Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric based on a single question: "On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend [product] to a friend or colleague?" Respondents are classified as Promoters (9–10), Passives (7–8), or Detractors (0–6). NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors, yielding a score from −100 to +100.
Quick Definition
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric based on a single question: "On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend [product] to a friend or colleague?" Respondents are classified as Promoters (9–10), Passives (7–8), or Detractors (0–6).
Formula & Benchmarks
How NPS is calculated
NPS Formula
NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors
9–10
Promoters
7–8
Passives
0–6
Detractors
Below 0
Poor
More detractors than promoters. Churn risk is high. Immediate product and CX investigation required.
0–30
Good
Average range for most SaaS products. Room for improvement in product experience and CS.
30–70
Great
Top-quartile SaaS NPS. Indicates strong product-market fit and an active advocate base.
70+
Excellent
World-class NPS. Achieved by products like Slack, Notion, and Figma at peak. Rare in B2B SaaS.
SaaS Average
~31
Industry average NPS for B2B SaaS products, according to CustomerGauge benchmarks.
Response Rate
15–30%
Typical in-app NPS response rate. Email NPS typically sees 5–15%. In-app is 2–3× better.
In-App NPS
Collecting NPS in-app vs email
In-app NPS gets 3× higher response rates
Email NPS surveys average 5–15% response rates. In-app NPS shown to the right user segment at the right moment in their session achieves 15–35%. More responses = more statistically significant data.
Trigger NPS after key value moments
The best NPS surveys fire after a user completes a meaningful action — after their third successful export, after closing their first deal, after a feature they've used 10+ times. Not on a fixed calendar.
Follow up on every response
Promoters (9–10): ask for a review or referral immediately. Passives (7–8): ask what would make it a 10. Detractors (0–6): route to a CSM or trigger a win-back email flow. Close the loop on every response.
NPS (Net Promoter Score) is calculated by asking customers "How likely are you to recommend us? (0–10)". Respondents scoring 9–10 are Promoters, 7–8 are Passives, 0–6 are Detractors. NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors. The score ranges from −100 to +100.
The average B2B SaaS NPS is around 31. Scores above 50 are considered excellent. Top SaaS products like Slack and Notion have achieved NPS of 70+. Below 0 indicates more detractors than promoters — a serious retention risk.
Relationship NPS (asking all customers quarterly) gives you trend data. Transactional NPS (triggered after specific events) gives you actionable feedback. Most SaaS teams run quarterly relationship surveys and event-triggered surveys after key milestones.
Immediately route detractor responses (0–6) to a customer success manager or trigger a re-engagement email. Ask for specific feedback: "What was the biggest reason for your score?" Close the loop within 24 hours. Teams that follow up with detractors recover 20–40% of at-risk customers.
NPS is a useful leading indicator of retention and expansion but should not be used in isolation. Pair NPS with product usage data, activation rates, and churn rates for a complete picture. The most predictive NPS metric is the change in NPS over time, not the absolute score.