Add up the installs Meta claims, the installs Google claims, and the installs everyone else claims. You'll have "acquired" far more users than actually downloaded your app.
Every platform reports its own numbers. And every one happily takes credit for the same person.
Attribution tracking is just the work of finding out which ad really caused a download or a sale. So you stop paying three times for one install.
Get it wrong and you're running the business on numbers that don't add up.
In plain language: what a measurement tool actually does, how the three big ones compare, what changed on iPhones, and why no single tool gives you the truth.
Each ad platform claims the same conversions, so summing their dashboards over-counts reality. The job of attribution is to find the one truth underneath the competing claims.
Attribution tracking — what an MMP does
An MMP (mobile measurement partner) counts your installs fairly across every ad platform. Think of it as a neutral referee sitting between your app and your ad networks.
It does three jobs.
One — it removes double counting. If Meta and Google both claim the same download, the MMP decides who actually earned it. You count that install once.
Two — it links later actions to the right ad. A signup, a purchase, a subscription, traced back to what caused it.
Three — it stitches Apple's limited data together with estimates, into one picture you can read.
Spending real money across more than one network? An MMP isn't optional.
Without one, each network's self-reported numbers become fiction the moment you add them up. And you can't work out your true cost per install or cost per event, because you simply don't know either number.
AppsFlyer vs Adjust vs Branch — which fits
There's no universal "best." Each one is strongest at a different thing — so match it to how your app actually grows.
| MMP | Leads on | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| AppsFlyer | Integration breadth (10,000+ partners), iOS feature depth | Apps wanting the widest network coverage & deepest iOS tooling |
| Adjust | Simpler setup, transparent flat-rate pricing, raw SKAN data access | Teams who want clean data & predictable cost |
| Branch | Deep linking — web-to-app, referrals, re-engagement | Apps where linking & journeys are a core growth engine |
AppsFlyer wins on breadth — around 10,000+ integrations versus Adjust's 2,000 — and on iPhone features. The catch: it charges per install, so the bill grows with you.
Adjust wins on simpler setup, flat predictable pricing, and clean access to the raw Apple data.
Branch wins when deep linking drives your growth. Deep linking sends someone straight to the right place inside your app — tap a shared product link, land on that exact product. It powers referrals, web-to-app journeys and re-engagement.
Choose on how your app actually grows, not on the name you hear most.
The best MMP isn't the most popular one. It's the one whose strength matches how your app actually grows.
The iPhone problem — SKAdNetwork 5
iPhones are where this gets genuinely hard.
Apple won't let advertisers follow individual people around. So all measurement runs through Apple's own system, SKAdNetwork (usually shortened to SKAN).
The latest version, SKAdNetwork 5, is the biggest recent improvement. In plain terms it sends back more detail after a campaign, lets you measure more in-app actions, gives you longer to count a result, and better credits ads people saw but didn't tap.
Apple is also nudging advertisers toward a newer system called AdAttributionKit.
It's a real step up. But the basic reality hasn't changed. iPhone data is delayed and partly estimated.
You no longer get a straight line from saw the ad to installed to bought.
So iPhone campaigns get planned on groups, not individuals — judging everyone who arrived in the same week or from the same campaign. That's a different playbook from Android.
Android vs iPhone, in practice
Android still lets you measure in fairly precise detail, so you can optimise toward specific in-app actions. On iPhone you steer by groups and estimates.
Same app. Two playbooks. Pretending iPhone works like Android is the fastest way to misread your own numbers.
The GUROB attribution stack — hybrid by default
The most important thing to understand: attribution is not a one-tool problem.
Lean only on Apple's data and you're slow and missing detail. Lean only on statistical guesswork and you take on privacy risk. Lean only on your MMP dashboard and you leave gaps.
The brands that win stitch the pieces together.
- Pick the MMP that matches your growth. Want the widest reach and the best iPhone tooling → AppsFlyer. Want clean data and predictable pricing → Adjust. Built on deep linking → Branch. This is the foundation, not the whole answer.
- Run SKAN properly on iPhone. Set it up to record the actions that actually matter to you — a purchase, a subscription, a key signup — and plan iPhone campaigns on group-level economics, not the person-level numbers you get from Android.
- Cross-check everything. Compare your MMP data, Apple's reports, the estimates, and your own sales records. Treat platform numbers as a steering wheel for campaigns — never as truth for your books.
- Build a number finance trusts. The end goal is one agreed figure for cost per install and per event that your finance and product teams actually believe. This mixed approach is the baseline now, not an experiment.
This underpins all our app marketing work. Optimising toward platform-reported numbers means optimising toward a lie. On thin Indian margins, that's the difference between profitable growth and expensive guessing.
Common attribution mistakes
- Trusting each platform's own numbers. Adding up Meta's and Google's claimed conversions counts the same person twice. Use an independent MMP.
- Skipping an MMP at scale. Running across several networks without de-duplication means you can't know your true cost per install or per event.
- Treating iPhone like Android. iPhone data is delayed and partly estimated. Plan it on groups and Apple's SKAN, not the precise person-level data Android gives you.
- Relying on a single tool. SKAN-only, MMP-only, or guesswork-only all leave gaps. A mix is the standard.
- Choosing an MMP by reputation. The right tool is the one whose strength — reach, simplicity, or deep linking — matches how your app grows.
Frequently asked questions
In closing
Good attribution tracking in India isn't about finding the one perfect tool. It's about refusing to trust each platform's own numbers, and building a setup that combines your MMP, Apple's SKAN data, and estimated data into a single, believable figure. Pick the MMP that matches how your app grows, plan iPhone campaigns by group, and report one blended number your finance team believes. Get that right and every other decision finally rests on real data.
Want us to audit your measurement setup and tell you how far off your reported numbers are from reality? Book the 45-minute private audit (free). More on our app marketing work here.