AARRR Funnel vs North Star Metric: Full Funnel vs Single Focus
Compare the pirate metrics funnel with the North Star approach. Map your entire user journey or rally around one metric.
Quick Verdict
AARRR maps all five funnel stages so you can find the biggest drop-off. North Star picks the one metric that matters most. Use AARRR for diagnosis, then the North Star to focus execution.
Use AARRR when you need to diagnose where users are falling out of your funnel — the stage with the biggest drop-off is usually the highest-leverage investment.
Use the North Star Finder when you need to align your entire organization around a single metric that drives both user value and business growth.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | 🏴☠️AARRR Funnel Calculator | ⭐North Star Metric Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Strategy | Strategy |
| Complexity | Standard | Quick |
| Best For | IC PM, Senior PM, Head of Product, VP Product | Senior PM, Head of Product, VP Product, CPO |
| Use Cases | Plan Strategy, Track Metrics | Plan Strategy, Track Metrics |
| What You Enter | User counts at each funnel stage: acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, referral | 5 multiple-choice questions about your product and business model |
| What You Get | Stage-by-stage conversion rates, drop-off analysis, benchmark comparisons | Top metric recommendation with examples, runner-up, supporting input metrics |
| Leadership Use Case | Identify the highest-leverage stage in your user funnel to focus team efforts. | Align your entire organization around a single metric that drives growth. |
Comparison
AARRR Funnel Calculator
StandardNorth Star Metric Finder
QuickDetailed Breakdown
AARRR Funnel Calculator
StandardThe AARRR (Pirate Metrics) framework maps your full user journey across Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, and Referral. This calculator helps you measure conversion rates at each stage and identify the biggest drop-off points. Product leaders use funnel analysis to focus team efforts on the stage with the highest leverage — fixing activation is often 10x more impactful than adding new acquisition channels.
IC PM, Senior PM, Head of Product, VP Product
Identify the highest-leverage stage in your user funnel to focus team efforts.
North Star Metric Finder
QuickEvery product team needs a single North Star Metric that captures the core value delivered to customers. This quiz analyzes your product type, revenue model, company stage, value driver, and usage frequency to recommend the best North Star from a database of proven metrics with example companies. Product leaders use this to align their entire organization around one metric that drives both customer value and business growth.
Senior PM, Head of Product, VP Product, CPO
Align your entire organization around a single metric that drives growth.
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