Key takeaways
- NPS asks how likely people are to recommend you, from 0 to 10. It measures loyalty to your whole product.
- CSAT asks how happy people were with one thing, often on a 1 to 5 scale. It measures a single moment.
- NPS is the percent of promoters (9 or 10) minus the percent of detractors (0 to 6). It runs from −100 to +100.
- CSAT is usually the percent of people who chose 4 or 5 out of 5.
- Use NPS every few months for the big picture. Use CSAT right after a key moment, like a support chat. Always ask "why?" as well.
Two short surveys come up again and again: NPS and CSAT. Both give you a single number. Both are easy to send. But they answer different questions, and mixing them up leads to bad calls.
Here's what each one measures, how to work it out, and when to use which.
What is NPS (Net Promoter Score)?
NPS measures how loyal people are to your product as a whole. It asks one question:
How likely are you to recommend [product] to a friend or colleague?
People answer on a scale from 0 to 10. Then you sort them into three groups:
| Score | Group | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 9 or 10 | Promoters | Big fans who are likely to tell others |
| 7 or 8 | Passives | Happy enough, but not keen |
| 0 to 6 | Detractors | Unhappy, and may warn others off |
NPS was created by Fred Reichheld at Bain & Company. He introduced it in a 2003 Harvard Business Review article. Since then it has become one of the best-known customer surveys.
How do you calculate NPS?
Take the percent of promoters and subtract the percent of detractors. Passives count toward the total, but they don't add or subtract.
NPS = % promoters − % detractors
Here's a made-up example. You get 100 replies: 50 promoters, 30 passives and 20 detractors. That's 50% promoters and 20% detractors. Your NPS is 50 − 20 = 30.
Note that NPS is written as a plain number, not a percent. It can range from −100 (everyone is a detractor) to +100 (everyone is a promoter). Our free NPS calculator does the math for you.
What is CSAT (customer satisfaction score)?
CSAT measures how happy someone was with one specific thing. That could be a support chat, a new feature, or the sign-up flow. A typical question is:
How satisfied were you with [the thing]?
People usually answer on a 1 to 5 scale, from "very unsatisfied" to "very satisfied." Some teams use emoji faces or a thumbs up and down instead.
How do you calculate CSAT?
The most common way is to count the people who chose 4 or 5, and divide by everyone who answered.
CSAT = replies of 4 or 5 ÷ all replies × 100
Here's a made-up example. You get 80 replies after support chats, and 60 people chose 4 or 5. Your CSAT is 60 ÷ 80 × 100 = 75%.
Some teams report the average score instead, like "4.2 out of 5." Either is fine. Just pick one way and stick with it, so you can compare over time.
What's the difference between NPS and CSAT?
NPS measures loyalty to your whole product. CSAT measures how one moment went. That one difference shapes everything else.
| Compare | NPS | CSAT |
|---|---|---|
| Question | How likely are you to recommend us? | How satisfied were you with this? |
| Scale | 0 to 10 | Usually 1 to 5 |
| Measures | Loyalty to the whole product | One moment or feature |
| Best time to ask | Every few months | Right after the moment |
| Good for | Tracking the big picture | Fixing a specific step |
| Weak spot | Hard to know what drove the score | Misses the big picture |
When should you use NPS, and when CSAT?
Use NPS when you want to know if people love the product overall. Use CSAT when you want to know if one step works.
Use NPS to:
- Track loyalty every quarter or so.
- Compare groups, like new users and long-time users.
- Find fans who might share or review your app.
Use CSAT to:
- Check support quality after each chat or email.
- Test onboarding, a new feature, or a checkout flow.
- Spot a broken step fast.
If you're a small team, start with CSAT on support. It's simple, and the feedback is direct. Add NPS once you have enough users to see a trend.
What about CES (Customer Effort Score)?
CES is a third survey worth knowing. It asks how easy it was to get something done, such as "How easy was it to solve your problem today?" People answer on a scale from very hard to very easy.
CES is useful for support and for tasks like setup or cancelling. If a task feels hard, people may give up on it, or on you. See customer effort score for more.
How do you get answers you can act on?
A score on its own tells you little. Always add one open question after it:
What's the main reason for your score?
This is where the real value is. Read the answers, tag them by theme, and count them. You'll find the few things that create fans and the few that create detractors. Our guide on how to analyze customer feedback shows how.
A few more tips:
- Keep it short. One rating question and one open question.
- Ask at the right time. CSAT right after the moment. NPS when people have used the product for a while.
- Watch your sample size. With 15 replies, one person can swing the score a lot.
- Follow up. Reply to detractors and ask what would fix it. Thank promoters, and ask if they'd share a review.
- Don't game it. Never ask people for a high score. It ruins the data.
What is a good NPS or CSAT score?
A good score is one that's better than your last one. Above zero in NPS means more promoters than detractors. For CSAT, a higher percent is better.
Be careful with benchmarks from other companies. Scores vary a lot by industry, by price, and by how and when the survey was sent. Your own trend over time is the most honest guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can NPS be negative?
Yes. If you have more detractors (0 to 6) than promoters (9 or 10), your NPS is below zero. The lowest it can go is −100.
Is a score of 7 or 8 good in NPS?
People who give a 7 or 8 are called passives. They aren't counted in the score at all. They're mostly happy, but not keen enough to recommend you.
Should I use NPS and CSAT together?
Yes. They answer different questions, so they work well together. Use NPS now and then for overall loyalty, and CSAT after key moments like support chats or onboarding.
How often should I send an NPS survey?
Every few months is a sensible rhythm. Asking too often wears people out, and fewer will reply. Don't ask the same person more than you need to.
What is a good NPS score?
Above zero means you have more promoters than detractors. Beyond that, compare with your own past scores. Benchmarks from other companies vary a lot by industry and by how the survey was run.
Terms in this guide
Written by the Synthiya team. Last updated . See something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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