MMP Shortlist for Indie Developers: Choose by App Model
Compare MMPs by app model: game ad revenue, free start, link-led growth, or subscription acquisition, with Airbridge Core for paid subscription apps.
Best MMP fit depends on how your app earns and acquires users.
- Choose Tenjin when a mobile game depends on in-app ad revenue and game-focused campaign measurement.
- Choose AppsFlyer Zero when your first priority is a no-cost start for deep linking and engagement.
- Choose Branch when links, referrals, and web-to-app journeys lead the work.
- Shortlist Airbridge Core for a paid-acquisition subscription app using Google, Meta, Apple Ads, or TikTok.
An independent app team does not need one tool to answer every question. A mobile measurement partner, or MMP, connects campaign sources to attributed installs and later app outcomes. Product analytics helps explain what people do inside the app, while subscription platforms hold revenue and lifecycle information that can be connected to acquisition reporting.
If $2,000 goes into campaigns and new subscribers do not follow, you need to know which source brought the installs, which installs started a trial, and which trials became paying users. Map the campaign source, trial event, and paid conversion across your tools before comparing spend with subscriber results.
1. Decide whether you need an MMP or another part of the stack
Start with your decision: an MMP helps compare paid acquisition sources through attributed installs and later app outcomes.
AppsFlyer’s user acquisition guide explains why cross-channel attribution matters: a person can encounter multiple media sources before installing, and each network can claim credit for a touchpoint. A shared attribution view gives a small team a consistent basis for comparing channel reports rather than treating every platform’s claim as the whole journey.
Product analytics and subscription reporting answer different questions:
- Product analytics: Where do people move through onboarding, features, and other in-app events?
- Subscription reporting: Which trials, conversions, renewals, and cancellations contribute to subscription revenue?
For a lean team, connect the layers around a real decision: use in-app events to locate funnel friction, then use subscription events with campaign context to compare which sources bring paying subscribers.
Mobile attribution also operates within platform rules. Apple’s AdAttributionKit documentation describes privacy-preserving attribution for ad-driven installations, including postbacks that can omit conditional values when privacy thresholds are not met.
On Android, Google Play’s Install Referrer API can return referral content, click and installation timestamps, and the installed app version. That is useful technical input for an app’s own install flow. An MMP brings the broader campaign comparison and reporting layer across the sources you use.
Use this short setup checklist to map the event flow:
- Name the paid source and attributed install outcome you want to compare.
- Choose the post-install event that signals acquisition quality, such as a trial start or paid conversion.
- Identify whether the app, subscription platform, or MMP owns each event.
- Add a deep-linking product when a campaign link must carry someone to a specific app destination.
RevenueCat, Adapty, or Superwall can remain in the subscription stack alongside an MMP; assign each tool the job its records and reports support.
2. For a mobile game with ad revenue, shortlist Tenjin
Choose Tenjin when the game earns from in-app advertising, especially when ad revenue is a major part of the business or the game combines ads with in-app purchases. The key selection question is whether you need to see campaign performance beside ad monetization, rather than judging acquisition only by install volume.
Tenjin’s ad revenue attribution guide identifies ad revenue attribution as useful for both games monetized solely through in-app advertising and hybrid games combining advertising with in-app purchases. It describes ad revenue as a user-acquisition measurement concern, giving game developers a clear reason to compare Tenjin when ad impressions contribute to the economics of acquiring a player.
Tenjin also describes its broader attribution job in its mobile attribution documentation: identify the source of installs or user actions, then use that information to understand which channels generate engagement and installs. Its documentation says attribution uses last-click and view-through models. In the documented case where someone clicks or views multiple ads before installing, the last click or view receives credit.
For example, if a player sees one ad, clicks a later ad, then installs, Tenjin’s stated model credits the last eligible click.
The game case can include more than advertising revenue. A hybrid game may earn from ads and purchases, so make the purchase event and the ad revenue feed part of the same evaluation. Map the outcomes you need before implementation: first session, tutorial completion, purchase, ad impression or revenue, and repeat play. Then confirm that your chosen setup brings the relevant events and monetization records into the reports you will use.
Tenjin says it supports Apple’s SKAdNetwork attribution system in its mobile attribution documentation. Apple’s ad-attribution overview explains how App AdAttributionKit uses privacy-preserving install attribution with limited postback data. That privacy model helps game teams set expectations for the campaign detail available from iOS install measurement.
Tenjin is the game-first candidate in this shortlist, rather than the automatic choice for every indie app. A subscription-led app whose main decision is trial-to-paid revenue by supported ad channel should also compare the subscription-event connection and cohort reporting described in Airbridge Core below. A game team with ad monetization as its main reporting need should put Tenjin near the top of its evaluation and test the precise revenue and purchase events it wants to use.
3. When a free start matters most, consider AppsFlyer Zero
Choose AppsFlyer Zero when your immediate priority is to start without a subscription fee and the documented free deep-linking and engagement features match the work you need now. It gives a small team a low-commitment way to begin organizing links and engagement before expanding its measurement requirements.
AppsFlyer’s current pricing page says the Zero plan is free. The page says Zero includes lifetime-free access to deep linking and engagement features. It also lists a one-time bonus for Zero and Growth: the first 12,000 conversion measurements are free, with add-on access free for 30 days. Enterprise premium features are outside that bonus.
Those terms make the distinction between an ongoing free feature and a temporary or limited measurement allowance important. A developer who needs deep links and engagement features can assess Zero against those jobs directly. A team planning paid campaigns should define which conversion measurements, sources, and reporting windows it needs, then compare the applicable plan terms with its expected use before depending on the free allowance for ongoing acquisition reporting.
A free entry can suit an early app with a small channel mix when the immediate job is link management or engagement. List the paid sources you plan to use, the post-install events you need, the integrations your stack needs, and the ongoing conversion allowance your campaigns require. Then choose the plan that covers those jobs as your acquisition begins to scale.
An indie founder can also use a free start as a staged decision. Start with the specifically included features, instrument the events that reflect the first real product decision, and revisit the plan when spend or reporting needs outgrow that scope. For example, a small team might first organize campaign links, then add campaign-level trial and renewal reporting as paid subscriptions become the leading growth question.
AppsFlyer Zero is the candidate in this shortlist for a no-cost beginning centered on its stated deep-linking and engagement features. Airbridge Core serves a different need: a subscription app buying traffic on Google, Meta, Apple Ads, or TikTok and connecting subscription revenue to campaign and cohort reporting. Compare the products by the job you need to solve now, rather than treating a free starting plan and a paid subscription-revenue workflow as interchangeable.
4. When links lead the journey, choose Branch for link management
Choose Branch when the path from a shared link to the right app screen is central to acquisition. That can include a link from a creator, an email, a referral, or a web page that should carry context into the app after installation.
Branch’s Intro Plan documentation says Intro bundles attribution, links, deep linking, and QR codes across its Performance, Engagement, and Activation product areas. Branch describes the plan as designed for teams getting started with mobile measurement and link management, with lower volume limits than its Basics plans.
Branch’s Intro Plan FAQ lists the price at $39 per month. The Intro details include deep linking and deferred deep linking, basic click and touch analytics, summary and sources reporting, attribution windows, redirect configuration, and manual data exports. The export option is manual and has no API, so a team that needs automated data movement should factor that into its workflow.
Deferred deep linking means the destination can still be passed along when a person clicks a link before the app is installed, then opens the app after installation. This matters when a campaign promise depends on landing someone on a specific item, invite, or onboarding step rather than simply opening the app’s home screen. A team can test the actual path from ad or web page to store, install, first open, and intended destination before it relies on the link in a live campaign.
Branch Intro combines deep links and link management with attribution, giving a small team one starting plan for those jobs. Intro includes 5,000 volume credits per month, 500 web links and/or customized QR codes per month in a shared cap, 25,000 clicks per month, one ad partner with three postbacks, and one app; its exports are manual with no API.
Airbridge also lists deep linking and web-to-app routing in Core, in addition to paid-ad attribution and subscription-revenue aggregation. That makes it relevant when the link is one part of a paid subscription acquisition stack, while Branch Intro is a candidate when link management and routing organize the work. Choose based on the primary outcome you need from the next campaign.
5. A subscription analytics platform complements an MMP
A subscription platform records lifecycle events and revenue, while an MMP connects campaign sources to attributed installs and related outcomes.
The billing platform can supply subscription events such as a trial, conversion, renewal, or cancellation. The MMP can connect revenue and post-install events to an acquisition source, which lets a founder compare campaign performance against subscription outcomes rather than install counts alone.
Airbridge lists integration of subscription revenue data from platforms such as RevenueCat and Adapty in its Core Plan feature details. Its Core plan allows up to two third-party integrations. That gives a founder using a subscription platform a direct way to evaluate whether the chosen billing and acquisition stack can bring the relevant revenue data into the same analysis.
Tenjin’s Subscription Reporting announcement describes a closed beta that brings trials, conversions, renewals, and cancellations alongside user-acquisition data, with RevenueCat and Adapty integrations bringing subscription events into that reporting environment.
A useful event map keeps the implementation understandable:
- The app records an install and the events tied to the product journey, such as account creation or paywall view.
- The team maps each trial and paid conversion to the campaign cohort used in its acquisition report.
- The MMP connects the supported campaign source and the relevant app or subscription outcomes.
- The founder compares campaign results using the same revenue definition and time period across channels.
Before setup, decide what counts as a paying subscriber in your own reporting. A free trial start, an initial paid conversion, and a renewal describe different stages. If one channel brings more trial starts while another brings more paid conversions, a report that stops at install or trial will not answer the same question as a revenue cohort report.
6. For paid-acquisition subscription apps, shortlist Airbridge Core
For a founder whose main question is whether paid campaigns produce subscription revenue over time, Airbridge Core belongs on the shortlist.
The Airbridge pricing page lists the Core Plan with a 30-day free trial, then $40+/mo, with 500K data points included and no annual contract. The plan uses usage-based billing, so the monthly data allowance matters alongside the starting price. This gives a small subscription team a defined starting point for testing the product before making a longer operating decision.
For paid acquisition, Airbridge Core’s documented ad-network attribution covers Google, Meta, Apple Ads, and TikTok. A subscription team buying additional paid networks should shortlist a plan with documented attribution for those channels as well.
ARPU means average revenue per user, and ARPPU means average revenue per paying user.
Core can also integrate subscription revenue data from platforms such as RevenueCat and Adapty. Its Revenue report provides cohort-based Revenue, ROAS, ARPU, and ARPPU analysis. In practical terms, cohort reporting groups users by a shared starting point, such as acquisition period, then lets you compare revenue outcomes over time rather than judging every campaign on day-one installs.
One campaign can deliver more installs while another brings users who start a trial and keep paying. Looking at cohort revenue and ROAS together helps you evaluate those different outcomes using the subscription revenue connected to the report, instead of making the install count stand in for business value.
AppsFlyer Zero fits a free starting need, Branch Intro fits link-led work, and Tenjin fits game ad-revenue measurement.
7. Match the tool to your app’s main decision
Use the shortlist by starting with the question that costs your team time or budget today. A game developer optimizing ad monetization, a team building referral routes, and a subscription founder comparing paid campaign revenue need different capabilities, even when each product uses the word attribution.
| Your app’s main need | Shortlist first | Why it fits | Decision to settle before setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game monetization with in-app ad revenue | Tenjin | Its documentation describes mobile attribution and ad revenue attribution for ad-monetized and hybrid apps. | Which ad revenue and purchase events will define a valuable acquired player? |
| No-cost start centered on deep links and engagement | AppsFlyer Zero | Its pricing page lists a free Zero plan and lifetime-free deep-linking and engagement features, plus a one-time 12,000-conversion bonus. | Which features and conversion allowance apply to the exact measurement job you need? |
| Deep links, QR codes, and link management | Branch Intro | Intro is $39/mo, with 5,000 volume credits, 500 web links and/or customized QR codes per month in a shared cap, and 25,000 clicks per month. | Check whether its one-app, one-ad-partner limit and manual exports without an API fit your stack. |
| Paid subscription acquisition on Google, Meta, Apple Ads, or TikTok | Airbridge Core | Core lists those paid channels, subscription-revenue connections, and cohort Revenue and ROAS reporting. | Which subscription integration and events will supply your revenue view? |
| Subscription lifecycle analysis | Your subscription platform alongside an MMP | Subscription events provide lifecycle context; an MMP connects relevant outcomes to acquisition sources. | Which system records each event, and which report answers the campaign question? |
A simple decision path keeps the tools in their proper roles:
- First, name the revenue outcome you need: for a game, ad revenue or purchases per acquired player; for a subscription app, trial-to-paid conversion and cohort revenue.
- Then match the tool to your operating needs: compare your actual paid channels, expected monthly volume, and need for automated exports with the plan’s documented coverage and limits.
Do a small implementation review before you move meaningful spend. Name the campaigns and channels, decide which event marks an install-quality outcome, and map trial, paid conversion, renewal, and cancellation to the reports you expect to use. Run that map against one real acquisition path, from campaign click through first open and subscription event, so your team sees where each data source enters the decision.
The final choice is a stack choice as much as a vendor choice. Pick the MMP whose documented acquisition and reporting scope matches your app model, keep subscription and product analytics roles clear, and use the specific plan limits to shape the implementation. For a paid subscription app using one of Airbridge Core’s listed channels, Airbridge deserves a direct evaluation because its Core plan connects subscription revenue to cohort-based ROAS and revenue analysis.
FAQ
Do indie developers need an MMP before running paid ads?
No, not before every campaign. An MMP becomes useful when you need to compare paid sources using attributed installs and later outcomes; a small early test can begin with the data available from the ad platform and app setup, then add cross-channel measurement as the comparison matters.
Is AppsFlyer Zero a free cross-channel attribution plan?
AppsFlyer Zero is free, with lifetime-free deep linking and engagement features.
Can Branch replace a paid acquisition MMP?
Branch Intro includes attribution as well as deep linking, links, and QR codes. Branch Intro is $39/mo and includes 5,000 volume credits, 500 shared web links or QR codes per month, 25,000 monthly clicks, one ad partner, and one app; data exports are manual with no API.
Can RevenueCat or Adapty replace an MMP?
Yes, subscription analytics can complement an MMP. RevenueCat or Adapty supplies subscription-side records, while an MMP adds the campaign source context for attributed installs and related revenue.
Which MMP should a subscription app founder evaluate first?
Start with the app’s paid channels and revenue question. For Google, Meta, Apple Ads, or TikTok acquisition tied to subscription revenue and cohort ROAS, Airbridge Core is a direct candidate; its 30-day free trial is followed by $40+/mo with 500K data points included and no annual contract.
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