AppsFlyer vs. Singular: Performance Index & Benchmarks Comparison

This analysis compares the two primary industry standards for mobile marketing attribution and performance: the AppsFlyer Performance Index and the Singular ROI Index. These reports serve as critical decision-making tools for user acquisition managers seeking to optimize ad spend across various media sources, particularly within the mobile gaming sector. The comparison highlights how each platform leverages its proprietary data to rank ad networks based on volume, quality, and return on investment.

The AppsFlyer Performance Index is characterized as a long-standing industry benchmark that utilizes a massive dataset, including approximately 27 billion app installs and 19,000 apps. It provides specialized indices for SKAN, Retention, and Remarketing, allowing marketers to filter by game genre, operating system, and region. While highly regarded for its depth and focus on high-quality user delivery, its primary limitation is its semi-annual release schedule, which may not capture rapid market shifts. In contrast, the Singular ROI Index focuses on financial efficiency, drawing from over $10 billion in ad spend across hundreds of networks. Singular’s benchmarking tools offer higher data freshness by analyzing the two most recent calendar months, providing a more current view of market share and year-over-year changes.

Methodologically, both platforms rely on anonymized, aggregated data from their respective client bases. AppsFlyer offers a free benchmarking tool that allows for broad competitive comparisons, though some practitioners find the data can vary from specific real-world campaign results. Singular’s benchmarking suite, which is often behind a paywall, includes specialized reports like the Market Snapshot and Portfolio Report, enabling developers to compare their spend distribution against industry averages. Ultimately, while AppsFlyer is noted for its prestige and focus on retention metrics, Singular is recognized for its emphasis on ROI and more frequent data updates.