700+ downloads in my first month, but only 9 subscribers. Roast my funnel?

Hi everyone,

I’m a solo dev who recently launched a niche utility app a little more than a week ago (a parking finder/assistant for Melbourne, Australia).

I’m really happy with the initial traction on the user acquisition side, but my monetization conversion is terrible. I’m trying to figure out if I have a pricing problem, a feature-gating problem, or a UI/UX problem.

The App: It’s a real-time parking availability app that helps users find spots, decode complex parking signs (to avoid fines), and track parking time.

The Stats:

• Downloads: ~700 (mostly organic from local subreddits + nice App Store spike where I hit top 100 Utilities).
• Registered Users: ~70 (Users need to sign up to access certain features).
• Paid Subscribers: 9.

The Funnel Breakdown:

1. 700 Downloads -> 70 Sign ups (10%): This feels low. Users can use map features without signing up, but need an account to subscribe, saving locations and parking timer.
2. 70 Sign ups -> 9 Subscribers (~12.8%): This conversion rate seems okay for those who actually sign up, but my total conversion from download to paid is ~1.2%.

My Monetization Model:

• Free: View all parking locations and real-time availability of parking spots.
• Pro (Subscription): Remove Ads, Advanced Filters (Loading bays, Accessibility spots, Max Hourly Cost, Time Limits) and the "Show Available Only" toggle to declutter the map.

Pricing:

• Weekly: $0.99 AUD
• Monthly: $1.99 AUD
• Yearly: $19.99 AUD

My Questions for you:

1. Is a 10% signup rate normal for a utility app, or should I be forcing signup earlier?
2. For a local utility app, is a subscription model a mistake? Should I have gone with a one-time purchase?
3. By giving away real-time availability for free (this was a conscious decision to get more users on-board early), have I removed the only urgent reason to pay? Is filtering by "Price" or "Loading Zone", and removing ads enough to justify a subscription for a casual driver?
4. Is $1.99/month too cheap? Does it signal low quality? Or is it just that the utility of "filters" isn't worth a recurring sub?

Any brutal feedback is welcome. I’d rather know now if my model is broken than keep pouring money into features nobody wants to pay for.

Thanks!