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Glossary
Product concepts

What is Cohort Analysis?

Cohort Analysis is a research method that groups users based on shared characteristics or experiences within a specific time frame to observe how their behavior changes over time. Instead of viewing all users as a single unit, this analysis reveals patterns in retention and conversion by comparing different segments, such as users who signed up during a holiday promotion versus those who joined during a regular period.

When to use it

Teams should use cohort analysis when they need to understand if product changes are actually improving long-term retention or if growth is being masked by high churn. It is particularly effective for identifying 'power user' groups, measuring the impact of onboarding updates, and determining the true lifetime value of specific customer segments. Use it to solve the problem of vanity metrics where high sign-up numbers hide a 'leaky bucket' of departing users.

Example

A SaaS team launched a new interactive onboarding tutorial in March and wants to see if it improved user stickiness compared to their February cohort. By analyzing the 'Month 1' retention rate, they find that 45% of the March cohort returned for a second month, whereas only 30% of the February cohort did. This 15% improvement proves the tutorial's value, leading the team to prioritize its refinement over other features in the Q3 roadmap. They can then project how this increased retention will impact annual recurring revenue over the next 12 months.

How Planet Roadmap helps with Cohort Analysis

Planet Roadmap’s public feedback portal and voting features allow you to collect data from specific user groups, which can then be linked to OKR tracking to see how feature releases influence retention for those segments.

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FAQ

How is Cohort Analysis different from Churn Rate?
While churn rate measures the total percentage of users who leave in a period, cohort analysis shows when and why specific groups are leaving. It helps identify if users are churning immediately after sign-up or after six months of use, which points to different problems in the product experience.
What is the difference between an acquisition cohort and a behavioral cohort?
Acquisition cohorts group users by when they signed up (e.g., all users who joined in Q1), while behavioral cohorts group users by actions they took (e.g., all users who completed a specific setup wizard). Behavioral cohorts are often more useful for identifying which specific features lead to long-term user retention.

Related terms

ChurnActivationRetentionCustomer Lifetime Value (LTV)Monthly Active Users (MAU)Product-Market FitTime to ValueNet Promoter Score (NPS)

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