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What is Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP)?

Also known as: MMP, Adjust, AppsFlyer, Mobile attribution

Quick definition

A Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP), such as Adjust, AppsFlyer, Singular or Kochava, is an independent attribution platform that tells app marketers which ad network, campaign and creative drove each install and in-app event, giving one neutral source of truth across many media sources.

How it works

  1. Advertiser adds the MMP SDK to the app and creates tracking links per media source
  2. User clicks or views an ad; the network sends the engagement to the MMP
  3. User installs and opens the app; the MMP SDK reports the first launch
  4. MMP matches the install to engagements (device ID, referrer or probabilistic methods where allowed) and credits a source
  5. Postbacks inform the winning network and dashboards show cost, retention and ROAS

Key points

Attribution model
Typically last-touch within a click and view lookback window; MMPs also flag re-attributions and organic installs.
Privacy era
After iOS ATT, MMPs aggregate Apple SKAdNetwork / AdAttributionKit postbacks and use conversion-value schemas; Android is moving to Privacy Sandbox.
Fraud prevention
MMPs detect click injection, click spamming, SDK spoofing and install farms, rejecting fraudulent attributions before networks get paid.
Deep linking
Deferred deep links send new users to specific in-app content after install, which also supports attribution of re-engagement campaigns.

Benefits

  • Neutral measurement across competing ad networks
  • Unified cost, cohort and ROAS reporting

Trade-offs

  • Deterministic matching is limited on iOS without consent
  • Adds SDK weight and a per-attribution or subscription cost

FAQ

What is the difference between Adjust and AppsFlyer?

Both are leading MMPs with similar core attribution, fraud and SKAN tooling; differences are in pricing, analytics add-ons, integrations and regional strength rather than the basic method.

Do I need an MMP if I only use one ad network?

Self-attributing networks report their own results, but an MMP is still useful once you buy from two or more sources because it deduplicates credit.

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Official sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-27. Explanations are written by AdTech Radar; consult the official specification for implementation.