Updated 29th October, 2025

TL;DR

Apps retain and engage better than mobile web. Benchmarks: ~25% Day 1, 10–15% Day 7, 5–6% Day 30 (education ~2–3%). Passion apps add push, deep links, community, challenges, and offline to lift retention. Plan for fees: 3.9% PassionPayments web fee (+ Stripe), 15–30% in-app purchases, Apple dev $99/yr, Google Play $25 one-time. New subscribers get a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Understanding mobile app retention: key definitions

  • Retention rate. Percent of users who return after a time window such as Day 1, Day 7, Day 30.
  • Churn rate. Percent of users who stop returning in a given period.
  • DAU/MAU. Daily actives divided by monthly actives. A habit signal.
  • Completion rate. Percent of a course or challenge users finish.
  • Mobile web vs app. Web is browser sessions. App is your installed iOS or Android app.

General mobile app retention benchmarks (Day 1, 7, 30)

Across consumer apps, credible datasets cluster around a similar decay curve. The Adjust retention guide reports about 26% Day 1 on average globally, with North America near 23%, and about 5–6% by Day 30.

OneSignal’s mobile app benchmarks 2024 show a slightly higher curve across categories at 28.29% Day 1, 17.86% Day 7, and 7.88% Day 30. That dataset also reports Education at 8.02% Day 30, highlighting how methodology and cohorts affect outcomes.

Education and course app retention: what the data shows

Education is a tougher retention category than media or utilities. Day 30 retention for Education can sit near 2%, one of the lowest across sectors, as reported by Business of Apps education benchmarks.

There is upside when you build habit and community inside a branded app. Tools that create regular reasons to return can lift Day 7 and Day 30 above category norms in niches like fitness, wellness, skills training, and coaching. Education lands closer to 8% at Day 30 in OneSignal’s dataset when apps use strong engagement loops, per the OneSignal mobile app benchmarks 2024.

Mobile app vs. mobile web: the engagement advantage

  • More time in apps: In many markets 80–90% of mobile minutes happen in apps, with browser time the minority, according to the Comscore mobile minutes report.
  • Longer sessions: App sessions often run about 2x longer than mobile web. One 2025 summary pegs app sessions at roughly 2.4x longer, as detailed in SQ Magazine mobile vs desktop statistics.
  • Higher conversion: Shopping app conversion rates often run 3–4x higher than mobile web, with examples of 18–21% app conversion vs 4–6% on mobile web, according to the Criteo conversions update.
  • Push response: Permissioned push drives higher engagement than email in many contexts, as explained on Passion push notifications. Test cadence and copy in your niche.

These inputs compound into better retention curves when your learning content is natively mobile and your community lives inside the app rather than a Facebook group or DMs. To understand how mobile‑first funnel design can convert, explore Stop the scroll, start the sale.

Comparison: mobile app vs. mobile web retention and drivers

Metric or driver Mobile app (typical) Mobile web (typical) Why it matters
Day 1 retention ~26% Lower Early return predicts habit.
Day 7 retention 10–15%+ Lower A week in is where push and community sustain usage.
Day 30 retention ~5–6% all apps, often lower in Education Lower Habit and value show up here.
Session length Often ~2x mobile web Shorter More time means more lessons completed.
Conversion rate 3–4x higher Lower More sales and upgrades.
Push notifications Native and timely Limited Directly nudges return visits and completion.

Key factors influencing retention in course and coaching apps

  • Push notifications: Timely, permissioned nudges bring members back for checkpoints and live sessions. Apps frequently see faster return and higher conversion than email‑only reminders.
  • In‑app community: A community feed inside your app keeps conversations focused on your program and builds habit over time, as discussed in Building online communities and showcased on the Passion community page.
  • Offline access: Let members download lessons for flights, commutes, and dead zones to reduce drop‑off. Offline is a native app advantage. Learn more in the offline help guide.
  • Challenges and drip: Weekly challenges, streaks, and drip unlocks build habit and spread wins across the month. This counters the about 2% Day 30 Education average seen in some datasets, per Business of Apps education benchmarks.
  • Interactive lessons: Progress tracking, quizzes, timers, and goal tracking drive action instead of passive viewing. For more on interactive lessons and engagement, explore App secrets and the Passion features overview.
  • Payment convenience: Apps see stronger conversion and fewer abandoned carts on mobile, which stabilizes MRR and upgrades free users to paid.
  • Owned reach: With push and an in‑app feed, you are less exposed to social algorithms throttling your posts. Most mobile minutes happen in apps you control.

Creators who moved from a deserted membership site into a Passion app report rapid engagement lifts. One example describes gaining 4,107 highly engaged subscribers within 30 days after centralizing content and community in the app.

What constitutes a good retention rate for your app?

  • Across all apps, Day 30 of about 5–6% is average.
  • For Education, some datasets report about 2% Day 30.
  • Beating 7–10% Day 30 on an Education‑style program is strong performance. Use Day 1, Day 7, Day 30 together with DAU/MAU and completion to track habit.

Actionable strategies to boost your course app retention

Build a 30‑day onboarding path: Map week‑by‑week wins and use drip to prevent overwhelm and to create reasons to return.

Schedule a push cadence: Use two nudges per week tied to checkpoints, plus reminders 24 hours and 1 hour before key events.

Run a monthly challenge: A 21–30 day challenge with streaks, timers, and progress tracking can lift completion when paired with push and community. See examples in this creator roundup on YouTube.

Move your community into the app: Replace Facebook Groups with channels in your app to cut distraction and algorithm risk.

Offer offline downloads: Tell members how to save lessons for flights or commutes to keep momentum. Build a content structure that makes downloads easy using this guide to a Netflix‑style content library.

Use pricing ladders: Anchor an annual plan, offer monthly for flexibility, and a freemium teaser to monetize your course app effectively.

Pick your payment paths: Many creators sell core offers on the web for margin and reserve IAP for convenience upsells. Find more details in Passion payments help.

Measure and iterate weekly: Track Day 1, Day 7, Day 30, DAU/MAU, completion, and churn. Add a push or lesson checkpoint just before the biggest drop‑off.

Teach live moments: Add weekly office hours or Q&A, announce via push, and pin the replay in community.

Checklist: retention‑boosting features to enable

  • Push notifications for lessons, events, and streaks.
  • In‑app community with topic channels.
  • Offline downloads for video and audio.
  • Drip schedules and time‑based unlocks.
  • Progress tracking, quizzes, and timers.
  • Subscriptions with annual and monthly plans.
  • Web checkout plus IAP where it makes sense.

30‑day launch and retention plan

  • Week 1: Migrate 10 core lessons. Open Apple and Google developer accounts. Set monthly and annual plans. Apple $99 per year. Google Play $25 one‑time.
  • Week 2: Build community channels and a 21‑day challenge. Turn on push and draft a two‑push‑per‑week schedule using Passion communities.
  • Week 3: Publish the web app, start onboarding, and set two live Q&A dates. Promote downloads and offline usage.
  • Week 4: Submit for App Store review, run the challenge, and track Day 1 and Day 7. Add a push nudge before your biggest dip.

Why Passion is the practical path

Real branded app presence: iOS, Android, and web with push, communities, offline sync, drip, and interactive lessons.

Training and support:

"It also provides invaluable training on how to build and sell your course."
— Mathilde N. in her G2 review

Support feedback:

"They lay it out clearly and are available for support."
— Michele D. P. in her G2 review

Speed to launch:

"Passion makes building your own e‑learning app fast, simple, and stress‑free."
— Rob M. in his G2 review

Creator sentiment:

"I am so grateful for my Passion App! The building app education is clear, step by step... the support team is just fabulous, every step of the way!"
— Åsa Lindstedt in her Trustpilot review

Comparisons: For feature‑by‑feature context, read Passion vs. Kajabi.

Momentum and credibility: Passion is an Inc. honoree and publishes creator stories across fitness, wellness, skills, and coaching, as highlighted in the Inc. announcement and across case studies.

FAQs

What are typical Day 1, 7, 30 retention rates?

Day 1 about 26% globally and Day 30 about 5–6% across regions, per the Adjust retention guide. Education can trend lower, with some datasets near 2% Day 30, per Business of Apps education benchmarks.

How do apps compare to mobile web for engagement?

Apps capture 80–90% of mobile minutes in many markets and often see about 2x session length compared to mobile web, according to Comscore mobile minutes and SQ Magazine’s statistics.

Do push notifications actually move retention?

Yes. Apps with push often see faster return and higher conversion than email‑led flows. See examples and setup guidance on Passion push notifications.

What fees should I expect on payments?

Web checkout via PassionPayments: 3.9% platform fee plus Stripe. In‑app purchases: 15–30% to Apple or Google. Apple developer $99 per year. Google Play $25 one‑time.

Any proof that a branded app improves engagement?

A case study shows a creator moved from a deserted membership site to a Passion app and gained 4,107 engaged subscribers in 30 days, as shown in the Passion case studies.

Wrap‑up: own your audience for lasting engagement

If your course lives on the web, you compete with tabs and algorithms. A branded mobile app gives you owned reach, push reminders, focused community, and offline access that build habit. That is how you lift completion, reduce churn, and grow subscriptions.

Explore Passion features and browse creator case studies. Start your build on the sign‑up page. Try it with a 30‑day Passion guarantee.

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