MolocoThe Singular 2026 ROI Index showcases Moloco as a top partner outside walled gardens
Summary
The 2026 Singular ROI Index is out, and Moloco is honored to appear on 29 leaderboards, placing fifth overall for leaderboard appearances. As Susan Kuo (COO & Co-founder) stated, Moloco's year-over-year consistency demonstrates profitable growth beyond walled gardens. The index is based on trillions of impressions, billions of clicks, and billions of installs, ensuring that each platform earned its place.
Moloco appears on every global leaderboard and all four regional leaderboards (APAC, EMEA, North America, South America), showcasing global performance across verticals and operating systems. Additionally, Singular introduced new multi-touch attribution (MTA) leaderboards, and Moloco features in both: Assist Power (measuring platform presence in conversion paths without last-touch credit) and MTA Uplift (measuring increased contribution under MTA). This indicates Moloco drives value earlier in the customer journey.
For advertisers already running major channels like Google and Meta, Moloco offers a path to profitable growth through the independent app ecosystem, helping them expand beyond traditional platforms.
Analyst Note
What's notable here is Moloco's dominance across both last-touch and multi-touch attribution (MTA) leaderboards. The inclusion of dedicated MTA metrics like Assist Power and MTA Uplift signals a structural shift in how ROI is measured post-SKAdNetwork and privacy mandates. For UA teams, this underscores the inadequacy of last-touch attribution in a world where user journeys are fragmented.
Moloco's strong showing on Assist Power specifically implies it generates value earlier in the funnel, a distinction that often goes unrecognized in siloed attribution models. The competitive angle is clear: Moloco is positioning itself as a viable alternative to walled gardens by proving it can drive incremental lift beyond what Google or Meta capture. For monetization strategists, this suggests that demand-side platforms (DSPs) focusing on open-exchange inventory can now credibly claim a role in the upper funnel.
Meanwhile, ad ops professionals should note that Singular's index is based on trillions of impressions, so these leaderboards carry statistical weight. The practical impact: teams should re-evaluate their attribution frameworks to account for assist credits, as ignoring multi-touch contributions risks underallocating budget to channels that fuel initial discovery. The timing aligns with a broader industry pivot toward incremental measurement, making this report a benchmark for cross-channel efficiency.
You Might Also Like
AppsFlyerMarketing attribution: what it is and how to measure it
Marketing attribution is critical for connecting spend to revenue, but platform self-reporting and last-click bias distort budget decisions. Single-touch models (first/last-click) are simple but miss the full journey; multi-touch models (position-based, data-driven) are more accurate but require robust data. Mobile attribution is particularly challenging due to ATT, SKAdNetwork, and cross-platform gaps, necessitating a mobile measurement partner (MMP) for independent, deduplicated measurement. Clean attribution data is essential for AI-driven optimization—bad signals lead to bad decisions. Starting with position-based attribution and incrementality testing provides a practical foundation.
AppsFlyerCross-platform measurement: the complete guide for 2026
Cross-platform measurement resolves the common problem of fragmented, device-level reporting that inflates ROAS and misallocates budgets. By unifying customer identity across web, mobile, CTV, and other surfaces, marketers gain a single view of LTV and attribution. AppsFlyer provides this via CUID stitching and Product Line grouping, enabling real-time, deduplicated insights without manual BI work. Key benefits include accurate cross-platform ROAS, elimination of duplicate attribution, and reliable data for AI-driven optimization.
AdjustFIFA World Cup 2026 mobile app trends for marketers | Adjust
Analysis of 2022 World Cup mobile data reveals that the tournament's largest engagement window occurs early, with sports entertainment installs spiking 189% and sports news 204% on November 22. Engagement revolves around national team matches, with significant spikes from non-participating markets like China (+1,294% sports entertainment installs). For 2026, brands must adapt in real-time to shifting attention across matches and regions. Adjust's AI-powered attribution and analytics provide the visibility needed to capitalize on these global events.
AppsFlyerThe Signal Economy Goes Live: Takeaways from MAU Vegas 2026
At MAU 2026, the industry agreed that attention, not production, is the bottleneck. Cross-platform web-to-app attribution is now achievable with AppsFlyer's mobile-grade measurement extending to web, giving ad ops a unified view. AI is in production, with Square's team shipping six live workflows. Web-to-app is the most efficient top-of-funnel for app businesses, and retention overtakes acquisition. Ad ops must prioritize clean signal layers and incrementality testing over single-metric attribution.
MolocoIs your channel mix resilient in an AI-disrupted world?
AI is reshaping consumer behavior, with 80% of Google searches ending without a click and half of consumers using AI for product research. This disrupts traditional channels like search (CPC up 10-25%) and affiliate marketing (revenues down 7%). Meanwhile, mobile apps and CTV offer stable, high-engagement alternatives. Advertisers should diversify away from disrupted channels, targeting the independent app ecosystem where Day 30 ROAS can be 116% higher. Key metrics: organic direct traffic share (target >51%) and disrupted channel spend share (target <34%).
AppsFlyer6 reasons why mobile apps set the gold standard for omni-channel measurement
Mobile app measurement has solved the single-channel problems that plague other digital channels—independent attribution (neutral third-party verification), privacy regulation (survived iOS 14.5 with new methods), signal governance (provenance, chain of custody), fraud detection (15% fraudulent installs, 275% fake installs in some channels), and cross-platform fragmentation. These capabilities, built under duress, now form the foundation for omnichannel measurement. Ad ops must apply mobile-grade rigor per channel first, then connect via CUID, unified attribution logic, and real-time data governance to build a trusted cross-platform framework.
AppsFlyerCustomer Lifetime Value (LTV): What It Is and How to Measure It
Customer lifetime value (LTV) is a critical long-term metric for app success, but most marketers measure it per-device, understating true value by 2-5x. Cross-platform LTV stitches together web, app, CTV, and more, attributing all revenue back to the original acquisition campaign. Key drivers include retention (5% increase boosts profits up to 95%), purchase frequency, average order value, and acquisition quality. To improve LTV, focus on retention, cross-platform adoption, and optimizing acquisition by predicted LTV rather than CPI.
SensorTowerState of Short Drama Apps 2026
Short drama apps are reshaping mobile entertainment, surpassing 850M downloads in Q1 2026 (up 140% YoY) with IAP revenue reaching $750M. Growth is concentrated in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India, where these apps outpace traditional OTT in user acquisition. Engagement is surging: daily time spent grew 85% to 25 minutes globally, nearing OTT levels in Southeast Asia. For ad ops, the shift toward ad monetization in addition to IAP opens new inventory opportunities. Key players like FreeReels, NetShort, and Melolo are scaling via localized content and paid acquisition, creating competitive ad markets.
More from Moloco
How sports apps are preparing for the next wave of fan engagement
Sports publishers face unique monetization challenges due to event-driven traffic spikes. AI-native SDKs like Moloco opt...
Is your channel mix resilient in an AI-disrupted world?
AI is reshaping consumer behavior, with 80% of Google searches ending without a click and half of consumers using AI for...
Gaming Solved App Monetization From Day One. Why Is the Rest of the App Economy Still Playing Catch-Up?
Gaming publishers treat monetization as infrastructure, using hybrid models with ads and in-app purchases to drive reven...
Costco Chooses Moloco to Power AI-Driven Retail Media
Costco partners with Moloco Commerce Media to power onsite ads on Costco.com, aiming to replicate in-warehouse discovery...
The Race for the Interface: Why Customer Relationships Are Your Best Defense Against AI Disruption
AI-driven disruption is reshaping consumer journeys, with 67% of marketing leaders expecting high impact. Brands risk lo...
Super Bowl LX: Why Sportsbook Advertisers Should Bet on January
The Super Bowl drives huge deposit volume but is only average in cost efficiency due to competition. January NFL and col...