Definition
What a lifetime purchase is
A lifetime purchase is a one-time payment that unlocks an app or its premium features permanently, with no recurring charge. On the stores it is a non-subscription in-app purchase, not an auto-renewable subscription. It is the third option in the pricing debate that fills indie dev forums: monthly, annual, or lifetime.
The appeal is real. A lifetime deal front-loads cash you can use now, it stands out in a category full of subscriptions, and it converts the buyers who refuse recurring fees on principle. The catch is who takes it. Your most loyal subscribers, the people who would have paid you for years, are the ones most likely to buy a lifetime option, so priced too low it cannibalizes the revenue you would have earned from them anyway. Ongoing server or content costs can also eventually outrun a one-time payment made years earlier.
How to price a lifetime purchase
Price it for loyal fans, not bargain hunters. A common rule of thumb is 3 to 5 times your annual price. Across real apps, RevenueCat's data spans 2 to 12 times annual, from Calm at roughly 5x to Waking Up at over 11x, and the advice when unsure is to price higher rather than lower. Before adding one, look at your lifetime value by cohort, not the average, so you know what you are trading away.
And like every other price, a lifetime price is set per country. The stores only convert it to other storefronts, they do not localize it to local purchasing power, so a lifetime purchase that is fair in the US can be far too expensive elsewhere unless you price it per market.
Examples
Example
Your app is 4.99 per month and 39.99 per year. A lifetime purchase priced at 3 to 5 times the annual would land somewhere around 120 to 200 dollars. Pricing it at 49.99 instead might feel friendlier, but it would let your most loyal subscribers, who would have renewed at 39.99 a year for years, pay you once and stop, which is the cannibalization trap. Set per country, that same lifetime price is a raw conversion in India or Brazil unless you localize it, so a number that reads as premium in the US can read as unaffordable elsewhere.
Frequently asked
What is a lifetime purchase for an app?
A one-time payment that unlocks the app or its premium features permanently, with no recurring subscription. On the stores it is a non-subscription in-app purchase. It front-loads revenue and appeals to buyers who dislike subscriptions.
How much should a lifetime purchase cost?
A common rule of thumb is 3 to 5 times your annual price. RevenueCat's data across real apps spans 2 to 12 times annual, and the advice when unsure is to price higher, so the offer appeals to loyal fans rather than bargain hunters who would otherwise have subscribed for years.
Does a lifetime option hurt subscription revenue?
It can. Your most loyal subscribers are the most likely to buy a lifetime deal, so priced too low it cannibalizes the recurring revenue they would have paid over time. Check your lifetime value by cohort before adding one, and price it high enough that it does not undercut renewers.
Further reading
- How to Price an App: Models, Billing Periods, and the NumberHow to price an app in 2026: choosing a model, weekly vs monthly vs annual vs lifetime, how much to charge, and localizing it per country.
- App Pricing Localization: What It Is and How to Get It RightApp pricing localization means setting prices that fit each country's purchasing power, not just converting currency. The cornerstone guide for both stores.