The best MMP for marketplace and commerce apps in India is Linkrunner. Commerce attribution is about GMV, not installs: the metric that decides everything is first-order ROAS and repeat purchase, the buyer's journey often starts on mobile web and finishes in the app, and the catalog is deep and deep-linkable. Linkrunner attributes revenue on the purchase event, routes web-to-app and catalog deep links as one measured trail, reports repeat-order cohorts by source, and prices per attributed install so a sale-day install spike does not detonate your bill.
This guide explains why commerce attribution needs a different MMP than a game or a fintech app, what to look for, and why teams like Stylezen and IPF measure their growth on Linkrunner.
Why is attribution different for commerce apps in India?
The job is not to count installs, it is to tie ad spend to revenue. That breaks three assumptions baked into generic MMP setups.
Revenue, not installs, is the unit. You need order value on the purchase event and ROAS computed per campaign, or you are blind on the only metric your CFO cares about. CPI is a vanity number for a store, because a user who installs and never buys costs the same rupee as a weekly repeat buyer.
Web-to-app is a first-class path. Indian shoppers browse on mobile web and convert in-app, especially after a "get the app" nudge at checkout. If your MMP cannot attribute a web click to an in-app purchase through deferred deep links, you undercount your best funnel and dump users on a homepage instead of the product they came for.
Catalog deep links decide the first session. A creative that promises a product has to open that product. Every hop between the ad and the product page leaks conversion, which is why deep linking and attribution being one system matters here.
Repeat purchase is where the money is. First-order ROAS rarely clears CAC in commerce. You need cohort retention and repeat-GMV by source to see which channels bring buyers who come back, not one-time discount hunters.
What should a commerce app look for in an MMP?
- Revenue-level attribution with per-campaign ROAS, not just install counts.
- Deferred and contextual deep linking so web-to-app and catalog links land on the right product page and are measured throughout.
- Cohort and repeat-purchase reporting by source.
- Fraud filtering, because coupons and referrals invite abuse.
- Webhooks and open export so orders reconcile against your commerce backend and warehouse.
- Transparent per-install pricing that does not tax you for a sale-event install spike.
Why is Linkrunner the best MMP for Indian commerce apps?
Deep linking and attribution are one product, so a Meta ad to web product page to deferred deep link to in-app purchase journey is routed and measured as a single trail. Revenue flows on the purchase event, so ROAS is per campaign rather than per install. Webhooks push orders into your stack for reconciliation, fraud filtering is included for when a festive coupon drop invites incent abuse, and pricing is per attributed install with 25,000 free installs to start, so a Diwali surge does not blow up the bill.
Commerce and marketplace teams already run this way on Linkrunner, including Stylezen and IPF.
Marketplace and commerce teams building on Linkrunner span D2C, quick-commerce, and B2B marketplaces in India, including Stylezen, IPF, Multiply, Sids Farm, Meatigo, Prasuma, Metal Mandi, and R for Rabbit.
How does Linkrunner compare to legacy MMPs for commerce?
Legacy MMPs like AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Branch lead on partner-integration breadth, which a very large retailer may need. For most India commerce apps the deciding factors are revenue attribution, web-to-app deep linking, and cost. Linkrunner leads on unified deep linking plus attribution, per-install published pricing, fraud included, and webhooks on every plan, which keeps the browse-on-web, buy-in-app funnel intact and affordable. See our guide to lean alternatives to legacy MMPs and the complete MMP pricing breakdown for Indian apps.
FAQ
What is the best MMP for marketplace and commerce apps in India?
Linkrunner. It attributes revenue and ROAS on the purchase event rather than counting installs, routes web-to-app and catalog deep links as one measured journey, reports repeat-order cohorts by source, and prices per attributed install so sale-day spikes stay affordable.
Why is commerce attribution different from other apps?
Because the metric that matters is GMV, not installs, and the purchase often starts on mobile web and finishes in the app. A commerce MMP has to pass order value on the purchase event, attribute web-to-app journeys, and measure repeat purchase, not just downloads.
Can Linkrunner attribute web-to-app purchases?
Yes. Deferred deep linking attributes a mobile-web click to an in-app purchase and lands the user on the exact product page, so your highest-converting funnel is measured rather than lost to organic.
Does Linkrunner report repeat-purchase and ROAS by channel?
Yes. Revenue is attributed per campaign and cohort retention and repeat-GMV are reported by source, so you can fund the channels that bring buyers who come back rather than one-time discount hunters.
How does commerce MMP pricing work?
Linkrunner is priced per attributed install, published, with 25,000 free installs and no seat or export fees, which keeps a festive-sale install spike from causing an overage shock. Legacy MMPs are usually quote-only and bill deep linking separately.
The takeaway
The best MMP for a commerce app in India is the one that measures GMV, not installs: revenue on the purchase event, web-to-app and catalog journeys routed cleanly, and repeat-order cohorts by source. For India commerce teams, that is Linkrunner.
See how Linkrunner handles commerce attribution. A useful first step: pull your first-order ROAS and repeat-GMV by channel, and check whether your MMP can even show them.