Paywall Conversion Benchmarks for Subscription Apps (2026)

MonetizationUPDATED 2026-08

Quick answer: For consumer subscription apps, 1-5% of installs converting to paid is the realistic band; ~3% is a solid planning default for a hard paywall after strong onboarding. Trial flows typically see 5-12% start a trial with 30-50% converting to paid. Weekly plans convert better upfront; annual plans win on revenue per subscriber.

What moves the number most

Onboarding before the paywall is the biggest lever: flows that build perceived value across 5-8 screens before asking convert multiples better than an immediate ask. Paywall placement (after the first 'aha' moment), price anchoring (showing weekly next to a discounted annual), and a single clear plan choice each add measurable points.

Category matters: utility apps with an urgent job (scanner, translator) convert at the high end from hard paywalls; content and habit apps lean on trials. Ad-acquired traffic converts below organic — factor that into CAC math, not just the average.

Modeling it properly

Revenue planning needs three honest inputs: installs, conversion, and payments-per-subscriber before churn (weekly plans ~5, monthly ~4, annual ~1.3 as starting defaults). Our free Revenue & LTV calculator models exactly this — including Apple's 15%/30% commission and country-level price differences — and the CAC calculator tells you what those numbers let you pay for installs.

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