Best In-App Engagement Tools for Retention 2026
In-app engagement tools help users discover features, complete onboarding, and adopt your product more deeply. Better adoption means better retention - users who use more features are less likely to churn.
How In-App Engagement Drives Retention
The link between feature adoption and retention is well-documented. Users who discover and use your product's sticky features retain at significantly higher rates than those who don't. In-app engagement tools help bridge this gap by guiding users to value.
These tools work differently than email - they reach users while they're actively using your product, at the moment when guidance is most relevant. A tooltip explaining a feature when a user hovers over it is more effective than an email about that feature sent hours later.
The best in-app engagement tools combine product analytics with targeted guidance. They identify which users need help, what features would benefit them, and deliver the right guidance at the right moment.
Pendo combines product analytics with in-app engagement, letting you see what users do and then guide them toward better outcomes. The platform identifies adoption gaps and provides tools to address them without code changes.
In-app Guides walk users through features and workflows. Tooltips and badges highlight underused functionality. Resource Center provides self-service help within your app. Feedback collection captures user sentiment at key moments.
Product analytics show feature adoption trends, user paths, and engagement patterns. The combination of seeing behavior and being able to intervene makes Pendo effective for improving retention through better product experience.
Best for: Product teams that want to improve retention by increasing feature adoption, with budget for enterprise tooling and need for sophisticated targeting.
Appcues specializes in creating in-app experiences without engineering resources. The no-code builder lets product and growth teams create product tours, tooltips, and modals that guide users to activation.
Flows guide users through multi-step onboarding. Checklists show progress toward activation milestones. Banners and hotspots highlight features. NPS surveys capture feedback at key moments.
Segmentation supports targeting based on user properties and behavior. A/B testing optimizes experiences. The platform focuses on the early user journey where onboarding quality most impacts retention.
Best for: SaaS companies focused on improving activation and time-to-value through better onboarding, without enterprise budget requirements.
Userpilot extends beyond onboarding to drive adoption throughout the customer lifecycle. The platform helps users discover and adopt features at every stage, not just when they first sign up.
Growth Experiments test different in-app experiences. Feature tagging tracks adoption without code. Resource Center provides contextual help. Product analytics show engagement trends.
The combination of seeing adoption patterns and intervening with targeted experiences makes Userpilot effective for ongoing retention, not just initial activation.
Best for: Product teams that want to improve retention through ongoing feature adoption, with analytics and in-app engagement in one platform.
Intercom includes Product Tours as part of its broader customer messaging platform. If you're already using Intercom for support and marketing, adding in-app guidance keeps everything in one system.
Product Tours guide users through features and workflows. The Messenger provides contextual help and support. Series (automated workflows) combine in-app messages with email based on user behavior.
The in-app engagement features aren't as deep as dedicated tools like Pendo or Appcues, but the unified platform is valuable when you want all customer touchpoints in one place.
Best for: Teams already using Intercom who want to add in-app engagement without additional tools.
Chameleon offers product tours and in-app experiences with particularly sophisticated targeting capabilities. Deep integrations with product analytics and data tools enable highly personalized guidance.
Tours, tooltips, and launchers guide users through your product. Microsurveys collect feedback. The targeting engine uses data from Segment, Amplitude, and other sources to show the right experience to the right users.
Best for: Teams with strong data infrastructure who want highly personalized in-app experiences based on rich user data.
WalkMe is an enterprise digital adoption platform used for both customer-facing products and internal software. The platform provides comprehensive guidance capabilities for complex applications.
Walk-Thrus guide users through complex workflows. SmartTips provide contextual help. ShoutOuts grab attention for important announcements. Analytics track adoption and identify friction points.
Best for: Enterprise companies with complex products and budget for comprehensive digital adoption solutions.
In-App Engagement Best Practices
Guide to Value, Not Just Features
Don't just show users where buttons are - help them accomplish their goals. Connect feature guidance to the outcomes users care about.
Target Based on Behavior
Users who haven't used Feature X should see different guidance than power users. Segment your in-app experiences based on what users have (and haven't) done.
Don't Overwhelm
Too many tours, tooltips, and modals create friction. Be selective about when to interrupt users. Prioritize guidance that has the biggest impact on retention.
Measure Impact
Track whether in-app guidance actually improves adoption and retention. A/B test experiences. Remove or improve guidance that doesn't deliver results.
Combine with Email
In-app engagement reaches active users. Email reaches inactive users. The best retention strategies use both - in-app guidance for users who show up, email to bring back users who don't.
Reach users who aren't logging in with retention emails.
See Email Retention Tools