--- title: "SaaS metrics glossary" url: "https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics.md" canonical_url: "https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics" last_updated: "2026-10-19" type: "index" summary: "A plain guide to 19 SaaS metrics, from visitor to trial rate to LTV to CAC, each with a formula, an example and a calculator." related: ["https://trialvalid.com/trial-conversion-rate-calculator.md", "https://trialvalid.com/churn-rate-calculator.md", "https://trialvalid.com/mrr-calculator.md", "https://trialvalid.com/failed-payment-recovery-calculator.md", "https://trialvalid.com/customer-lifetime-value-calculator.md"] --- # SaaS metrics glossary > **For AI agents:** the complete index of TrialValid pages is [llms.txt](https://trialvalid.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. A plain guide to 19 SaaS metrics, from visitor to trial rate to LTV to CAC, each with a formula, an example and a calculator. Each page below defines one metric in a sentence, gives the formula in words and symbols, works an example with made up numbers, lists the mistakes that most often distort it and links to a calculator that runs the sum with your figures. The metrics are grouped by where they sit in the path from a visitor to a customer who stays. ## Visitors The top of the funnel: how many of the people who arrive start a trial. - [Visitor to trial conversion rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/visitor-to-trial-conversion-rate.md): Distinct visitors who start a trial, out of all visitors in the same period. ## Trials What happens between starting a trial or a free plan and becoming a paying customer. - [Trial to paid conversion rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/trial-to-paid-conversion-rate.md): What fraction of a trial start cohort turns into paying customers. - [Freemium conversion rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/freemium-conversion-rate.md): Free signups that upgrade inside a stated window, as a fraction of all signups. ## Payments Charges that fail, why they fail and how much of the lost revenue comes back. - [Failed payment rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/failed-payment-rate.md): Failed charges divided by attempted charges. - [Card decline rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/card-decline-rate.md): Declined attempts divided by attempts, split into soft and hard declines. - [Payment recovery rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/payment-recovery-rate.md): How many failed payments are collected later, out of all that failed. - [Dunning](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/dunning.md): Retries, messages, a grace period and a final action for failed payments. ## Recurring revenue The size of the subscription base and how it changes from month to month. - [MRR](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/mrr.md): The monthly equivalent of every active subscription, and its four movements. - [ARR](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/arr.md): MRR times twelve, a run rate and not recognized revenue. - [ARPU](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/arpu.md): MRR divided by paying customers. - [Expansion MRR](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/expansion-mrr.md): Revenue added by existing customers through upgrades, seats, add-ons and usage. ## Customers kept Who stays, what it costs to win them and what they are worth over time. - [Involuntary churn](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/involuntary-churn.md): Customers lost to a failed charge that was never collected. - [Churn rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/churn-rate.md): Customers who left, over the customers you began with. New arrivals do not count. - [Revenue churn rate](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/revenue-churn-rate.md): Subscription revenue that cancels or shrinks, shown before and after expansion. - [Net revenue retention](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/net-revenue-retention.md): How much of the starting recurring revenue remains after losses and expansion. - [Customer lifetime value](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/customer-lifetime-value.md): The gross margin a customer brings over the life of the account. - [Customer acquisition cost](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/customer-acquisition-cost.md): Total acquisition spend over the paying customers it won. - [CAC payback period](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/cac-payback-period.md): The months of gross margin it takes to earn back what a customer cost to win. - [LTV to CAC ratio](https://trialvalid.com/saas-metrics/ltv-to-cac-ratio.md): What a customer is worth over their lifetime, set against the cost of winning them. ## Calculators Every calculator runs in your browser and shows its working. The fee calculators also come in versions for the UK, Canada and Australia. - [ROI calculator](https://trialvalid.com/roi-calculator.md): Weigh what a change to your trial or billing is worth against what it costs. - [Trial conversion rate calculator](https://trialvalid.com/trial-conversion-rate-calculator.md): Work out visitor to trial and trial to paid rates from your own counts. - [Churn rate calculator](https://trialvalid.com/churn-rate-calculator.md): Customer and revenue churn from your opening base and your losses. - [Customer lifetime value calculator](https://trialvalid.com/customer-lifetime-value-calculator.md): Lifetime value from revenue per account, gross margin and churn. - [MRR calculator](https://trialvalid.com/mrr-calculator.md): Monthly recurring revenue from your plans and customer counts. - [Failed payment recovery calculator](https://trialvalid.com/failed-payment-recovery-calculator.md): What a change in recovery rate is worth in revenue you keep. - [Price increase calculator](https://trialvalid.com/price-increase-calculator.md): See how a price change moves revenue once some customers leave. - [Proration calculator](https://trialvalid.com/proration-calculator.md): Split a charge across a plan change by the days used. - [Gross margin calculator](https://trialvalid.com/gross-margin-calculator.md): Gross margin and markup from your price and your cost. - [Stripe fee calculator](https://trialvalid.com/stripe-fee-calculator.md): Card fees and net payout on a US Stripe payment. - [PayPal fee calculator](https://trialvalid.com/paypal-fee-calculator.md): Fees and net amount on a US PayPal payment. - [Square fee calculator](https://trialvalid.com/square-fee-calculator.md): Fees and net amount on a US Square payment. - [Stripe fee calculator for the UK](https://trialvalid.com/stripe-fee-calculator/uk.md): Card fees and net payout in pounds. - [Stripe fee calculator for Canada](https://trialvalid.com/stripe-fee-calculator/canada.md): Card fees and net payout in Canadian dollars. - [Stripe fee calculator for Australia](https://trialvalid.com/stripe-fee-calculator/australia.md): Card fees and net payout in Australian dollars. - [PayPal fee calculator for the UK](https://trialvalid.com/paypal-fee-calculator/uk.md): Fees and net amount in pounds. - [PayPal fee calculator for Canada](https://trialvalid.com/paypal-fee-calculator/canada.md): Fees and net amount in Canadian dollars. - [PayPal fee calculator for Australia](https://trialvalid.com/paypal-fee-calculator/australia.md): Fees and net amount in Australian dollars. - [Square fee calculator for Canada](https://trialvalid.com/square-fee-calculator/canada.md): Fees and net amount in Canadian dollars. - [Square fee calculator for Australia](https://trialvalid.com/square-fee-calculator/australia.md): Fees and net amount in Australian dollars. ## Related - [Trial Conversion Rate Calculator](https://trialvalid.com/trial-conversion-rate-calculator.md) - [Churn Rate Calculator](https://trialvalid.com/churn-rate-calculator.md) - [MRR calculator](https://trialvalid.com/mrr-calculator.md) - [Failed payment recovery calculator](https://trialvalid.com/failed-payment-recovery-calculator.md) - [Customer lifetime value calculator](https://trialvalid.com/customer-lifetime-value-calculator.md)