What winning mobile developers use for app analytics

Alexander Sergeev

wrote this on Мар 26, 2015

Localytics has published free VentureBeat guide “Mobile App Analytics: What Winning Mobile Developers Use For App Analytics”.

Company has polled more than 230 app developers which have more than 1 million user (total audience – 250 million people) in order to understand what solutions do they use. Moreover, MixRank data on 1.2 million app in Google Play and App Store were studied thoroughly.

Key report theses

Google Analytics dominates on Android.1.5 million apps use this SDK (among 1.6 million apps, 91.58% use it). All other analytic systems are on the level of arithmetical mistake.

As for iOS download base rating, Flurry (36.07%) is on the top. But there’s no distinct leader as in the case with Android. Google Analytics (28.89%) takes the second place, Crashlytics (7.61%) – the third. The main hindrance for Flurry is that it’s very slow.

Two out of three developers use more than one analytical service. It’s common practice for big publishers to use 3-5 tools.

Despite the fact that Google is leading in download base, only 30% of developers consider it the main analytical platform. Most of the publishers use other services as “main” ones — Upsight, IBM Analytics, Crashlytics, comScore, Clicktale, AppSee, Apsalar, Amplitude, etc.

If we take not an installs quantity, but an app quality, user rates and watch what analytics do they use, than we see a totally different picture. There are many competitors for the two leaders for Android: Mixpanel, Tune (HasOffers), Amazon, Localytics and Crashlytics. For iOS — Kochava, AppsFlyer, Apsalar, Mixpanel и Tune (HasOffers). They take part in more quality app, though the leaders are still more widespread. These very platforms help to make the best apps.

That’s the way analytical Top for iOS looks like:

1. Flurry
2. Google Analytics
3. Crashlytics
4. TestFlight
5. BugSense
6. Localytics
7. HockeyApp
8. Adobe Marketing
9. Tune/HasOffers
10. comScore

Top analytics for Android:

1. Google Analytics
2. Flurry
3. Crashlytics (Twitter)
4. Umeng
5. HockeyApp
6. Localytics
7. Mixpanel
8. Tune/HasOffers
9. comScore
10. Amazon (Insights and A/B Testing)

What metrics are the most essential for developers and marketing specialists? Active users quantity, installs, refunds, ARPU and LTV. Metrics used the most — active users quantity, installs, refunds, crashes and session length.

Unused metrics — distribution, launch time, crashes, user reviews and ARPU.

What mobile analytics is used for? Increasing of user involvement, monetization enhancement, data collection and improvement of user experience.

The most important for analytics — reliability, processing speed, function set and simplicity of using.

Analytics Top according to developers:

1. Localytics
2. Flurry
3. Google
4. Mixpanel
5. Facebook
6. Amazon
7. comScore
8. Adobe
9. Apsalar
10. Crashlytics