What Is ARPDAU?
Average Revenue Per Daily Active User. The most important monetization metric because it normalizes earnings against your active player base. Formula: Total Ad Revenue / DAU.
Benchmarks by Genre
- Hyper-casual: $0.03-$0.08, top $0.10-$0.15
- Casual (puzzle, match-3): $0.05-$0.15, top $0.20-$0.30
- Mid-core (RPG, strategy): $0.08-$0.25, top $0.30-$0.50
- Utility apps: $0.02-$0.06, top $0.08-$0.12
What Affects ARPDAU
Three variables: eCPM (revenue per 1000 impressions), fill rate (% of requests filled), and impressions per DAU. ARPDAU = (eCPM/1000) × fill rate × impressions per DAU.
How to Improve ARPDAU
- Optimize ad waterfall with proper floor prices
- Add more demand sources for competition
- Implement header bidding
- Segment users by geography and engagement
- A/B test ad placements and frequency
ARPDAU vs Total Revenue
Total revenue is a vanity metric — if DAU grows 40% but revenue grows 20%, your monetization efficiency dropped. ARPDAU gives you the honest answer.
RevenueFlex helps publishers improve ARPDAU by 15-40% within 60 days through managed GAM waterfall optimization.