Just realized how broken most free trial funnels actually are. The average subscription app is losing up to 70% of potential paid users before the first charge and it’s rarely because of pricing. It’s about friction: when to charge, what to unlock, when to ask for a card.
We ran tests on apps using free vs. paid trials, paid trials had fewer sign-ups but half the churn later. Free trials pulled people in, but a lot never activated. Made me rethink what “conversion” actually means.
Curious how you all approach trials, optimize for sign-ups, or optimize for long-term retention?
Posted by Yaw-AI
1 Comment
We swapped free trials for a £1-for-a-week deal with card details up front. It weeds out tyre-kickers and brings in people who actually want to use the app. In the first 48 hours we nudge everyone to try one core feature, and by the time the real billing kicks in they’ve already hit their “aha” moment, so churn’s way down and retention’s up.