The difference you're seeing is explained by what each view actually displays.
Metric view shows the overall weighted average across all cohorts for Week 1 retention. It averages the Week 1 retention rate across all completed cohort buckets, weighted by cohort size. [Metric view FAQ]
Retention Curve view shows the Average row at the bottom of the heatmap table, which is also a weighted average — but it only includes completed buckets (those without an asterisk *). Incomplete buckets, where the time window hasn't fully elapsed yet, are excluded from this calculation. [Average row calculation]
The discrepancy likely comes from one or more of these factors:
- 1.
Incomplete buckets: The Retention Curve excludes still-in-progress cohort buckets from its average, while the Metric view may handle these differently. [Retention curve basics]
- 2.
Cohortize option: The Metric view has an advanced Cohortize option. When disabled (default), it shows the overall value for the retention trend. When enabled, it shows the weighted average bucket — which would align more closely with the Retention Curve view. [Metric view FAQ]
To reconcile the two, try enabling the Cohortize option under the Advanced menu in the Metric view. This should bring it closer to what you see in the Retention Curve's average row.
