Definition
What it measures
Trial-to-paid conversion is the percentage of users who start a free trial and then convert to a paid subscription. Its denominator is trial starters, not installs, so it isolates one specific step of the funnel: how well the trial itself sells the subscription.
Not the same as download-to-paid
It is easy to confuse with download-to-paid conversion, which counts all installs. Trial-to-paid only looks at people who reached and started a free trial, so it is usually a much higher percentage than download-to-paid for the same app. A benchmark quoting one as the other will mislead you, so always confirm the denominator.
The day-zero problem
Most trial cancellations happen immediately. In RevenueCat's 2026 data, on a three-day trial more than half of all cancellations occur on day zero, before the trial has run at all, and even longer trials see a large share cancel on the first day. That means the trial's job is won or lost in the first session, so onboarding and the first value moment matter more than the trial length. Price is part of it too: a subscription priced beyond a market's purchasing power loses the trial-starter at the moment they see the renewal price, which is why localized pricing supports trial conversion outside high-income markets.
Examples
Example
An app starts 1,000 free trials in a month and 300 convert to paid, a 30% trial-to-paid rate. That is a very different number from its download-to-paid rate, which would divide those same 300 payers by every install, including the many users who never started a trial at all.
Frequently asked
What is trial-to-paid conversion?
It is the share of users who start a free trial and then become paying subscribers. The denominator is trial starters, not all installs, so it measures how effectively the trial itself converts, separate from how many people start a trial in the first place.
What is a good trial-to-paid conversion rate?
Rates vary widely by app and trial length, and are generally much higher than download-to-paid rates because the denominator is smaller. Focus less on a single benchmark and more on the first session, since most trial cancellations happen on day zero.
Why do so many free trials cancel on the first day?
Users often cancel a trial immediately to avoid forgetting, then keep using it until it ends. RevenueCat's 2026 data shows day-zero cancellations dominate, so the trial is effectively won or lost in the first session through onboarding, first value, and a price that fits the user's market.
Further reading
- Subscription vs One-Time vs Hybrid: What Each Does to Your App RevenueSubscription, one-time, or both? A 2026 look at what each model does to your revenue over time, with the churn, reactivation, and commission math.
- How Much Money Do Subscription Apps Actually Make?How much money do subscription apps make? The real 2026 benchmarks, what separates the winners, and the revenue lever most founders never touch.