ToolStack
Revenue Metric

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

ARPU measures the average revenue generated per user (or per account) in a given period. It's the primary lever for improving LTV without reducing churn. For B2B SaaS, ARPU is often calculated per account (ARPA) rather than per individual user. Rising ARPU in a stable customer base signals a healthy upsell motion.

Formula
ARPU = Total Revenue (period) ÷ Total Active Users (same period)

Note: For B2B, use ARPA (per account). Calculate separately for each pricing tier or segment to avoid mixing signals.

Healthy range

Growing ARPU over time while retaining existing customers

Warning signs

Declining ARPU with flat MAU means revenue is concentrating in fewer accounts

Benchmarks by segment

SegmentBenchmark
Consumer SaaS$5–$30/user/month typical
B2B SMB SaaS$50–$200/seat/month typical
B2B mid-market$500–$2,000/account/month typical
B2B enterprise$5,000–$50,000+/account/month

How to improve ARPU

1

Introduce higher-tier pricing plans with features that justify the premium for power users

2

Add usage-based pricing for features that scale with customer growth

3

Build a clear upsell path from free/starter tiers to paid — in-product prompts at moments of value

4

Increase seat expansion within accounts by improving per-user value (not just per-account value)

Common measurement mistakes

!Averaging ARPU across all segments obscures the fact that enterprise and SMB have different economics
!Growing ARPU by discounting on annual plans (inflates ARPU metrics while reducing revenue quality)
!Ignoring declining ARPU in a growing MAU base — can signal race-to-the-bottom pricing pressure

Tools for measuring ARPU

#1
Amplitude
4.5Free tier

Best-in-class behavioral analytics with powerful event segmentation, funnel analysis, and retention charts that go far deeper than Google Analytics

#2
Mixpanel
4.6Free tier

Best-in-class event-based analytics with intuitive funnel, retention, and flow reports that surface actionable insights quickly

#3
PostHog
4.6Free tier

All-in-one product analytics platform combining analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, surveys, and a data warehouse — replacing multiple point solutions

#4
Heap
4.4Free tier

Autocapture eliminates the need for manual event instrumentation — every click, pageview, and form interaction is tracked automatically from day one

#5
Statsig
4.7Free tier

All-in-one platform combining feature flags, A/B testing, product analytics, session replay, and web analytics — eliminating the need for separate tools

#6
Whatfix
4.6

Best-in-class no-code editor for creating in-app walkthroughs, tooltips, and interactive guides without developer involvement

Frequently Asked Questions

ARPU vs ARPA — which should I use?

For B2B products where multiple users share one account (and billing), ARPA (per account) is the more meaningful metric. ARPU (per user) is better for consumer products or B2B tools where each user pays individually.

Related metrics

Lifetime Value (LTV)Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)Churn Rate