A Deep Dive into In-App Subscription Metrics

In today's app-focused world, app developers and marketers are constantly seeking effective ways to monetize their products. One valuable revenue stream that has gained significant traction is in-app subscriptions.

However, just offering in-app subscriptions is not enough. It is essential to know how to measure their success and optimize them accordingly. To do so, app developers must track key metrics that can indicate the health of their in-app subscription model.

In this blog post, we will explore the essential in-app subscription metrics that every app developer needs to analyze in order to optimize their subscription growth. 

1. Active Trials

"Active Trials" refers to the number of users who are currently in the trial period of your app's subscription offering. It represents the portion of your user base that has chosen to explore the premium features and benefits of your app before making a purchasing decision.

Tracking the number of active trials is important because it provides insights into the effectiveness of your free trial strategy. 

A high number of active trials suggests that your app's value proposition and marketing efforts are successfully attracting users to try out the subscription service. On the other hand, a low number of active trials may indicate that users are not motivated or interested enough to engage with the trial.

2. Active Subscriptions

"Active Subscriptions" refers to the number of users who currently have an active subscription within your app during a specific time frame. It represents the count of paying subscribers who have not canceled or reached the end of their subscription period.

Tracking active subscriptions is crucial for understanding the health and growth of your subscriber base. This metric allows you to monitor the number of users who are actively using and benefiting from your app's premium features and content.

By analyzing changes in the number of active subscriptions over time, you can assess the effectiveness of your subscription acquisition and retention strategies. Seeing an increase in active subscriptions indicates successful user conversion and ongoing engagement, while a decrease may suggest challenges such as high churn rates or difficulties in attracting new subscribers.

3. Subscription Conversion Rate

The subscription conversion rate measures the percentage of users who convert from free to paid subscribers. It measures the effectiveness of your app's value proposition and marketing efforts in convincing users to upgrade to a paid subscription.

To calculate the subscription conversion rate, you would typically divide the number of users who upgrade to a paid subscription by the total number of users who had the opportunity to upgrade. This calculation is usually done over a specific time period or within a specific cohort.

A high subscription conversion rate indicates that your app is successful in communicating the value and benefits of the subscription offering to free users. It suggests that users perceive enough value to justify the cost and are willing to make the switch to a paid subscription.

Conversely, a low subscription conversion rate may indicate that users are not convinced of the value or benefits provided by the subscription offering. It could suggest the need to improve your app's messaging, trial experience, pricing, or value proposition to better attract and convert free users into paying subscribers.

4. Subscription Revenue

“Subscription Revenue” refers to the total amount of revenue generated from paid subscriptions within a specific time period. It represents the income derived from users who have subscribed to your app's premium features or content.

To calculate subscription revenue, you typically multiply the total number of active subscriptions by the price of the subscription plan. This calculation can be done on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, depending on your subscription billing cycle.

Subscription revenue is a critical metric for evaluating the financial performance of your app's subscription model. It provides insights into the revenue generated by your subscriber base and the overall monetization potential of your app.

Tracking subscription revenue allows you to assess the growth and profitability of your subscription business. By monitoring revenue trends over time, you can identify patterns, evaluate the impact of pricing changes or promotions, and make informed decisions regarding your subscription offerings.

5. Cancelled Subscriptions

Cancelled Subscriptions refers to the number of active subscriptions that have been terminated by users within a specific time period. It represents the count of users who have decided to end their subscription and no longer have access to your app's premium features or content.

Tracking canceled subscriptions is important for evaluating the health and growth of your subscriber base. A high cancellation rate indicates challenges in retaining subscribers and may suggest issues with your app's value proposition, content quality, or user experience.

Canceled subscriptions are typically categorized into two types: voluntary cancellations and involuntary cancellations. Voluntary cancellations occur when users actively choose to terminate their subscriptions, while involuntary cancellations occur when subscriptions are canceled due to failed payments, billing errors, or other technical issues.

Understanding the reasons behind cancellation can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement in your subscription offering. By collecting user feedback, conducting surveys, or analysing usage patterns, you can identify the factors that contribute to cancellations and take measures to address them.

6. Subscription Refunds

Subscription Refunds is the process of reimbursing subscribers for their paid subscription fees. It occurs when users request a refund for their subscription purchase due to dissatisfaction with the app or its content, technical issues, billing errors, or any other valid reason.

Handling subscription refunds is an important aspect of providing good customer service and maintaining user satisfaction. Refunds can help address user concerns and build trust with your subscriber base.

It's also essential to have clear refund policies in place to ensure transparency and provide guidelines for both users and app developers. These policies may include factors such as refund eligibility criteria, refund window duration, and any refund processing fees that may apply.

7. Subscription Renewal Revenue

Subscription Renewal Revenue, in terms of in-app subscriptions, refers to the revenue generated from the automatic renewal of subscription plans within a specific time period. It represents the income derived from subscribers who have chosen to continue their subscription beyond the initial subscription period.

When a user initially subscribes to an in-app subscription, they are typically enrolled in an auto-renewal plan. This means that their subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle, whether it's monthly, quarterly, or annually, unless they actively cancel or opt-out of the renewal.

Subscription renewal revenue is calculated by multiplying the number of subscribers whose subscriptions have renewed by the price of the subscription plan. This metric provides insights into the ongoing revenue generated from existing subscribers who continue to find value in your app and choose to renew their subscriptions.

Tracking subscription renewal revenue is crucial for evaluating the stability and growth of your subscriber base. A high renewal rate indicates satisfied users who perceive ongoing value in your app's premium features or content. It reflects the effectiveness of your app's subscription model and the ability to retain and monetize your user base over time.

8. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) refers to the predictable and recurring revenue generated by your subscription business from active subscribers on a monthly basis. It represents the total amount of revenue that you can expect to receive each month from your subscriber base.

This metric provides insights into the revenue stream generated by the recurring billing of subscription plans each month, which is a key indicator of the financial health and predictability of your in-app subscription business.

Tracking MRR is important for evaluating the growth and profitability of your subscription business over time. A consistent increase in MRR indicates a growing and stable subscriber base, while a decrease in MRR suggests a decline in subscribers or a reduction in pricing. By comparing MRR from different time periods, you can assess the effectiveness of your acquisition and retention strategies, optimize pricing models, and identify areas for improvement to increase revenue.

MRR is also an essential metric for forecasting future revenue and determining the lifetime value of your subscribers. By projecting MRR for upcoming periods, you can estimate future cash flows and make important decisions about investment and expansion.

9. Lifetime Value(LTV)

Lifetime Value (LTV) refers to the estimated total revenue that a customer generates for your business throughout their entire relationship with your app or service. It represents the monetary value attributed to each subscriber over their lifetime as a paying customer.

Calculating LTV involves analyzing various factors, such as the average revenue per user (ARPU), the average duration of a subscription, and the churn rate.

By understanding the LTV of your subscribers, you can assess the long-term profitability and sustainability of your subscription business. A high LTV indicates that customers generate significant revenue during their relationship with your app, making them valuable assets to your business.

It's important to note that LTV calculations are estimates and may vary based on individual customer behavior, market conditions, and other external factors. Regularly analyzing and updating LTV calculations can provide ongoing insights into the financial performance and potential of your subscription business.

10. Average Revenue Per User(ARPU)

Average Revenue Per User(ARPU) represents the average amount of revenue generated per user, including both paying and non-paying users. It is calculated by dividing the total revenue generated by your subscription business over a specific period by the total number of users during that same period.

ARPU helps assess the overall monetization efficiency of your app or service, taking into account both paying and non-paying users. It provides a broad view of revenue generation across your entire user base, regardless of their subscription status. 

ARPU can be useful for understanding the overall revenue potential of your user base and identifying opportunities for monetization or targeting specific user segments.

11. Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU)

Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) focuses specifically on revenue generated from paying users. It represents the average revenue generated per user who has made a purchase or subscribed to your app or service. It is calculated by dividing the total revenue generated by your subscription business over a specific period by the total number of paying users during that same period.

ARPPU provides insights into the spending behavior and value derived from your paying users. By excluding non-paying users, ARPPU allows you to understand the revenue contribution and purchasing power of your active subscribers. 

This metric is particularly valuable for evaluating the effectiveness of your subscription pricing, upselling strategies, and identifying opportunities to increase revenue from your existing customer base.

12. Subscription Churn

Subscription churn is a critical metric used to evaluate the stability and attrition rate of your in-app subscription business. It measures the percentage of subscribers who cancel or do not renew their subscription during a particular period, typically monthly or yearly.

Subscription churn can provide valuable insights into the performance and health of your in-app subscription business. A high subscription churn rate may suggest that you are struggling to retain subscribers, which can impact revenue and growth potential. Conversely, a low subscription churn rate implies a stable and growing subscriber base with a higher likelihood of increased revenue over time.

Subscription churn can be caused by various factors, including pricing, service quality, customer support, or competition. By analyzing the causes of churn, you can identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to minimize churn and increase subscriber retention.

13. Subscription Retention Rate 

Subscription retention rate is a critical metric used to evaluate the ability of your in-app subscription business to retain subscribers over time. It measures the percentage of subscribers who continue to pay for and maintain their subscription during a particular period, usually monthly or yearly.

High subscription retention rates imply that your subscribers are satisfied with your product or service and are willing to continue paying for it. High retention rates are essential for the long-term success of your in-app subscription business, as they can lead to increased revenue, customer lifetime value (LTV), and lower customer acquisition costs.

Low subscription retention rates, on the other hand, can indicate a problem with your product or service, pricing, or customer support. Analyzing the causes of low subscription retention rates can help identify areas for improvement and devise strategies to improve retention rates and increase subscriber loyalty.

14. Return on Ads Spend(ROAS)

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a metric used to evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns in generating revenue for your in-app subscription business. ROAS measures the amount of revenue generated per unit of advertising spend.

A high ROAS indicates that your advertising campaigns are generating significant revenue compared to the amount spent, while a low ROAS suggests that your advertising campaigns may need to be optimized or that the cost of acquiring new users exceeds the revenue generated.

ROAS can be used to assess the effectiveness of different advertising channels, such as social media ads or search engine ads, and to optimize advertising campaigns to maximize ROI. By tracking ROAS over time and comparing it with customer acquisition costs, you can determine which advertising channels and campaigns generate the most revenue and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.

Gather All Crucial In-app Subscription Metrics in One Place

Designed to enhance your revenue growth like never before, Appflow.ai is a powerful subscription analytics and management platform that provides a unified view of your app's subscription performance with all the necessary metrics combined on one dashboard. 

With the ability to visualize your data in any way that suits your analytic needs, Appflow.ai makes it easier than ever to optimize your subscription business for maximum effectiveness: 

• Real-time In-app Subscription Analytics: Say goodbye to outdated data and hello to real-time insights. Appflow.ai equips you with growth-oriented subscription metrics, providing you with actionable insights to make informed decisions quickly.
  
  
• Customizable Subscription Dashboard: Keep your finger on the pulse of your subscription business with a customizable subscription dashboard. Stay updated with real-time subscription data, visualize it effortlessly, and tailor the dashboard to fulfill your specific analytics requirements.
  
  
• Apple Search Ads Post-install Analysis: Maximize the effectiveness of your Apple Search Ads campaigns with our comprehensive analysis. By mapping post-install events with keyword-level funnel analysis, you can understand the true impact of your ads and optimize your marketing strategies accordingly.
  
  
• User Segmentation and Cohort Analysis: Gain a deeper understanding of your users' subscription behavior through powerful segmentation and built-in cohort analysis. Identify key user segments, compare their subscription patterns, and tailor your offerings to enhance engagement and retention.
  
  
• Comprehensive User Insights with CRM Integration: Take your user engagement to new heights by tracking in-app events and utilizing our integrated CRM feature. Uncover comprehensive user insights, understand their preferences, and deliver personalized experiences to boost satisfaction and loyalty.

Appflow.ai is dedicated to fueling the growth of your in-app subscription revenue. The platform empowers you to optimize your strategies, maximize user acquisition, and increase customer lifetime value.

Appflow.ai is free for all the in-app subscription analytics, try it for free with no credit card needed.

Final Take-away

In-app subscriptions can be a lucrative monetization model for mobile apps, but it requires ongoing optimization. By tracking these 14 metrics, you can gain insight into your app's subscription model's performance and make data-driven decisions to improve it. 

Leveraging the best free in-app subscription analytics platform—Appflow.ai enables you to track and analyze data comprehensively, providing actionable insights for growth. Embrace these metrics and the tool, paving the way for a thriving in-app subscription model that drives revenue and customer satisfaction.