Ehsan Jahandarpour
Net Promoter Score (NPS)DevToolsGrowth

Net Promoter Score (NPS) for DevTools at Growth

2026 data · Sample size: 141 · Source: First Round State of Startups 2025

25th %ile
28.2
Median
45
75th %ile
61
90th %ile
86.1
▬Trending stable year-over-year

About This Metric

Customer loyalty metric measuring willingness to recommend your product on a -100 to +100 scale.

% Promoters (9-10) - % Detractors (0-6)

Higher is better · Unit: score

How to Improve

Reduce time to value so new customers experience "aha moments" faster. Fix reliability issues and improve uptime to reduce frustration. Build a responsive support organization that resolves issues quickly and empathetically. Create a customer community for peer support and knowledge sharing. Act on NPS feedback by closing the loop with detractors and implementing their suggestions.

Ehsan's Analysis

DevTools NPS is the most polarized of any category. Developers either love a tool (NPS 70+) or loathe it (NPS -30). There is no middle ground because developers have strong opinions and low switching costs. This polarization makes aggregate NPS misleading — a DevTool with NPS 40 might have 55% promoters and 15% detractors (passionate community with vocal haters) or 50% passives and 10% promoters (nobody cares strongly). The promoter percentage alone is a better predictor. GitHub has ~60% promoters. Jira has ~15% promoters and ~35% detractors (NPS: -20). Both are market leaders — proof that NPS does not predict market position in DevTools because switching costs (repositories, workflows, integrations) override satisfaction. The actionable DevTools NPS metric: measure NPS at the individual developer level and track whether promoters are successfully convincing teammates to adopt. This "promoter conversion rate" predicts organic growth better than NPS itself.

EJ

Ehsan Jahandarpour

AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO

Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good Net Promoter Score (NPS) for DevTools companies at Growth stage?
The median Net Promoter Score (NPS) for DevTools companies at the Growth stage is 45 points. Top‑quartile companies (75th percentile) significantly outperform this baseline. The most important factor is consistent improvement over time rather than hitting any single target number.
How does Net Promoter Score (NPS) differ by company stage in DevTools?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) typically improves as DevTools companies mature from seed through growth stage. Earlier‑stage companies should benchmark against stage‑appropriate peers rather than comparing themselves to mature companies.
How often should DevTools companies measure Net Promoter Score (NPS)?
DevTools companies at the Growth stage should track Net Promoter Score (NPS) quarterly through systematic surveys and continuous monitoring. Set up automated dashboards and alerts for significant deviations from your baseline.
What factors most impact Net Promoter Score (NPS) in the DevTools sector?
In DevTools, the primary factors impacting Net Promoter Score (NPS) include product‑market fit maturity, competitive landscape intensity, customer segmentation strategy, pricing optimization, and operational efficiency. Growth‑stage companies should focus on the one or two highest‑leverage factors rather than trying to optimize everything simultaneously.
How does Net Promoter Score (NPS) for DevTools compare to cross‑industry benchmarks?
DevTools Net Promoter Score (NPS) benchmarks can differ significantly from cross‑industry averages due to factors specific to the DevTools vertical including customer acquisition dynamics, competitive intensity, and typical deal sizes. Always compare against industry‑specific benchmarks rather than broad averages for meaningful insights.