Net Promoter Score and Customer Satisfaction Score compared side by side. Understand when each metric applies and how to use both effectively.
NPS measures overall loyalty and the likelihood of customers recommending your product. It asks a single question on a 0-10 scale and segments respondents into Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6).
A long-term, relationship-level metric. Best used quarterly or semi-annually.
CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction— a support ticket, a product feature, or an onboarding session. It uses a 1-5 scale and asks "How satisfied were you with [this experience]?"
A short-term, touchpoint-level metric. Best used immediately after specific interactions.
NPS = % Promoters (9-10) - % Detractors (0-6)Example: 60% Promoters, 10% Passives, 30% Detractors. NPS = 60 - 30 = 30. Range is -100 to +100. Passives are excluded from the calculation.
CSAT % = (Satisfied Responses / Total Responses) x 100Example: 80 customers rated 4 or 5 out of 5, 100 total responses. CSAT = (80 / 100) x 100 = 80%. Only top-box scores (4 and 5) count as "satisfied."
| Criteria | NPS | CSAT |
|---|---|---|
| What It Measures | Overall brand loyalty and advocacy | Satisfaction with a specific interaction |
| Question Asked | "How likely are you to recommend us?" | "How satisfied were you with this experience?" |
| Scale | 0-10 (single question) | 1-5 (or 1-10, varies by implementation) |
| Score Range | -100 to +100 | 0% to 100% |
| Metric Type | Relational (long-term relationship) | Transactional (specific touchpoint) |
| Survey Frequency | Quarterly or semi-annually | After each relevant interaction |
| Good Score | 30+ is good, 50+ is excellent, 70+ is world-class | 75%+ is good, 85%+ is excellent |
| Predicts | Customer growth, referrals, long-term retention | Short-term churn risk, process quality |
| Actionability | Lower (broad signal, harder to act on specifically) | Higher (tied to specific process or feature) |
| Industry Benchmark Source | Satmetrix NPS benchmarks by industry | Zendesk, Salesforce CX benchmarks |
Promoters (9-10)
Enthusiastic loyalists who will recommend your product and drive organic growth through word of mouth and referrals.
Passives (7-8)
Satisfied but not enthusiastic. Vulnerable to competitive offers. Excluded from the NPS calculation but worth tracking separately.
Detractors (0-6)
Unhappy customers who may actively damage your brand through negative reviews and word of mouth. Require immediate attention.
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Use our free NPS calculator to compute your Net Promoter Score, understand the revenue impact of your promoters and detractors, and benchmark against industry standards.
NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures customer loyalty and the likelihood of a customer recommending your product to others. It uses a 0-10 scale and asks "How likely are you to recommend us?" CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) measures satisfaction with a specific interaction or experience, typically using a 1-5 scale and asking "How satisfied were you with this experience?" NPS is a relational metric reflecting overall sentiment toward your brand. CSAT is transactional and tied to a particular touchpoint like a support ticket, onboarding session, or product feature.
Neither is universally better. They answer different questions. NPS tells you whether customers love your product enough to recommend it, which correlates with long-term growth and retention. CSAT tells you whether a specific interaction met customer expectations, which helps you improve specific processes. Best practice is to use both: run NPS surveys quarterly or semi-annually to track overall brand loyalty, and deploy CSAT surveys after specific touchpoints like support resolutions, onboarding, or feature releases.
NPS ranges from -100 to +100. Any score above 0 means more promoters than detractors, which is a baseline positive signal. A score of 30+ is generally considered good. A score of 50+ is excellent. A score of 70+ is world-class (Apple and Netflix historically score in this range). However, NPS benchmarks vary significantly by industry: B2B SaaS typically sees scores between 30-50, while consumer tech can exceed 60. Always benchmark against your own industry rather than cross-industry averages.
CSAT is typically expressed as a percentage of respondents who selected the top 1-2 satisfaction options (e.g., "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" on a 5-point scale). A CSAT score of 75% or higher is generally considered good across most industries. 85%+ is excellent. For customer support specifically, top-performing teams achieve 90%+ CSAT. Like NPS, you should track CSAT trends over time and benchmark within your industry rather than using a single universal threshold.