{"id":151073,"date":"2023-11-27T16:33:20","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T16:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/churn-rate-vs-retention-rate\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T22:40:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T22:40:35","slug":"churn-rate-vs-retention-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/churn-rate-vs-retention-rate\/","title":{"rendered":"Churn Rate vs Retention Rate: Formulas, Benchmarks and Ways to Improve"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Wondering how churn rate vs retention rate are different?<\/p>\n<p>Both metrics are important to track if you want to implement a successful <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/solutions\/customer-retention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product retention strategy.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In this article, we will cover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Formulas to calculate each of these metrics.<\/li>\n<li>Other important metrics related to churn and retention efforts.<\/li>\n<li>Ways to analyze churn and improve retention rates based on the data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"9t9um\"><strong>What is the churn rate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-churn-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The churn rate<\/a> is the rate at which customers stop doing business with a company over a given period of time.<\/p>\n<p>An increasing customer churn rate is a sign of a flawed product or service that is leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-dissatisfaction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customers dissatisfied<\/a>. Inevitably, this hits your bottom line, and your <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/net-revenue-retention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">revenue <\/a>decreases.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"dquni\"><strong>How to calculate the churn rate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are two main types of churn, namely, <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/reasons-for-customer-churn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer churn<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/revenue-churn-saas\/\">revenue churn<\/a>. As is obvious from the names, each churn rate focuses on different avenues of <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-led-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">company growth<\/a>, i.e. customer or revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at these churn rates in greater detail and understand how to calculate them.<\/p>\n<p><!--ARCADE EMBED START--><\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: calc(56.8027% + 41px); height: 0px; width: 100%;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color-scheme: light;\" title=\"Churn Prevention\" src=\"https:\/\/sw11.userpilot.com\/WkWUNQj7WT4QoqhLSQbE?embed&amp;embed_mobile=tab&amp;embed_desktop=inline&amp;show_copy_link=true\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><!--ARCADE EMBED END--><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"5vvke\"><strong>Customer churn rate formula<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/saas-churn-calculation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">calculate the churn rate<\/a>, divide the total number of customers lost by the total number of customers present at the start of a time period. Multiply by 100, and you&#8217;ll have the percentage of customers churned.<\/p>\n<p>Suppose you had 200 customers at the start of October. During the month, 30 customers left and ended their subscriptions. Using these numbers, your customer churn rate is (30\/200) x 100 = 15%.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-churn-rate_66ed34bacb3cd33140ca09ef4d064000_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/customer-churn-rate_66ed34bacb3cd33140ca09ef4d064000_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-churn-rate_66ed34bacb3cd33140ca09ef4d064000_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/customer-churn-rate_66ed34bacb3cd33140ca09ef4d064000_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-churn-rate_66ed34bacb3cd33140ca09ef4d064000_800.png\" alt=\"customer-churn-rate\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Customer Churn Rate Formula.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"biq8m\">Revenue churn rate formula<\/h3>\n<p>The revenue churn rate calculates how much revenue was lost during a given period. <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/revenue-churn-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Revenue churn<\/a> generally occurs for two reasons: existing customers pause their subscriptions or downgrade their plans.<\/p>\n<p>To calculate the revenue churn rate, first estimate the total revenue at the start and the end of a given period. Then subtract the two to get net revenue lost. Then divide the lost revenue during that period by the total revenue at the start of the period.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s say your revenue from existing customers at the start of January was $25,000. By the end of December, you&#8217;re left with a revenue of $22,000. Plugging these numbers into the formula, your annual churn rate is (3,000\/25,000) x 100 = 12%.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/revenue-churn-rate-formula_0a3ed3122565c475783e2343fb876945_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/revenue-churn-rate-formula_0a3ed3122565c475783e2343fb876945_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/revenue-churn-rate-formula_0a3ed3122565c475783e2343fb876945_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/revenue-churn-rate-formula_0a3ed3122565c475783e2343fb876945_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/revenue-churn-rate-formula_0a3ed3122565c475783e2343fb876945_800.png\" alt=\"revenue-churn-rate-formula\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Revenue Churn Rate Formula<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"us5u\"><strong>What&#8217;s a good churn rate in SaaS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There is no universally \u2018average\u2019 churn rate. The average churn rates differ greatly across different industries and companies. Moreover, a good or bad churn rate also depends on what growth stage and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-lifecycle-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product lifecycle<\/a> your company is in.<\/p>\n<p>As a general rule, a 5% to 7% annual churn rate and around 1% or less monthly churn are considered <a href=\"https:\/\/sixteenventures.com\/saas-churn-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acceptable churn<\/a> rates for established SaaS companies.<\/p>\n<p>As opposed to this, early-stage startups will understandably have a higher churn rate, since they still may not have <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-market-fit-framework\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product-market fit<\/a> yet. For them, an average annual churn of 10% to 15% is considered good.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/churn-rate-by-industry_0b32b7b8d6e2bfe31e60cc6007671cba_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/churn-rate-by-industry_0b32b7b8d6e2bfe31e60cc6007671cba_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/churn-rate-by-industry_0b32b7b8d6e2bfe31e60cc6007671cba_800.png\" alt=\"Recurly\u2019s breakdown of churn rate by industry\" \/><\/picture><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/recurly.com\/research\/churn-rate-benchmarks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Recurly<\/a>\u2019s breakdown of churn rate by industry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"9g61n\"><strong>What is the customer retention rate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Customer retention is the percentage of customers who made repeat purchases during a given time period.<\/p>\n<p>The entire business model of SaaS companies is built around retaining customers for the long run, thus increasing customer <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-acquisition-cost-vs-lifetime-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lifetime value<\/a> and monthly recurring revenue.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"2oljf\"><strong>How to calculate the retention rate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Calculating the retention rate is pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n<p>you need to subtract the number of paying customers at the end of a specific time period from the number of <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-acquisition-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customers acquired<\/a> during that same period. Then divide this number by the total number of customers at the start of the period. Multiply by 100, and voila, you have the customer retention rate.<\/p>\n<p>Suppose your company has 80 customers at the start of June. You lose 25 but acquire 10 new customers in the same month. Using the formula, your customer retention rate is: ((65 \u2013 10) \/ 80 )) x 100 = 68.75%.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/user-retention-rate_ce4eef8354e25a69b6de51ec50ca1c3f_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/user-retention-rate_ce4eef8354e25a69b6de51ec50ca1c3f_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/user-retention-rate_ce4eef8354e25a69b6de51ec50ca1c3f_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/user-retention-rate_ce4eef8354e25a69b6de51ec50ca1c3f_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/user-retention-rate_ce4eef8354e25a69b6de51ec50ca1c3f_800.png\" alt=\"User retention rate formula.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>User retention rate formula.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"poptin-embedded\" data-id=\"72c5a6c93f565\"><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"9hi0b\"><strong>What&#8217;s a good customer retention rate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Similar to churn rate, there isn&#8217;t any set rule that defines what a <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/good-retention-rates-in-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">good retention rate<\/a> is. Typically, what is defined as good will depend on your industry and your company&#8217;s growth stage.<\/p>\n<p>Newer SaaS companies are naturally going to have lower <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-retention-analytics-ultimate-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">retention rates<\/a>. Whereas for established ones the average customer retention rate is as high as 90%.<\/p>\n<p>Research by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saas-capital.com\/research\/saas-retention-benchmarks-for-private-b2b-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SaaS Capital<\/a> provides further proof of such high retention rates, reporting a median <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/gross-retention-vs-net-retention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">net retention<\/a> rate of 102% and a median gross retention rate of 91% across SaaS companies.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-retention-by-industry_86a2d19b04259b2fe59ff9354c52c42c_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-retention-by-industry_86a2d19b04259b2fe59ff9354c52c42c_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-retention-by-industry_86a2d19b04259b2fe59ff9354c52c42c_800.png\" alt=\"Image Source: ExplodingTopics.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Image Source: ExplodingTopics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"9pcme\">Churn rate vs retention rate: What&#8217;s the difference and which should you track?<\/h2>\n<p>Customer retention rate and churn rate are basically two sides of the same coin. The churn rate shows how many customers your company lost during a period, while the retention rate shows how many customers it managed to keep.<\/p>\n<p>For both metrics, businesses aim to be as close to one extreme as possible: 0% for the churn rate and 100% for the retention rate.<\/p>\n<p>Both metrics are also similar in that they give insights into <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/improve-customer-satisfaction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer satisfaction<\/a>. A high customer retention rate shows that customers are happy with the value you&#8217;re providing. Conversely, a high churn rate suggests the exact opposite.<\/p>\n<p>Having such insights is helpful when formulating new customer <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-success-strategies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">success strategies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, it&#8217;s important to track both if you want comprehensive data.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"9bema\"><strong>How to make sense of customer churn and retention data?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Simply calculating customer churn and retention rates isn&#8217;t enough on its own. You also need to know how to properly read the results to be able to put them to good use. That&#8217;s where <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-churn-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer churn analytics<\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n<p>There are several ways you can interpret customer retention and churn data. Below, we dive deeper into three of these methods.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"c2vcs\"><strong>Conduct cohort retention analysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/cohort-retention-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cohort analysis<\/a> enables you to study how different user segments engage with your product over time. Couple this analysis with the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/retention-table\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">retention tables<\/a>, and you&#8217;ll be able to look at retention trends for several periods.<\/p>\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve uncovered <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-behavioral-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user behavior<\/a> trends, you can easily use these to improve your retention strategy and increase retention rates.<\/p>\n<p>Cohort <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/retention-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">retention analysis<\/a> helps pinpoint where and when retention takes a hit, and churn rate goes up so you can proactively act on data and improve these metrics.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/retention-analysis-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices_6a0accfc74f099f845f020c4bd46f1ca_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/retention-analysis-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices_6a0accfc74f099f845f020c4bd46f1ca_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/retention-analysis-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices_6a0accfc74f099f845f020c4bd46f1ca_800.png\" alt=\"Cohort retention analysis\" \/><\/picture><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/cohort-retention-analysis\/\">Cohort retention analysis<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"5079e\">Analyze churn with path analysis<\/h3>\n<p>You can identify and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/reduce-customer-churn-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prevent churn<\/a> with reverse path analysis.<\/p>\n<p>This is basically looking at the steps users take before churning and identifying patterns that lead to churn.<\/p>\n<p>That puts you in a position to act on data and adjust your retention strategy to engage with users fast and put them on a different path <em>before<\/em> they churn.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/path-analysis-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices_9b58ac8c86aa7085fa14bc1aeb5a32bb_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/path-analysis-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices_9b58ac8c86aa7085fa14bc1aeb5a32bb_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/path-analysis-conversion-rate-optimization-best-practices_9b58ac8c86aa7085fa14bc1aeb5a32bb_800.png\" alt=\"Path analysis\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Path analysis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"1u3e5\">Understand churn with customer satisfaction surveys<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/best-customer-feedback-tools-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Customer feedback<\/a> is vital to help grow retention rates. If you know what customers think, only then can you design your offering accordingly to improve customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>An easy way of collecting such feedback is by setting up <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-satisfaction-survey-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer satisfaction surveys<\/a> in-app.<\/p>\n<p>You can set up triggers for satisfaction surveys throughout the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/b2b-customer-journey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer journey<\/a>. This will enable you to identify the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-touchpoints\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">touchpoints<\/a> that leave your customers frustrated and fix them to drive repeat purchases.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/satisfaction-surveys_562fbbd21d51fbd22c1c54b20085470b_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/satisfaction-surveys_562fbbd21d51fbd22c1c54b20085470b_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/satisfaction-surveys_562fbbd21d51fbd22c1c54b20085470b_800.png\" alt=\"Trigger satisfaction surveys with Userpilot\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Satisfaction survey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"48if6\">Track main reasons for churn with exit churn surveys<\/h3>\n<p>To reduce churn rates, first, try to understand why customers are leaving.<\/p>\n<p>Do this by simply triggering cancellation surveys for churning customers and asking them the reason behind their decision.<\/p>\n<p>Offer multiple answer options in your survey so you can see which ones rank the highest. Add an open-ended <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/follow-up-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">follow-up question<\/a>, too, for deeper insights.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/exit-surveys_14f41151ee97ee6d0e7f4109757e14ec_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/exit-surveys_14f41151ee97ee6d0e7f4109757e14ec_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/exit-surveys_14f41151ee97ee6d0e7f4109757e14ec_800.png\" alt=\"Design exit surveys in Userpilot\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Exit surveys in <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/userpilot-demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Userpilot<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"3oafe\">How to act on data to reduce churn and improve retention rates<\/h2>\n<p>Finally, it is time to put all the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/churn-analytics\/\">churn analytics<\/a> into use to reduce your churn and increase your retention rate.<\/p>\n<p>You can take several concrete steps in order to do that. Some of these include introducing <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/personalize-user-onboarding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user onboarding<\/a> to further help customers, focusing on feedback, and providing proactive in-app support. Below, we discuss all of these in greater detail.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"acb94\"><strong>Implement secondary onboarding to retain existing customers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Onboarding isn&#8217;t just for new customers.<\/p>\n<p>Rather, it&#8217;s a continuous process because all customers need <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/in-app-guidance-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">guidance<\/a> at different points in their journey.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/new-feature-announcements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">newly launched feature<\/a> might not be as easily understandable as you thought. It could cause friction and lead to churn. To solve this issue, you should create a <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-churn-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feature onboarding<\/a> flow to teach customers how to use it effectively.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/secondary-onboarding-example_387a3ace3245fb9162e9a5d5a34c7fd8_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/secondary-onboarding-example_387a3ace3245fb9162e9a5d5a34c7fd8_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/secondary-onboarding-example_387a3ace3245fb9162e9a5d5a34c7fd8_800.png\" alt=\"Secondary onboarding to aid users\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Secondary onboarding to aid users.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"2dll3\">Close the feedback loop to improve customer satisfaction<\/h3>\n<p>Collecting feedback isn&#8217;t enough. You also need to follow up on feedback and act on it to close the loop.<\/p>\n<p>Closing the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-feedback-loop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feedback loop<\/a> can look like getting back to customers about updates you&#8217;ve made based on their suggestions, explaining to them why you can&#8217;t implement their feedback, or simply acknowledging that you&#8217;ve received it.<\/p>\n<p>This is an important step most companies forget about. Closing the loop helps build <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-trust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user trust<\/a> and improve satisfaction, which in turn results in a better retention rate.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-feedback-loop_ef3c173750573aa523e8bbefd30c9a04_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/customer-feedback-loop_ef3c173750573aa523e8bbefd30c9a04_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-feedback-loop_ef3c173750573aa523e8bbefd30c9a04_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/customer-feedback-loop_ef3c173750573aa523e8bbefd30c9a04_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/customer-feedback-loop_ef3c173750573aa523e8bbefd30c9a04_800.png\" alt=\"Visual of the customer feedback loop\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Visual of the customer feedback loop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"55pad\">Offer proactive in-app support to remove friction<\/h3>\n<p>Having a great <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-success-vs-customer-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer support team<\/a> is necessary. But it&#8217;s also necessary to provide customers with the resources needed to troubleshoot independently. This way, customers benefit from having the problem solved quicker, thus reducing any <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-churn-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user friction<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Make this happen by introducing an <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/in-app-resource-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in-app resource center<\/a> for quick and easy <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-churn-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer support<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Embed multiple types of help materials and tips in there so customers have different options to choose from.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/in-app-resource-center_766cf9e25c79f9ee9d13cb8baac37cac_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/in-app-resource-center_766cf9e25c79f9ee9d13cb8baac37cac_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/in-app-resource-center_766cf9e25c79f9ee9d13cb8baac37cac_800.png\" alt=\"In-app resource center for user ease\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>In-app resource center for user ease.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"7s07t\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Understanding and effectively managing churn rate vs retention rate is crucial for business success.<\/p>\n<p>By focusing on tracking and improving both, you can enhance customer lifetime value and drive sustained revenue growth.<\/p>\n<p>Want to get started with churn management? <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/userpilot-demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get a Userpilot Demo <\/a>and see how it can help you with improving your retention rate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The churn rate is the rate at which customers stop doing business with a company over a given period of time. An increasing customer churn rate is a sign of a flawed product or service that is leaving customers dissatisfied. Inevitably, this hits your bottom line, and your revenue decreases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":151074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[770],"tags":[533,687,285,984,615,5149,4982,245],"class_list":["post-151073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ux-analytics","tag-churn-rate","tag-customer-churn","tag-customer-retention","tag-product-retention","tag-retention-rate","tag-retention-strategy","tag-user-churn","tag-user-retention"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Churn Rate vs Retention Rate: Formulas, Benchmarks And Ways To Improve<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What are the differences in churn rate vs retention rate? 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