Benchmarks by Industry

Gaming Startup Benchmarks

Free-to-play economics run on a chain: user acquisition spend buys installs, a retention curve turns installs into daily active users, and ARPDAU turns those users into revenue. Early retention is the master variable, a few points of Day-1 or Day-7 retention cascade through every cohort and decide whether a game scales profitably or quietly burns its marketing budget. The ranges below come from Revenue Map's gaming financial model.

The headline thresholds: Day-1 retention of 40% or better and Day-30 of 10% or better mark a strong title, and ARPDAU typically lands between $0.01 and $0.05 depending on genre and monetization depth. On acquisition, a healthy LTV-to-CPI ratio is 1.5:1 or better measured at Day 180; at 1:1 you break even with no room for overhead, and below that every install destroys value.

Install costs vary widely by genre. Revenue Map's benchmark tables put casual iOS titles under $1.50 per install in the good band and mid-core games under $4, while the model presets stretch from $0.30 to $0.50 for hyper-casual at scale up to $20 for VR and AR titles. Modeled starting investments follow suit, from about $50,000 for hyper-casual to $300,000 for PC and console projects.

Benchmark Table

Gaming benchmark ranges

MetricPoorAverageGoodSource
Day-1 retentionUnder 30%30% to 40%Above 40%Revenue Map model templates
Day-30 retentionUnder 5%5% to 10%Above 10%Revenue Map model templates
ARPDAUUnder $0.01$0.01 to $0.05Above $0.05Revenue Map model templates
LTV to CPI ratio (Day 180)Under 1:11:1 to 1.5:1Above 1.5:1 (2:1 leaves room to scale)Revenue Map model templates
CPI: casual game (iOS)Above $3.00$1.50 to $3.00Under $1.50Revenue Map benchmark tables
CPI: mid-core game (iOS)Above $8$4 to $8Under $4Revenue Map benchmark tables
Weekly plan cancel rate (modeled)Above 40%25% to 40%Under 25%Revenue Map model presets
Monthly churn (mobile games, modeled)Above 25%15% to 25%Under 15%Revenue Map model presets

Sources: Revenue Map benchmark tables (the thresholds behind our free calculators), Revenue Map model presets (default assumptions in our industry templates), and Revenue Map model templates (vertical research in each financial model). Ranges are screening bands, not guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Day-1 retention should a mobile game target?
40% or better marks a strong title; Day-30 retention of 10% or better completes the pair. Because player LTV is effectively ARPDAU multiplied across the retention curve, early retention improvements compound through the whole cohort.
What is a good ARPDAU?
Most games land between $0.01 and $0.05 in average revenue per daily active user, depending on genre and how deeply the game blends in-app purchases, ads, subscriptions and battle passes. Above $0.05 signals strong monetization depth.
What LTV-to-CPI ratio makes UA spend worthwhile?
1.5:1 or better measured at Day 180. At 1:1 you break even with nothing left for overhead, below 1:1 every install destroys value, and above 2:1 there is usually room to scale acquisition harder.
How much does a game install cost?
It ranges from roughly $0.30 to $0.50 for hyper-casual at scale, under $1.50 for healthy casual iOS campaigns, $4 to $8 for mid-core, and up to $15 to $20 for PC/console and VR titles, per Revenue Map's benchmark tables and model presets.

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