just one piece of the puzzle. To get the full picture, consider using tools like Statsig to dive deeper into user behavior and make data-driven decisions.

If you're interested in learning more, check out the resources linked throughout this blog. Hope you found this helpful!