Free tool
Trial Conversion Rate Calculator
Divide paid trials by trials started: 60 of 400 is 15.0%. Then see what extra points are worth in MRR and ARR.
- Trial-to-paid rate
- 15.0%
- MRR from these trials
- $2,940
- Target rate
- 20.0%
- Paying customers at the target
- 80
- Extra customers
- 20
- Extra MRR
- $980
- Extra ARR
- $11,760
- Growth in paying customers
- 33.3%Percentage points are not percent growth: the same points add more customers on a smaller base.
How this was worked out
- Rate: 60 paid out of 400 started is 15.0%.
- MRR from these trials: 60 subscribers at $49 is $2,940 a month.
- Target rate: 15.0% plus 5 points is 20.0%.
- Customers at the target: 20.0% of 400 trials is 80, which is 20 more than today.
- Extra MRR: 20 extra customers at $49 is $980 a month, and $11,760 over 12 months.
How the conversion rate is calculated
The trial conversion rate is the share of trials in one start cohort that went on to pay: paid trials over started trials, times 100. The calculator then asks a second question: what would a few more points of that rate be worth in customers, monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and annual recurring revenue (ARR)?
The formula in words
The rate is trials that paid divided by trials started. The target rate is the rate plus the points you want to test, capped at 100. Customers at the target are trials started times the target rate, rounded half up. Extra customers are those minus today's paying customers. Extra MRR is extra customers times the monthly price, and extra ARR is twelve times that.
The formula in symbols
S = trials started D = trials that paid P = monthly price k = extra points
rate = D / S * 100 target = min(rate + k, 100)
customers at target = round(S * target / 100)
extra = customers at target - D
extra MRR = extra * P extra ARR = 12 * extra MRRWorked examples
Each column below is the calculator run on a different set of inputs. The first column is the default input set: 400 trials started, 60 paid and a $49 monthly price.
| Result | Default inputs | Low price, high volume | High price, low volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trials started, paid, price | 400, 60, $49 | 1,200, 96, $29 | 250, 10, $400 |
| Points tested | +5 | +3 | +10 |
| Trial to paid rate | 15.0% | 8.0% | 4.0% |
| MRR from these trials | $2,940 | $2,784 | $4,000 |
| Target rate | 20.0% | 11.0% | 14.0% |
| Paying customers at the target | 80 | 132 | 35 |
| Extra customers | 20 | 36 | 25 |
| Extra MRR | $980 | $1,044 | $10,000 |
| Extra ARR | $11,760 | $12,528 | $120,000 |
| Growth in paying customers | 33.3% | 37.5% | 250.0% |
What each extra point is worth at the default inputs
| Points added | Target rate | Extra customers | Extra MRR | Extra ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +1 point | 16.0% | 4 | $196 | $2,352 |
| +2 points | 17.0% | 8 | $392 | $4,704 |
| +5 points | 20.0% | 20 | $980 | $11,760 |
| +10 points | 25.0% | 40 | $1,960 | $23,520 |
The same five points are worth different amounts at different prices, because the extra customers (20 here) are multiplied by the price.
| Monthly price | MRR from these trials | Extra MRR at +5 points | Extra ARR at +5 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $600 | $200 | $2,400 |
| $49 | $2,940 | $980 | $11,760 |
| $199 | $11,940 | $3,980 | $47,760 |
Percentage points are not percent growth
Going from 15.0% up to 20.0% gains five percentage points. In customers it is 33.3% growth, because 20 extra customers join 60 today. The same five points on a smaller base is a larger jump: with 10 paid out of 250, the rate goes from 4.0% to 9.0% and paying customers grow by 130.0%.
How to count the inputs
- Count trials by start cohort, such as everyone who started in one week or one month.
- Wait until every trial in the cohort has ended before you calculate. A trial still running cannot have paid yet and would pull the rate down.
- Define "paid" as the first successful charge after the trial, not a card on file and not a signup.
- Compare like with like. A cohort that required a card at signup and a cohort that did not are different groups and need separate rates.
Published reference points
Published studies give a loose reference. ChartMogul's conversion report puts the median free to paid rate across 200 products at 8%, and the rate for trials that require a credit card at 30%, in a January 2026 study. We read that page on 18 Oct 2026. These figures describe a sample of products and depend on how each trial is set up, so treat them as context for your own cohorts and not as a target. Your own rate, 15.0% at the defaults, is the number to improve against.
Edge cases
- Paid greater than started is invalid. Entering 500 paid on 400 started returns a message that the trials must come from the same cohort (status: invalid).
- Started equal to zero is the empty state. The calculator asks for the number of trials and shows no rate (status: empty).
- Zero paid is allowed. The rate is 0.0%, and growth in paying customers reads "Not defined" because there is no base to grow from.
- The target rate is capped at 100. With 90 paid out of 100 and 30 points added, the target is 100.0%, and extra customers are 10.
- Fractions of a point are accepted. The customer count at the target is rounded half up to a whole customer.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate trial conversion rate?
Take the paid trials over the started trials of one cohort. 60 paid out of 400 started is 15.0%.
What is the difference between percentage points and percent?
Points are the arithmetic gap between two rates, such as the move from 15.0% to 20.0%, which is a gap of 5. Percent growth compares customers: 20 extra on 60 is 33.3%.
Should I count trials that are still running?
No. Wait until every trial in the cohort has ended, otherwise unfinished trials count as losses and the rate looks lower than it is.
What counts as a paid trial?
The first successful charge after the trial. A card on file, an invoice that failed or a signup does not count, because none of them is revenue.
What is a good trial conversion rate?
It depends on the product and on whether the trial asks for a card. ChartMogul's January 2026 study reports a 8% median free to paid rate across 200 products and 30% for trials that require a card (read 18 Oct 2026). Compare your own cohorts over time before comparing with anyone else.
How much is one extra point worth?
At the default inputs one point adds 4 subscribers, bringing $196 in MRR and $2,352 in ARR. Change the price and the figure scales with it.
Does the calculator account for churn?
No. It values extra customers as revenue today. Use the churn rate calculator to see how many of them are still there after a year.
Related tools
Use the ROI calculator to compare the value of a higher rate with a plan fee, the MRR calculator to see how new customers move ending MRR, and the failed payment recovery calculator for the trials that fail at the first charge. See the SaaS metrics glossary for definitions.
Sources
- Median free-to-paid conversion rate across 200 products, read 18 Oct 2026. ChartMogul, The Conversion Report (Kyle Poyar, 4 Feb 2026), January 2026 study of 200 products.