Sign Up vs Sign In: How Many Steps Does Each Flow Take?
Across 267 auth flows tracked by Lazyweb Research (149 signup, 118 signin), signup averages 6.2 steps versus 4.7 for signin — signup is about 1.5 steps, or 32%, longer[1]. Median signup is 5 steps (range 2-16) and median signin is 4 steps (range 2-15). Budget for signup being the heavier flow when you design onboarding, and keep return-login as short as possible.
Signup flows average 6.2 steps vs 4.7 for signin — 32% longer — across 267 auth flows tracked by Lazyweb Research, July 2026.
The finding
Of 267 name-merged auth flows, the 149 signup flows average 6.2 steps (median 5) while the 118 signin flows average 4.7 steps (median 4)[1]. That gap of roughly 1.5 steps (32%) is the extra cost of account creation over returning-user login. Signup flows span a wider range too (2-16 steps vs 2-15), because they carry profile setup, verification, and consent steps that a returning user skips.
Breakdown
| Flow | Flows (n) | Avg steps | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signup | 149 | 6.2 | 5 | 2-16 |
| Signin | 118 | 4.7 | 4 | 2-15 |
Step counts are positional (counted per flow via row-numbering of captured steps), so they reflect the screens a user actually moves through, not internal states[1].
How to apply it
Treat 5 steps as the typical signup middle and 4 for signin — if your signup is materially past 6-7 steps you are on the long tail. Because return login is the more frequent event for retained users, shave it toward the 4-step median first: pre-fill known identifiers, persist sessions, and avoid re-collecting profile data at login.
Caveats
Flows are merged by name regex across 146 signup companies and 112 signin companies[1]; a single company can contribute multiple flows. Step counts describe captured screens and may undercount instant/silent transitions. The family spec sketch cited 6.4 steps for signup; the final data pull gives 6.2, which is the figure used here.
The numbers
| Stat | Computed from |
|---|---|
| signup 6.2 avg / median 5 / range 2-16 (n=149 flows, 146 companies); signin 4.7 avg / median 4 / range 2-15 (n=118 flows, 112 companies); gap ~1.5 steps (32%); 267 total flows | signup_vs_signin_steps stat (row-numbered flow_steps per flow_canonical_id) |
Sources & citations
- [1] Lazyweb Research analysis of 267 auth flows (149 signup + 118 signin flows across ~258 companies), July 2026. Flow length computed from positional step counts per flow_canonical_id, name-regex merged into signup vs signin buckets. ↩
Source: Lazyweb Research — proprietary analysis of real, in-market app screens. Cite as Lazyweb Research, 2026-07-07.