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What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?

Definition, examples, and more

Definition

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a measure used to understand customer satisfaction and loyalty for an app. It’s based on one simple question: “How likely are you to recommend our app to a friend or colleague?” Users rate this on a scale from 0 to 10. Scores of 9-10 are ‘Promoters’ who love your app, 7-8 are ‘Passives’ who are satisfied but not enthusiastic, and 0-6 are ‘Detractors’ who are unhappy. A high NPS indicates strong customer satisfaction and is often linked to growth and positive word-of-mouth, while a low NPS can signal potential issues and customer churn.

How to Calculate

NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors. Ranges from -100 to +100. Example: 45% Promoters - 25% Detractors = +20.

Example

A fitness app surveys 1,000 subscribers: 450 rate 9-10 (Promoters), 300 rate 7-8 (Passives), 250 rate 0-6 (Detractors). NPS = 45% - 25% = +20. After improving their workout engine, NPS rises to +38.

Why Net Promoter Score (NPS) Matters

NPS correlates with organic growth and churn. A meditation app found Promoters had 90% renewal rates while Detractors churned at 60%. Fixing Detractor pain points moved NPS from +15 to +42 and doubled organic installs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good NPS for a subscription app?

Above +30 is good, above +50 is excellent. Below 0 means more detractors than promoters — an urgent problem.

When should I survey users for NPS?

After 14-30 days of use or after first renewal. Survey a rotating monthly sample to track trends over time.

How do I act on NPS data?

Follow up with Detractors to fix pain points. Ask Promoters for App Store reviews. The qualitative follow-up question is often more valuable than the score.

Category
Subscription App Terminology
Related Area
Mobile App Growth & Monetization
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More terms starting with “N”

Name your price

A pricing strategy where users choose what they're willing to pay for a subscription. Less common, but it can be useful for donation-based products, early-access launches, or communities where trust and transparency are core values.

Net churn

The number of subscribers lost over a given period, adjusted for reactivations. Net churn provides a more complete view of subscription momentum than gross churn and is especially useful for understanding long-term revenue health.

Net revenue

Total income from subscriptions after subtracting platform fees, refunds, taxes, and other deductions. Net revenue offers a more accurate picture of actual profit compared to gross revenue and is needed for forecasting and LTV modeling.

Non-renewing subscription

A subscription that ends after a set period without auto-renew.

Notification fatigue

When users become overwhelmed or desensitized by excessive push or in-app messages, leading to disengagement, opt-outs, or churn. Managing frequency, personalization, and value of notifications is important to maintain user trust.

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