Definition
What save rate means
Save rate measures how many subscribers stay after reaching the cancellation step. Apple describes it as the percentage of subscribers who keep their subscription after reaching the cancel confirmation page in manage subscriptions.
Other sources use a time window. RevenueCat counts subscribers who see the message and don't cancel within 24 hours, or who take the offer. Superwall counts subscribers who don't cancel within 24 hours of seeing the message. So compare numbers only when you know how each one was measured.
Published numbers
RevenueCat and Superwall measured real-time API users, before the App Store Connect version shipped on 4 November 2026. Apple doesn't say which version its numbers cover, but only the API existed then, so that's inferred.
- Apple, WWDC26: an average increase of 1.4 points, described as an 82% increase, and +5.5 points, described as 223%, for promotional offer messages. Apple says results vary across developers.
- RevenueCat, 309 apps: a median of 16.7%, with fewer than 10% at a quarter of apps and 42% or more at the top 10%.
- Superwall, 30 apps, 11 to 12 per message type: medians of 20.7% for text messages, 17.7% for promotional offers and 12.9% for switch plan messages.
What it doesn't tell you
Some subscribers would have stayed anyway, and someone who cancels a few days later can still count as saved. RevenueCat says its analysis doesn't establish that messages caused subscribers to stay, and in a check of 64 apps it found no measurable effect on cancellation rates either way. Watch renewals and revenue along with the save rate, and see churn rate for the longer view.
Examples
Reading the number
Say 200 subscribers reach your cancel screen in a month, and 34 of them haven't cancelled 24 hours later. That is a 17% save rate on the 24-hour definition (34 / 200). Without knowing how many of those 34 renew at the end of the period, you don't yet know how much revenue the message kept. These figures are illustrative.
Frequently asked
What is a good save rate for Apple retention messages?
The published medians are about 17% in RevenueCat's 309 apps, and 13% to 21% by message type in Superwall's 30 apps. Both describe early API users and count a save as no cancellation within 24 hours, so treat them as a starting point.
Do discounts get a higher save rate than text?
The sources disagree. Apple reports the highest observed save rate for promotional offer messages. Superwall's median was higher for plain text, 20.7% against 17.7%, with its own caveat that the biggest gaps came from apps with few text sends.
Does a high save rate mean the message worked?
Not on its own, because some subscribers would have stayed anyway. A holdout group or a look at renewals tells you more.