Net Promoter Score measures how likely customers are to recommend you, from a 0 to 10 question, while the average star rating summarises public reviews of a specific purchase or service. Neither is strictly better. Use NPS to track relationship loyalty over time and star ratings to judge satisfaction and public reputation, and compare both with churn, repeat purchase and revenue data.
- NPS and average rating answer different questions, so they are most useful when read together.
- NPS asks one recommendation question on a 0 to 10 scale and subtracts the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.
- Star ratings are usually public, tied to a specific transaction and visible to future buyers and AI search engines.
- NPS is typically collected through your own surveys, so you control timing and can follow up with the customer.
- Claims that NPS predicts churn better than ratings are not universally supported, and results vary by industry and context.
- Both metrics can be biased by who responds, when you ask and how the question is worded.
- Pair each metric with behavioural data such as repeat purchases, renewals and referrals to understand its real value.
- Choose one primary metric per goal and avoid reporting averages without sample sizes.
What is the difference between NPS and star ratings?
- NPS asks how likely a customer is to recommend you to a friend or colleague on a scale from 0 to 10, according to Bain and Company, who developed the method.
- Responses of 9 and 10 are promoters, 7 and 8 are passives, and 0 to 6 are detractors, and the score is promoters minus detractors as a percentage.
- A star rating is typically one to five stars given after a purchase or experience, often with a written comment.
- NPS measures overall loyalty and willingness to advocate, while star ratings capture satisfaction with a specific item or service.
- The two metrics use different scales, different sampling and different audiences, so numbers are not directly comparable.
When is NPS the better choice?
- Use NPS to track the health of the overall customer relationship over time, especially in subscription or B2B contexts.
- It works well for periodic surveys, such as quarterly relationship surveys or after onboarding.
- It is useful for segmenting customers into promoters and detractors and planning different follow-up actions for each group.
- Because you run the survey yourself, you can ask a follow-up question about the reason for the score.
- NPS is less useful as a public trust signal, since prospects rarely see it unless you publish it.
When are star ratings the better choice?
- Use star ratings when you want a public signal that helps future customers decide, such as on Google, marketplaces or product pages.
- They are ideal for measuring satisfaction with a particular transaction, product or service visit.
- Star ratings feed rich results, local pack rankings and AI answers when platforms and search engines surface them.
- They provide written reviews that contain language and details that AI assistants may quote.
- They are less suitable for tracking changes in loyalty among existing customers, since reviewers may be self-selected.
What are the limits and biases of each metric?
- Both metrics suffer from response bias, because people with strong feelings are more likely to respond.
- NPS can be affected by survey timing, channel, translation and cultural differences in how people use a 0 to 10 scale.
- Star ratings can be skewed by review gating, incentives or spam, which is why platforms and the FTC restrict these practices.
- Averages can hide a split between very happy and very unhappy customers, so show the distribution as well.
- Small samples create unstable numbers, so report how many responses sit behind each figure.
How can you use both together?
- Collect NPS from existing customers regularly and invite promoters to share a public review, without conditioning anything on a positive score.
- Follow up with detractors privately to fix problems, and never filter who may leave a public review.
- Compare themes in NPS comments with themes in public reviews to see whether your internal and external views agree.
- Plot both metrics against retention, repeat purchase and support ticket volume to see which relates more closely to your results.
- Report both numbers with sample size and time period in a single dashboard.
What about claims that one metric predicts growth?
- Some studies and vendors report links between NPS and growth, but the strength varies by industry, and critics argue it is not always the best single predictor.
- Bain and Company, the originator of NPS, publishes guidance on how it is calculated and used, and you should read the original material.
- Benchmarks from survey vendors differ in method, so use them cautiously and verify the source.
- Your own data on retention, renewals and referrals is a better test of which metric matters for your business.
- Avoid saying that one metric always beats the other, and describe what each can and cannot show.
Step-by-step: how to do this with ProofBeer
Define the decision each metric will inform, such as loyalty tracking or public reputation.
Set up a consistent NPS survey with the standard question and an open follow-up question.
Collect public star ratings on the platforms where your customers actually look.
Record sample size, response rate, date range and segment for every number you report.
Follow up with detractors privately and invite satisfied customers to leave public reviews without conditions.
Tag comments from both sources by theme and compare them monthly.
Compare each metric with retention, repeat purchase and revenue by segment.
Review the setup each quarter and drop any metric that is not driving decisions.
Common mistakes to avoid
Metrics to track
NPS by segment and quarter with response rate.
Average star rating with number of reviews and distribution.
Share of detractors contacted within two working days.
Retention or repeat purchase rate by promoter, passive and detractor group.
Number of review themes that match NPS comment themes.
Quick checklist
Examples and templates
'How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague, from 0 to 10? What is the main reason for your score?'
'Average rating 4.6 from 120 reviews, NPS from 80 responses, period Q3' (example format only)
'Thank you for your honest score. May we call you to understand what went wrong?'
- Show the distribution as well as the average
- Never invite only promoters to review publicly
- Revisit the metrics every quarter
How ProofBeer Helps You Grow
Collect testimonials and reviews through your own ProofBeer forms so you can see ratings and comments side by side.
Invite all customers to share feedback with the same link, so public proof is not filtered by sentiment.
Use exports to compare review themes and scores with your NPS survey results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NPS better than the average star rating?
Neither is universally better. NPS suits tracking loyalty among existing customers, while star ratings suit public reputation and decisions by new buyers. Use both and compare them with retention and revenue to decide what matters most for you.
How is NPS calculated?
Customers answer a 0 to 10 recommendation question. Scores of 9 and 10 are promoters and 0 to 6 are detractors. Subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters to get a score between minus 100 and plus 100.
Can I publish my NPS publicly?
You can, but explain how it was measured, the sample size and the period. Public NPS is less common than public star ratings and may draw questions, so be ready to share the method and a representative set of comments.
Does a high NPS mean high star ratings?
Not necessarily. They measure different things from different groups, so a strong NPS can coexist with average public ratings if unhappy customers post more often. Compare both over time to see how they relate.
How many responses do I need for a reliable NPS?
There is no single threshold, but small samples cause large swings. Track response rate and sample size, avoid reading too much into changes with few responses, and look at trends over several periods.
Which metric should a small business start with?
Start with star ratings on the platforms where customers look, since they are public and easy to act on. Add a simple NPS survey for existing customers once you have enough volume to analyse and a process to follow up.
Conclusion
NPS and star ratings are complementary, not rival, metrics. Use NPS for loyalty and private follow-up, use star ratings for public reputation, report sample sizes, and test both against your
own retention and revenue data.
- Bain & Company NPS
- Qualtrics or Medallia benchmarks
