What is ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)?

ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) is average revenue per user over a period (day, month, cohort). Used in subscriptions, gambling, SaaS, and mobile apps alongside CPI/CAC.

Formula

ARPU = Revenue in period ÷ Active users in that period. ARPPU (per paying user) counts payers only—higher than ARPU.

In arbitrage

Gambling revshare: cohort ARPU × retention vs CPA on FTD. Subscription nutra/apps: trial → rebill raises ARPU on days 30–90. Buyers compare day-0 payout to projected ARPU when networks share rebill stats.

ARPU and LTV

LTV sums ARPU (and margin) over user lifetime. ARPU is a period snapshot. Scale when LTV > CAC.

Limits

“Active user” definitions vary. Without cohort analysis, ARPU averages whales and churned users.

See also: LTV, CAC, revshare, gambling vertical.