Rewarded UA Benchmarks: CTR, Retention & ROAS in 2025

In user acquisition, numbers are everything. Installs mean little if they don’t lead to active players, and high click-through rates (CTR) are wasted if retention is poor. That’s why benchmarks are so valuable — they give UA managers a reality check on what “good” performance looks like and help identify where campaigns fall short.

In 2025, rewarded user acquisition (rewarded UA) continues to outperform traditional formats across key metrics like CTR, retention, and ROAS. Let’s dive into the numbers you should know this year.

CTR Benchmarks for Rewarded UA

Rewarded ads are opt-in by nature, which gives them a major advantage over disruptive formats like banners or interstitials.

• Rewarded video CTR: Typically ranges from 7–15% depending on genre and region.

• Offerwalls CTR: Lower at 2–5%, but the users acquired tend to be more committed.

• Standard interstitials CTR: Often below 1% for comparison.

  
  

What this means: If your rewarded CTR is under 5%, it’s a red flag that your ad creative, reward value, or placement may need optimization.

Retention Benchmarks

Retention is the ultimate measure of quality in user acquisition. Here’s how rewarded UA stacks up:

• Day 1 Retention: 35–45% (vs. 25–30% for non-rewarded installs).

• Day 7 Retention: 15–25% (vs. 10–15% non-rewarded).

• Day 30 Retention: 5–12% (vs. 3–7% non-rewarded).

  
  

What this means: Rewarded users don’t just install for the incentive and disappear — the opt-in model creates a better first impression, making them more likely to stick around.

ROAS Benchmarks

Return on ad spend (ROAS) is where rewarded UA truly shines:

• D7 ROAS: 15–25%

• D30 ROAS: 50–70%

• Long-term ROAS: Rewarded UA campaigns can achieve 100%+ payback within 90–120 days, depending on reward design and targeting.

  
  

By comparison, many non-rewarded campaigns struggle to break even within the same timeframe.

Factors That Influence Benchmarks

Not all rewarded UA campaigns perform equally. Results depend heavily on:

1. Game genre

   • Casual games often see higher CTR but slightly lower LTV.

   • Midcore/hardcore titles see lower CTR but higher long-term monetization.

     
     

2. Reward design

   • Small, frequent rewards → better for retention.

   • Big, rare rewards (like offerwalls) → better for monetization.

     
     

3. Targeting precision

   • Age, genre affinity, and competitor audiences can double ROAS if done right.

     
     

4. Ad placement

   • Natural breakpoints deliver far stronger opt-in rates than forced or awkward placements.

     
     

How to Use Benchmarks in Practice

Benchmarks aren’t just numbers — they’re a compass:

• If your CTR is below average, revisit your creative or test different reward values.

• If your retention lags, check whether you’re over-rewarding and causing churn once rewards dry up.

• If your ROAS isn’t competitive, refine targeting and optimize frequency caps.

  
  

Benchmarks are a starting point, not a finish line. Every game has unique dynamics, but staying close to industry averages is key to scaling profitably.

The Outlook for 2025

As privacy rules tighten and performance tracking gets harder, rewarded UA stands out for one reason: it delivers both quality and scale. Unlike other formats that may inflate installs but weaken retention, rewarded ads align user incentives with publisher goals.

Studios that integrate rewarded UA thoughtfully in 2025 will enjoy:

• Higher CTRs than nearly any other format

• Retention rates that sustain growth

• ROAS curves that pay back faster and more reliably

  
  

Final Thoughts

Rewarded UA has become one of the most reliable growth levers in mobile gaming. Whether through rewarded video, offerwalls, or hybrids, benchmarks prove that incentivized ads outperform traditional UA on every major metric.

If your campaigns are underperforming against the averages, don’t panic — it simply means there’s room to optimize. With the right mix of targeting, reward design, and creative testing, you can push your metrics above industry standards.

For a full breakdown, check our Rewarded UA guide for 2025.

Are you ready to revolutionize your game's outreach? 

Unlock the potential of an AI-driven platform with an easy-to-use dashboard to effortlessly boost your user acquisition efforts. With this user-friendly dashboard, you have full control over your budget and a wide range of targeting options, making Gamelight, the AI-driven advertising platform, the intelligent choice for broadening your game's audience.

Discover Gamelight: The Power of AI for Mobile Marketing. With an AI-powered advertising platform, CPI rates, and no creative work needed, you can easily start campaigns in just 5 minutes. It's all about simplicity and efficiency.

Access the Gamelight advertising platform’s self-serve dashboard.

If you require assistance, kindly complete THIS FORM, and one of our team members will reach out to you within 24 hours.