Free trial length calculator
Enter how many people start each trial length and how many of those convert to see which one earns more per paywall view, what trial-to-paid the others would need to match it, and how long a test takes.
The 7-day trial earns the most per paywall view
Over 24 months it earns 14.3% more than the 3-day trial and 15.1% more than the 14-day trial. The 3-day trial would need 35.0% of trials to convert to match it; you entered 30.0%.
- 3-day trial
- $1,428per 1,000 views, 24 months
- 7-day trial
- $1,666per 1,000 views, 24 months
- 14-day trial
- $1,413per 1,000 views, 24 months
Show details
Per 1,000 paywall views over 24 months
| Views that pay | Payments each | Per 1,000 views | vs best | Trial to paid to match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day trial | 3.00% | 1.40 | $1,428 | -14.3% | 35.0% |
| 7-day trial | 3.50% | 1.40 | $1,666 | best | best |
| 14-day trial | 2.97% | 1.40 | $1,413 | -15.1% | 38.9% |
When the money arrives
The 3-day trial pays first on day 3 and fits 2 payments; the 7-day trial pays first on day 7 and fits 2 payments; the 14-day trial pays first on day 14 and fits 2 payments in the time frame. Payments each is the expected number per paying subscriber after renewals. Revenue is after the store fee.
Testing it
A test with all 3 trial lengths as variants needs about 26,334 paywall views per variant, about 80 days at 1,200 views a day including the longest trial ending to tell 3.50% paying from 3.00%, at 95% confidence split over the 3 pairs of options and 80% power. Close options take a long time to separate; if the test is too long for your traffic, drop the option you believe in least.
Assumes one price and one renewal rate for every trial length, and that converters pay when the trial ends. Refunds are left out. Trial length can also change who renews; if you have data on that, run each length through the LTV calculator. How this works
Questions people ask
Is a 3 day or 7 day free trial better?
The one where trial starts times trial-to-paid is higher, as long as both fit the same number of payments in your time frame. In the example, a 3 day trial at 30% trial-to-paid and a 7 day trial at 35%, both started by 10% of views, the 7 day trial earns 14% more per view. A shorter trial only wins if it keeps nearly as many converters.
Does a longer trial convert better?
It can go either way. A longer trial gives people more time to build a habit, and also more time to forget to cancel or to lose interest. That is why the calculator asks for your own trial-to-paid by length instead of assuming one. If you only have data for one length, use it for that row and test the others.
Why does the trial length change revenue on weekly plans?
Every day of trial pushes the first payment and every renewal later. Over a short time frame that can push the last payment out, and on weekly plans a week of trial is a whole payment. The table shows how many payments each length fits.
How do I test trial lengths?
Show each length to an equal share of new users, wait until the longest trial in the test has ended, and compare revenue per paywall view. Close options need a lot of traffic to separate, so the calculator shows the views per variant first. Test two lengths instead of three if your traffic is low.
Should I compare against no trial at all?
Yes, if you haven't yet. The free trial vs hard paywall calculator compares a trial with direct purchases.
Get your test results in your inbox every Monday
We're building a weekly report for subscription apps. You upload your RevenueCat Experiments export, and each Monday you get, for every running paywall test:
- The chance the new paywall earns more per view, with a likely range
- A warning when the traffic split is off and the result can't be trusted
- About how many more days the test needs
- One concrete test to run next
RevenueCat already emails each variant's conversion and realized LTV against control. This report tells you whether the difference is real and what to do about it.
Planned price: $49 a month, or $99 for teams.