Subscription app metrics that actually matter

MRR: the heartbeat

Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) is the monthly value of all active subscriptions. A yearly plan counts as its price divided by twelve. MRR smooths out the lumps of yearly renewals and shows whether the business is really growing.

Watch the parts of MRR, not just the total: new MRR from new subscribers, expansion from upgrades, and lost MRR from cancellations and downgrades.

Trials and trial conversion

For most subscription apps, trials are the top of the money funnel. Two numbers matter: how many trials start, and what share of them become paying subscribers. A drop in trial starts usually points to traffic or paywall changes; a drop in conversion usually points to the product experience during the trial.

• Trial starts per day or week
• Trial-to-paid conversion rate
• Time from install to trial start

Churn and retention

Churn is the share of subscribers who cancel or don't renew in a period. Retention is the other side: the share who stay. Small differences compound: over a year, a few points of monthly churn decide whether you're growing or refilling a leaking bucket.

Look at churn by plan. Weekly plans churn faster than yearly ones by nature, so a change in your plan mix can move overall churn without anything else changing.

Revenue versus proceeds

Revenue is what customers paid. Proceeds are what you receive after the store's commission and taxes. Use revenue to understand demand and proceeds to plan your budget, and always check which one a dashboard is showing.

A simple weekly routine

You don't need to stare at numbers every day. Once a week, compare each metric with the previous period and ask what changed.

• Did trial starts move? Check traffic sources, rankings and recent posts.
• Did conversion move? Check the paywall, onboarding and recent releases.
• Did churn move? Check plan mix, prices and new reviews.
• Write down one change to try next week, and check it the week after.