Metric guide · Revenue
Trial to paid conversion
Short answer
Trial-to-paid conversion is the share of free trials that become a first paid subscription period. Group trials by the date they started, then divide the number that converted to paid by the number of trials in that group. Recent groups include unfinished trials, so their rates rise as those trials end.
The formula
Trial to paid = trials started in a period that reached a first paid period ÷ trials started in that period × 100
Unit: Percent. Better when it goes up.
How to calculate it
- Group trials by the date they started, such as by week or month.
- For each group, count trials that converted to a first paid period.
- Divide conversions by trials started in that group and multiply by 100.
- Mark groups whose trials have not all ended yet as provisional.
Mistakes that distort it
Conversions in a month often come from trials started the month before. Group by trial start date so the numerator and denominator describe the same people.
A group with trials still running shows a floor, not a final rate. Wait until the trial length has passed before comparing it.
A first payment refunded within days did not produce a lasting subscriber. Track refund rate alongside conversion.
A published reference point
RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps 2026, built on over 115,000 subscription apps, puts the median trial-to-paid rate for Health and Fitness apps at 37.7%, with a quarter of those apps above 51.4%. Categories differ widely. Photo and Video is lowest, at a 22.2% median.
Basis. RevenueCat pools apps that use it for subscriptions, with 2025 as the period, and counts the share of trial starts that became paid. Sondola reads your own trials by start date, and a group with trials still running reads low, so compare only groups whose trials have ended.
RevenueCat, State of Subscription Apps 2026 · published March 2026 · checked 26 September 2026
Where Sondola reads it from
Sondola reads this metric from RevenueCat, with the source and period on every reading. Each reading keeps where it came from, the period and the date it was recorded, and you can download all of it at any time.
See all 34 integrations →Questions
What is a good trial-to-paid rate?
It depends on your app category and your trial length. RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps 2026, from apps on its platform in 2025, puts the Health and Fitness median at 37.7%, with a quarter of those apps above 51.4%. Photo and Video is lowest, at a 22.2% median. Compare these only with groups whose trials have ended, and watch your own trend first.
Should I measure conversion from install or from trial start?
Both are useful, but they answer different questions. Trial to paid measures the trial itself, while install to paid also includes how many installers start a trial.
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