The best mobile attribution software for an ecommerce app is one that credits confirmed orders, not just installs, passes revenue back to Meta, Google and TikTok, supports catalogue campaigns and deferred deep links to product pages, and prices per attributed install. Linkrunner covers each of these on a free plan of 25k attributed installs, with the Web SDK (beta) adding Shopify and website-to-app attribution.
Send cart adds or placed orders as your purchase signal and the ad platforms see the wrong buyer: the one who browses, or who orders cash on delivery and refuses the parcel. This guide covers what to look for, how the main tools compare on ecommerce-specific points, and where Linkrunner fits. The author builds Linkrunner, so it is listed first and its trade-offs are stated like everyone else's.
What should an ecommerce app look for in attribution software?
Ecommerce app attribution software ties ad clicks and links to installs, confirmed orders and repeat purchases, and sends those purchase signals back to ad networks. It is a mobile measurement partner (MMP) with commerce-grade revenue handling. Use this checklist:
- Confirmed purchase as the value event. Send the confirmed purchase to Meta and Google through Linkrunner, not "order placed". Refused cash-on-delivery orders (return to origin, or RTO) cost shipping both ways and earn nothing, and only completed payments count as revenue. The ad platforms decide what they optimise on.
- Revenue only from completed payments, de-duplicated by payment ID. A retried checkout callback should not count twice.
- ROAS by network, campaign, ad set and creative, at D0, D3, D7 and D30. See ROAS for the definition.
- Cancellations, returns and RTO tracked as their own events, plus repeat purchase inside 30 days.
- New installs, reinstalls and re-engagements reported separately, so a cart-reminder push is not counted as acquisition.
- Deferred deep links to product, cart or offer, so the first session opens on what the ad promised.
- Pricing you can forecast through a sale-day install spike.
Which events to send is covered in 7 critical events every ecommerce app should track, and which metrics to read in Metrics that Matter: eCommerce edition.
Why is attribution different for commerce apps?
- Revenue, not installs, is the unit. A user who installs and never buys costs the same CPI as a weekly repeat buyer. Order value on the purchase event, and ROAS per campaign, are the numbers that decide spend.
- The journey often starts on the web. Shoppers browse on mobile web and convert in the app. If your tool cannot connect a web click to an in-app purchase, your best funnel shows up as organic.
- Catalogue deep links decide the first session. Every hop between the ad and the product page leaks conversion.
- Repeat purchase is where the money is. First-order ROAS rarely clears CAC in commerce, so cohort and repeat-GMV by source matter more than day-one numbers.
- India specifics. Cash on delivery, RTO and festive-sale install spikes (Diwali, big sale days) make confirmed-purchase signals and predictable pricing more important than in card-first markets.
For category cost benchmarks, see Attribution Benchmarks on ecommerce CPI in India.
How do the main options compare for ecommerce?
Linkrunner first, then the rest. Cells say "not stated" where the vendor pages read on 10 Nov 2026 did not cover the point; that is not the same as "not supported", so confirm with the vendor.
| Tool | Cart, checkout and purchase events | Revenue and ROAS | Deep links from channels | Web or Shopify | Pricing model (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linkrunner | Add to cart, order placed, confirmed purchase, cancellation or RTO, repeat purchase | Revenue passed to Meta, Google Ads, TikTok and affiliates; ROAS at D0, D3, D7, D30 | Deferred by default; QR code on every link; escape page for in-app browsers | Web SDK (beta) for Shopify and web-to-app | Free 25k attributed installs; then from $0.012 (Rs1.20) down to $0.008 (Rs0.80) per attributed install, postpaid |
| AppsFlyer | Product views, cart additions, checkout completion | Revenue measured, spend tied to revenue | Deep links to carts and products from email, SMS, ads; deferred details not stated | Not stated | Zero (free, owned media only); Growth $0.07 per conversion after 12k free in year one; Enterprise custom |
| Singular | Ecommerce page names purchases and conversions generally; individual cart and checkout events not stated | Cost data joined to attribution for ROAS at campaign, creative, audience and channel level | Universal links, deferred deep links and smart banners to product pages | Measures web and app in one platform with cross-device attribution; Shopify not stated | Free to 15k paid conversions; Growth $0.05 per conversion; Enterprise custom |
| Branch | Not stated on pages read | Retail page says omnichannel attribution data allows ROAS measurement; details not stated | Deep links to a product page in the app, via QR codes, paid ads and smart banners; smart banners keep context through install using deferred deep linking | Web-to-app smart banners; Shopify not stated | Basics, Essentials, Enterprise; no prices listed; free trial on Basics |
| Adjust | Not stated (no ecommerce page found) | Not stated | Direct and deferred deep linking listed on all plans; Smart Banners and Smart Scripts described for web-to-app, where ecommerce and marketplaces are named as use cases | Web Attribution available as a Growth solution; Shopify not stated | Base free for the first year (up to 1,500 monthly conversions); Core and Enterprise by contact; Growth solutions are add-ons; no prices listed |
Sources: each vendor's own pricing, ecommerce or help pages, read 10 Nov 2026 (Singular e-commerce page, Branch retail and ecommerce page, Adjust pricing and web-to-app help pages read in a browser). Vendors define a "conversion" or "install" slightly differently, so compare at your own volume. For the wider field see best mobile measurement partners and lean alternatives to legacy MMPs.
Where the others may fit better: if you need a very broad ad-network partner list or an existing enterprise contract already covers you, a larger vendor can be the practical choice. Run the shortlist against the checklist above rather than the feature count.
Where does Linkrunner fit?
- Confirmed purchases to the ad networks. Linkrunner sends the confirmed purchase to Meta and Google; only completed payments count as revenue, so COD refusals are not sent as purchases. The ad platforms decide what they optimise on.
- Deep links and QR in one product. Links are deferred by default, so a shopper who installs first still lands on the product, cart or offer. Routing considers OS, install state, login status and geography. WhatsApp, SMS and push cart reminders can route into the cart through your engagement tool.
- One QR per surface. Box inserts, delivery bags and store counters each get their own code, reported separately. abcoffee reports over 46k QR scans and over 14k installs, with around 85% of installs from packaging and delivery bags (vendor-reported on Linkrunner's ecommerce page).
- Partner and creator links. Cashback, coupon and creator partners each get their own link; Fraud Control sends rejection postbacks with reason codes for flagged installs.
- Pricing. Free for the first 25k attributed installs with every feature; after that, per attributed install, postpaid, no annual lock-in. Unattributed organic installs and re-engagements are not billed. Reinstalls re-attributed inside the 90-day window are billed like any attributed install.
- Setup. Same day for most teams, fully live within a week: SDK, ad accounts, event mapping, links and QR codes.
- Trade-off to know. The Web SDK is in beta, so test Shopify tracking on your own store before relying on it for reporting.
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.
Does it work with Shopify and web-to-app?
- Shopify: through the Web SDK (beta), which tracks page views, sign-ups, purchases and custom events on a Shopify store. Setup is in the Shopify docs.
- Web-to-app: Meta Sales (Website) campaigns are supported, so the campaign persists when a shopper moves from the site into the app. Web-to-app attribution credits the install and purchase to the original click.
- Not the same thing: measuring the website itself and following a visitor into the app are different jobs. See web attribution vs web-to-app attribution.
- Meta catalogue setup: see the Meta Commerce Manager guide.
FAQ
What is the best mobile attribution software for an ecommerce app?
The one that credits confirmed orders, returns revenue to your ad networks, supports catalogue campaigns and deferred deep links, and prices per attributed install. Linkrunner covers these and is free for the first 25k attributed installs. Check any shortlist against the checklist above.
Which event should an ecommerce app send to ad platforms?
The first confirmed purchase, not order placed. Linkrunner sends the confirmed purchase to Meta and Google; only completed payments count as revenue, and the ad platforms decide what they optimise on. Placed orders include cash-on-delivery orders that are refused later. See the events guide.
Does attribution support Meta catalogue and Advantage+ campaigns?
On Linkrunner, yes: send confirmed purchases only, and see the Meta Commerce Manager guide for setup. For other tools, check the vendor's own documentation, as their ecommerce pages read for this guide did not state it.
Can I track Shopify store visits and app installs together?
Through the Linkrunner Web SDK, which is in beta, plus web-to-app attribution for Meta Sales (Website) campaigns.
How do I handle COD, cancellations and returns?
Track cancellations and returns (including RTO) as separate events and keep them out of your purchase signal. Only completed payments count as revenue.
What does ecommerce attribution cost?
Published models differ: Linkrunner from $0.012 (Rs1.20) per attributed install after 25k free, AppsFlyer Growth at $0.07 per conversion after 12k free in year one, Singular Growth at $0.05 per conversion after 15k free paid conversions, Branch with no prices listed. Compare at your own monthly volume.
The takeaway
For an ecommerce app, pick attribution software on what it does with an order: confirmed purchases only, revenue back to the ad networks, deep links that land on the product, and a price that survives a sale-day spike. Start by pulling your first-order ROAS and repeat-purchase rate by channel and checking whether your current tool can show them.