MMP comparison · · By Cald
AppsFlyer vs Tenjin: Specs, Pricing and Reviews
Compare acquisition, ad monetization and the data work behind a usable mobile-game cohort.
Evaluate Tenjin first for a lean game-studio workflow; evaluate AppsFlyer first when campaign linking and a broader measurement brief drive the project. That is our editorial starting point. Both deserve a pilot against the same networks, mediation setup and reporting requirements. A longer feature list or a lower install rate does not establish a better outcome for your team.
We checked official documentation and public reviews on October 30, 2026. This is a research comparison, not a controlled product benchmark. Vendor documentation supports the specifications below; reviewer experiences are attributed separately; the buying guidance is Cald’s interpretation.
Specs for acquisition and monetization teams
| Requirement | AppsFlyer | Tenjin |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-revenue ingestion | Documents aggregate S2S, device S2S, impression SDK and combined SDK/device-S2S integration types. API overview. | Documents mediation-specific SDK integrations and a separate S2S impression-revenue endpoint for mediation providers not yet integrated. S2S guide. |
| Unity mediation example | Select the integration type for the actual partner and app; setup requirements differ by source. Integration types. | The AppLovin MAX Unity guide forwards paid-impression callback data, including numeric revenue and network name. Unity example. |
| Raw events | Data Locker supports selecting reports and delivery to configured storage. Confirm premium access. Documentation. | Raw Data Exporter supplies event CSVs and API access. Each requested dataset spans up to 30 days; export is batch-based. Exporter guide. |
| iOS attribution overlap | Documents Single Source of Truth reporting for combining attribution methods and deduplicating overlap. SSOT guide. | Its SKAN FAQ says it does not provide an iOS SSOT product combining SKAN and deterministic attribution. FAQ. |
| Revenue event definition | The in-app event guide identifies af_revenue as the revenue-bearing parameter. SDK guide. | The mediation example carries impression revenue as a numeric value, separate from purchase events. Mediation payload. |
Where the choice becomes operational
AppsFlyer: decide which revenue integration you are implementing
The documented ad-revenue API distinguishes aggregated and impression-level routes. For aggregate S2S, a source event is required; the other integration types do not accept that parameter. Some OAuth-based aggregate partners must be configured in the platform. These details matter when a central team wants to configure several games consistently. AppsFlyer’s integration requirements.
Our inference: AppsFlyer is worth the first demo when one team needs to govern acquisition and linking across a varied portfolio. Bring the real partner list and ask the vendor to identify the intended revenue route for each. Require an explanation of where delayed or aggregate revenue will appear in cohorts.
Tenjin: follow the paid-impression callback
Tenjin’s Unity MAX example is concrete: the mediation callback becomes a revenue payload sent to Tenjin. It includes placement and format context alongside revenue. That gives a game team a specific path to inspect during integration, rather than treating a rewarded-ad completion as proof that revenue was captured. Tenjin’s Unity implementation.
Its raw exporter complements this debugging workflow, but it is not a managed warehouse or SQL interface. Your team still owns downstream storage and processing. Our inference: Tenjin deserves early evaluation when a small studio wants acquisition and monetization reporting without designing a large analytics program first. Verify the exact tools needed for that goal.
Pricing: model your billing unit
AppsFlyer lists Growth at $0.07 per conversion after a first-year Welcome allowance of 12,000. Verify paid modules and billable re-engagement.
Tenjin lists 2,000 paid-attributed installs/month free, then $0.04 each; S is $200/month for 10,000 conversions. Organic installs are uncharged.
Prices checked October 30, 2026. Do not price both products using purchase-event volume. Request written definitions, overages and renewal terms, then compare a complete package containing your ad-revenue sources, iOS reporting, exports and support.
For a game portfolio, run the forecast by app and month. A launch spike, a quiet month and a new title can expose different economics than an annual average. Also budget the engineer who will maintain the mediation integration and investigate missing revenue.
Review findings from the web
AppsFlyer reviewers on G2 praise consolidated attribution and cohort analysis; some describe a steep learning curve, report-loading friction and cost concerns.
Tenjin reviewers on G2 praise support and a unified acquisition dashboard; some report setup effort, iOS integration challenges or confusing views.
These are customer opinions, not performance guarantees. Review pages mix business sizes, plans and dates; positive support experiences do not establish a contractual response time. We omit aggregate star ratings because the samples do not prove measurement quality for your game.
Use these findings to design evaluation tasks. Let your own UA manager build a cohort, explain a discrepancy and request an export. Let an engineer troubleshoot an intentionally missing revenue field. Ask both vendors the same question, then assess whether the answer makes your team more independent.
Worked pilot: a hybrid-monetized game
Synthetic example: a Unity puzzle game monetizes through rewarded ads and purchases. The pilot must reconcile both revenue streams to acquisition cohorts. These are proposed business events, not mandatory vendor event names or client results.
| Event | Exact trigger | Required context |
|---|---|---|
level_completed | Game confirms successful completion of a level attempt. | Event ID, installation reference, level ID, attempt ID and UTC time. |
purchase_verified | Backend verifies a completed store transaction, once per transaction. | Transaction ID, event ID, product, revenue, currency and UTC time. |
ad_revenue_received | Mediation supplies a paid-impression revenue callback. | Impression reference where available, revenue, currency, network, ad unit, format, precision and UTC time. |
- Keep outcomes separate: completing a rewarded ad is engagement; the paid-impression callback supplies revenue. Check both without using reward completion to invent an amount.
- Reconcile a controlled sample: match verified purchases to your ledger and ad revenue to the mediation evidence, using agreed timezone and currency rules.
- Prevent double counting: select one intended revenue route per source, replay retries and confirm the same transaction does not inflate total revenue.
- Inspect the cohort: align install date, attribution window and revenue maturity before comparing network ROAS. Separate restricted iOS reporting from eligible event-level records.
- Test operations: export the sample, verify the schema and delivery delay, and have the studio resolve a missing-field case before accepting the setup.
AppsFlyer or Tenjin: which should you evaluate first?
Take a four-step quiz and watch the fit forecast change with each answer. This is our editorial routing model, not a product benchmark. Your answers stay in this page and are not stored or submitted.
Your evaluation starting point
How this quiz makes a recommendation
The live forecast divides the points from answered questions between the contenders. Before weighted answers, shares are evenly split. These shares are not winning probabilities. Business-pattern points are our editorial hypotheses about where to begin a demo. They are not ratings of accuracy, quality or exclusive capabilities.
| Pattern | AppsFlyer | Tenjin |
|---|---|---|
| A mobile app with a broad acquisition brief | 2 | 0 |
| An ad-supported mobile game | 1 | 3 |
| A customer journey spanning website and app | 2 | 0 |
| A team consolidating many ad accounts and spend sources | 1 | 1 |
| None of these, or still deciding | 0 | 0 |
The workflow question adds 3 points for its matching evaluation focus: campaign links → AppsFlyer; operations and callbacks → Adjust; cost normalization → Singular; web-to-app → Airbridge; lean game monetization → Tenjin. A focus outside this pair and “no single workflow” add no points. The higher total is evaluated first; equal totals recommend piloting both. The buying constraint changes the demo task, not the ranking. Mandatory requirements can override the result. Website-only answers bypass the comparison.