Metric · Influence
Subscriber year-1 retention
Share of new subscribers still paying 12 months after their first payment, read by plan length. In consumer apps, annual plans keep about 44% of subscribers, monthly about 17% and weekly about 3%.
Plain label: subscribers still paying after a yearAlso known as: first-year subscriber retention, renewal retention
All three plan lengths retained a little less than the year before (annual 47.1% to 44.1%; benchmark confidence B). Compare only within the same plan length: annual plans look better partly because the commitment is prepaid.
An honest re-choice at renewal, with a recap of the value received, is the in-season lever from Early fit on; read cancellations and refunds next to it.
Benchmarks
Every benchmark carries its year and a confidence grade for its source. Use them to calibrate, not as targets.
| Context | Median | Top 25% | Top 10% | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| annual plans; upper quartile about 60-75%Consumer subscription | 44% | 60% | — | RevenueCat State of Subscription Apps 2025 (75k apps), 2025Benchmark confidence B. A reputable dataset. |
| monthly plansConsumer subscription | 17% | — | — | RevenueCat State of Subscription Apps 2025 (75k apps), 2025Benchmark confidence B. A reputable dataset. |
| weekly plansConsumer subscription | 3.4% | — | — | RevenueCat State of Subscription Apps 2025 (75k apps), 2025Benchmark confidence B. A reputable dataset. |
Sources
Influence · Robert Cialdini
Ch.3, p.79
State of Subscription Apps 2025 · RevenueCat, 2025
Benchmark confidence B. A reputable dataset.
Source IDs: INF-T-CC-31
Book content is paraphrased, never quoted at length. Last verified October 24, 2026.
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