Five Metrics Every Subscription App Needs
Subscription apps run on recurring revenue, and five metrics define the health of that revenue. Understanding these metrics is the first step toward connecting your MRR data to feature prioritization.
- MRR — Monthly Recurring Revenue, the heartbeat of your business
- LTV — Lifetime Value, how much revenue a user generates before churning
- Churn rate — percentage of subscribers who cancel each month
- ARPU — Average Revenue Per User, total revenue divided by active users
- Trial-to-paid — conversion rate from free trial to paid subscription
Connecting Metrics to Feature Decisions
Metrics tell you what's happening. Feature requests tell you why. When your churn rate spikes, look at which features churned users were requesting — those are the features you should have built sooner. FeaturePulse makes this connection explicit by tagging requests with revenue data.
Churn Rate and Feature Gaps
A rising churn rate often correlates with unmet feature requests. Track which features your churned users were asking for before they left. If you see a pattern — for example, five churned users all requested the same integration — you've found a retention opportunity that metrics alone wouldn't reveal.
Metrics Without a Data Team
You don't need Mixpanel, Amplitude, and a full-time data analyst. App Store Connect gives you download and subscription data. RevenueCat gives you real-time MRR and churn. FeaturePulse connects that revenue data to feature requests. Together, these three tools give solo developers and small teams access to enterprise-grade insights.
Start tracking metrics from day one, even if your numbers are small. Trends matter more than absolutes — and you can't spot trends without historical data.