5 MMPs for Small Apps: Entry Terms and Fit
See which MMP entry terms fit small teams, from free monthly allowances to event-based fees and link bundles, and how to choose by channels and usage.
The short answer for a small app team choosing an MMP
- Start with Tenjin if its 2,000 free monthly paid-install conversions fit your acquisition volume.
- Choose Airbridge Core for paid campaigns on Google Ads, Meta Ads, Apple Ads, or TikTok when its $40+/mo entry and data-point terms fit.
- Compare AppsFlyer Growth for paid campaigns; its pricing lists a pay-as-you-go plan and a first-year package.
- Choose Branch Intro when its $39/mo attribution and link bundle fits your routing workflow and usage.
- Compare Adjust when you need its Enterprise-listed click/impression attribution, attribution-window controls, Apple Search Ads, or event tracking.
If vendors keep asking how many installs you have before explaining their entry terms, compare the published models below first. Tenjin currently describes a free monthly conversion allowance, Airbridge prices Core by app-sent data points, AppsFlyer offers a first-year conversion package, Branch lists a monthly Intro plan, and Adjust publishes enterprise-level feature tiers. Those units and terms tell you more about small-team fit than a bare install estimate.
What an MMP does for a small app
A mobile measurement partner, or MMP, connects app activity to the marketing source that brought a user in. In its MMP buyer’s guide, Adjust describes an MMP as a platform that collects data from campaigns, attribution sources, ad networks, and in-app activity so marketers can judge performance. That makes an MMP useful when your decision is, “Which paid campaign brought this install or purchase?”
An MMP can attribute an install and later in-app events to an acquisition source. For a small subscription app, that can mean comparing campaigns by trial starts or purchase events, provided those events are sent and the selected MMP plan supports the event type.
Tenjin’s user attribution documentation shows how attribution can sit beside additional campaign reporting: Tenjin lists mobile attribution, cost aggregation, and ROI measurement as separate capabilities. In the same way, link routing may come bundled with an MMP, but deep linking is its own job: taking someone to relevant app content, either when the app is already installed or after the first install.
Five MMPs to consider when installs are low
1. Tenjin: the clearest published free monthly entry
Tenjin is the most direct first check if paid acquisition volume is modest and software spend needs to stay close to zero. Its pricing page lists 2,000 free conversions per month, with an additional $0.04 per conversion, and says the starter allowance is available for the lifetime of the account.
Tenjin defines a conversion as a mobile app install attributed to a paid user-acquisition campaign. Its pricing page says organic installs, including installs from ASO, do not count toward the allowance or incur a charge. This distinction helps an app with a small paid campaign and a larger organic base estimate its likely cost from paid attributed installs rather than total downloads.
The free plan also lists access to Tenjin features such as cost aggregation and ad revenue LTV. Tenjin is a practical fit for a team comparing paid user-acquisition costs with the listed ad revenue LTV and expecting about 2,000 paid attributed installs or fewer each month. A team expecting more can estimate the marginal cost: if all 6,000 monthly installs in an example are paid and attributed, 4,000 fall beyond the 2,000 included conversions. At $0.04 each, that is $160 in overage charges for that month.
Tenjin’s low starting cost makes it a practical first shortlist entry for a small app that needs paid-install attribution and its listed reporting capabilities. A subscription business should also ask how its own subscription purchase, trial, and renewal data will appear in the reports it uses. The source facts establish the free conversion allowance and included Tenjin features; the fit decision depends on whether those outputs answer the app’s revenue questions.
2. Airbridge Core: a paid-acquisition option with event-based billing
Airbridge Core fits a US indie or small subscription or AI app team buying paid traffic on Google Ads, Meta Ads, Apple Ads, or TikTok. Its Core pricing page lists a 30-day free trial, then $40+/mo, with 500,000 data points included and each additional data point priced at $0.0001. Core has no annual contract, and customers can cancel anytime.
The Core comparison lists predefined standard events, including install, purchase, and sign-up. The published allowance and extra-use rate are expressed in data points, so budget against that named unit.
For example, assume 5,000 new users each generate 120 events in a month. That is 600,000 data points under those assumptions, or 100,000 above the included amount. At the published $0.0001 per extra point, the extra usage charge in this example is $10; Core’s starting price remains $40+/mo. If the same 5,000 users generate 60 events each, the example totals 300,000 points and stays within the included monthly allowance.
Core’s documented fit is concrete for teams buying on the four listed channels. The pricing page includes revenue and funnel reports, web-to-app attribution, and subscription revenue aggregation with services such as RevenueCat and Adapty. That lets a subscription platform remain in place for billing while the team uses campaign attribution and revenue reporting to evaluate paid acquisition.
The 30-day trial gives a small team time to evaluate Core’s listed channels and revenue and funnel reports in its own workflow. The trial is a practical time to assess whether those listed reports answer the campaign and subscription questions your team needs to resolve.
Airbridge Core is a strong fit when all three conditions line up: your paid channels are on the published list, you want revenue and funnel reporting alongside attribution, and your event count works with the included data points and overage rate. Tenjin’s conversion allowance is easier to forecast from paid attributed installs; Airbridge’s allowance can suit an app with many product events per acquired user, as long as the event estimate stays within budget.
3. AppsFlyer: distinguish owned media from paid campaigns
AppsFlyer Zero is positioned for apps focused on owned-media activities, and its pricing page says it is not suitable for apps with paid activities. For startups beginning paid campaigns, AppsFlyer lists Growth as a pay-as-you-go plan for measuring paid campaigns with basic mobile attribution on its plans page.
The Growth listing includes 12,000 free conversions for the first year, core marketing analytics, and 30 days of access to selected premium add-ons. AppsFlyer’s pricing FAQ calls the first 12,000 conversion measurements a one-time bonus for Growth and Zero. The plans page lists conversions above 12,000 at $0.07.
AppsFlyer defines a conversion as a successful app install or user action driven by a measured campaign; organic installs or actions it does not attribute do not count as conversions and are free. For a paid-acquisition app, Growth is the relevant AppsFlyer entry to compare: match the first-year conversion forecast to its one-time 12,000-conversion package and the listed above-12,000 rate.
A small app can compare the one-time package with its own conversion forecast without treating it as monthly volume. For example, if AppsFlyer counts 18,000 conversions during the first year, 6,000 fall above the 12,000 Welcome Package amount, and the pricing page lists $0.07 for conversions above that threshold. Keep the conversion count on AppsFlyer's definition of campaign-driven installs or user actions when you prepare the forecast.
4. Adjust: compare when enterprise attribution capabilities matter
Adjust belongs on the shortlist when your required attribution features are more specific than a basic paid-install view. Its pricing page groups click- and impression-based attribution, flexible attribution-window settings, Apple Search Ads, and event tracking under its Enterprise heading. Those are useful criteria to bring into a plan conversation if your measurement requirements include the source types or window controls listed there.
The Enterprise feature list helps a small team test fit against its actual campaign mix. A team measuring both clicks and impressions can compare that need with the listed click- and impression-based attribution; a team that needs different attribution windows by app or tracker can match that requirement to the published controls. Apple Search Ads and in-app or server-to-server event tracking are also listed under Enterprise, so each item gives the founder a concrete feature to evaluate.
Adjust also offers a free signup path through its mobile attribution introduction.
Adjust is a better comparison when your acquisition setup needs the enterprise-listed capabilities and your team can evaluate the corresponding plan. If the first requirement is a predictable, published low-volume price, Tenjin, Airbridge Core, or Branch Intro gives a clearer public starting figure in the sources reviewed here.
5. Branch: a monthly option when links are part of acquisition
Branch Intro is worth comparing when a small team needs both attribution and link management. Branch’s Intro plan FAQ lists the plan at $39/mo and bundles attribution, deep linking, web links, and QR codes across its Performance, Engagement, and Activation product areas. The FAQ also says Intro has lower volume limits than Basics plans.
Those linked capabilities can matter for a team promoting a specific in-app destination from a campaign, creator page, email, or QR code. Branch’s deep-linking documentation distinguishes a direct deep link, which routes someone who already has the app to relevant content, from a deferred deep link, which routes someone after their first install. A team can use that distinction to decide whether it needs a link to open an installed app, a post-install destination, or both.
Branch’s Intro plan description says the plan is designed for teams getting started with mobile measurement and link management. It also advises that a Basics plan may be more cost-effective when monthly usage consistently exceeds Intro limits. That makes Intro a sensible candidate when the listed features fit and actual usage stays within its intended lower-volume range.
Branch Intro fits a small team when campaign links need to send users to a particular app destination, such as a paywall or content page. Branch lists 5,000 monthly volume credits, 500 web links and customized QR codes in a shared monthly cap, and 25,000 tracked clicks; overages cost $0.05 per volume credit, $0.05 per link or QR code, and $0.01 per click. Branch states that Intro overages are uncapped.
Here is a cost example using Branch's two usage caps. Assume a month has 30,000 clicks and 600 web links and customized QR codes combined. That is 5,000 clicks above the 25,000 cap, or $50 at $0.01 each, and 100 links or QR codes above the shared 500 cap, or $5 at $0.05 each. The $55 in overages is added to the $39 monthly plan price on the next invoice; the example assumes volume credits stay within their included limit.
Compare the five on the unit that drives the bill
| Provider and plan | Published entry terms | Counted activity or limit | Useful fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenjin | 2,000 free conversions per month for the account’s lifetime; $0.04 per additional conversion | An app install attributed to a paid user-acquisition campaign; organic installs are excluded | A small paid acquisition program that wants a recurring free monthly allowance, cost aggregation, and ad revenue LTV |
| Airbridge Core | 30-day trial, then $40+/mo; 500,000 data points included; $0.0001 per extra point; no annual contract | Data-point allowance and overage; the pricing page separately lists standard events such as install, purchase, and sign-up | US indie and small subscription or AI apps buying on Google Ads, Meta Ads, Apple Ads, or TikTok and wanting revenue/funnel reports or web-to-app attribution |
| AppsFlyer Growth | Pay-as-you-go; one-time first-year Welcome Package with 12,000 free conversions; $0.07 listed for conversions above 12,000 | AppsFlyer conversions, defined as campaign-driven app installs or user actions; organic activity it does not attribute is not counted | A paid-acquisition team comparing first-year conversions with the package; AppsFlyer Zero is for owned media and is listed as unsuitable for paid activity |
| Adjust | Free signup path; pricing page lists click/impression attribution, attribution windows, Apple Search Ads, and event tracking under Enterprise | Compare the specific source types and event needs with the listed Enterprise feature tier | A team whose measurement needs include those Enterprise-listed attribution controls and source types |
| Branch Intro | $39/mo; attribution, deep linking, web links, and QR codes; 5,000 monthly volume credits, 500 shared links/QR codes, and 25,000 clicks | Volume credits, link/QR count, and clicks have separate caps and overage rates | A small team that wants campaign measurement and link management in one plan, with usage inside the published limits |
If you need a narrower or zero-cost tool
A zero-dollar starting point can be a rational choice when cash is tight and the app needs basic paid-install attribution first. Tenjin’s currently listed allowance gives a clear starting benchmark: 2,000 paid campaign installs attributed per month, with its pricing page also listing cost aggregation and ad revenue LTV. That scope can answer a focused question about paid channels and revenue without beginning with a monthly base plan.
A deep-linking service answers a narrower routing question. Branch’s documentation describes sending existing users to relevant app content and sending new users to that destination after their first install. That is valuable when campaign links need to deliver the intended page or paywall, even when a small team has not yet decided to buy a complete attribution and reporting plan.
A founder can choose a narrower starting point by matching the requirement to the documented feature. A campaign destination requirement points to Branch's attribution and link bundle; subscription revenue reporting paired with paid-channel attribution points to Airbridge Core's listed reports and aggregation; owned-media activity points to AppsFlyer Zero. A team buying paid ads can compare the plans specifically listed for paid-campaign use, including Airbridge Core, AppsFlyer Growth, Tenjin, Branch Intro, and Adjust's relevant feature tiers.
Shortlist the provider without leading with install volume
A vendor’s volume question is only useful after you know the unit it uses. Before the next call or signup, assemble the numbers and product requirements below; this lets you compare the plan against your actual workflow instead of giving one headline install count that may mean something different to each provider.
- Match the provider to your paid channels. Write down Google Ads, Meta Ads, Apple Ads, TikTok, and any other active acquisition source. Airbridge Core lists attribution for Google Ads, Meta Ads, Apple Ads, and TikTok, so it is a concrete candidate when your paid mix matches those channels.
- Write down the provider’s billing unit. For Tenjin, estimate monthly paid campaign installs attributed by Tenjin; for AppsFlyer Growth, estimate conversions across the first year; for Airbridge Core, use the published data-point allowance and extra-use price. Use Branch Intro’s monthly volume-credit, web-link/QR, and click limits for the activities you plan to run.
- Map your reporting and routing needs. Airbridge Core lists revenue and funnel reports, web-to-app attribution, and subscription-revenue aggregation with services such as RevenueCat and Adapty. Branch Intro bundles attribution with deep linking, web links, and QR codes; Adjust lists click/impression attribution, attribution-window settings, Apple Search Ads, and event tracking under Enterprise.
- Compare each allowance over its stated period. Tenjin’s free conversion allowance is monthly, AppsFlyer Growth’s Welcome Package covers the first year, Airbridge Core’s data-point allowance is monthly, and Branch Intro’s usage limits are monthly.
- Estimate overage from the published rates. For Tenjin, calculate conversions beyond 2,000 at $0.04 apiece. For Airbridge, calculate data points beyond 500,000 at $0.0001 each. For Branch, calculate volume credits above 5,000 at $0.05 each, links or QR codes above 500 at $0.05 each, and clicks above 25,000 at $0.01 each.
- Match included features to your acquisition workflow. List the specific source, report, event type, and link route your app needs, then mark the plan page that documents each required feature.
- Compare the published operating terms. Airbridge Core has no annual contract and can be canceled anytime; Branch Intro is $39/mo; AppsFlyer Growth is listed as pay-as-you-go; and Tenjin describes its free plan as available for the account’s lifetime. Keep the offer period attached: Tenjin’s allowance is monthly, AppsFlyer Growth’s welcome package is first-year, Airbridge Core starts with a 30-day trial, and Branch Intro is priced monthly.
- Assign setup ownership. Name who will add the SDK or event integration, map events, and validate campaign and subscription reports.
Choose Tenjin when your paid attributed installs fit its 2,000 monthly free allowance; choose Airbridge Core when you buy on its four listed channels and want revenue/funnel reporting; choose Branch Intro when the link bundle and usage caps fit. For paid campaigns, compare AppsFlyer Growth’s pay-as-you-go entry or Adjust when its Enterprise-listed features fit your measurement needs; AppsFlyer Zero is positioned for owned media and is listed as unsuitable for apps with paid activities.
FAQ
Does a low number of installs automatically make an MMP a poor fit?
No. The right plan depends on the vendor’s counted unit, allowance, channels, and features. A small paid-install count can still generate many app events, and a larger organic download total can produce few paid attributed conversions.
Does Airbridge Core’s 500,000 data-point allowance mean 500,000 installs?
No. Data points are app-sent events, such as install, sign-up, or purchase; an install is one event type. Estimate the events your app sends during the month to compare usage with the allowance.
Which option has the clearest free starting allowance?
Tenjin has the clearest recurring free monthly allowance in these published terms: 2,000 attributed paid-campaign installs per month for the account’s lifetime, then $0.04 per additional conversion. AppsFlyer Growth instead lists a one-time 12,000-conversion package for the first year and $0.07 for conversions above 12,000; AppsFlyer Zero is for owned-media activities.
When should a subscription app choose a full MMP over a link or analytics tool?
Choose a full MMP when you need paid-source attribution for installs, in-app events, or subscription revenue. Branch documents direct links to relevant content for users who already have the app and deferred links to relevant content after a first install; Airbridge Core lists web-to-app attribution and subscription-revenue aggregation.
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