EPISODE · Mar 14, 2026 · 1H 14M
Subscription App Growth Is Getting Brutal (RevenueCat Data Explained)
from App Marketing by App Masters · host Steve Young
In this episode, we break down the 2026 State of Subscription Apps report from RevenueCat, one of the largest analyses of subscription app performance ever conducted.We’re joined by David Barnard, Growth Advocate at RevenueCat, to unpack the key insights from the report.The study analyzes 75,000+ apps and more than $11B in revenue across over a billion transactions, revealing what’s actually working in today’s subscription economy.One of the most surprising findings: apps launched before 2020 still generate nearly 70% of all subscription revenue, even though thousands of new apps are launched every month.If you’re building or growing a subscription app, these benchmarks will help you understand where you stand and which levers can truly move revenue. You will discover:✅ Why the top 25% of apps grew 80%+ while the bottom quartile shrank✅ Why hard paywalls convert 5× better than freemium✅ The surprising truth about AI apps: higher revenue but worse retention✅ The growing importance of web-to-app funnels and web revenue✅ Benchmark metrics like conversion rates, RPI, and retentionLearn More:Connect with David:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbarnard/State of Subscription Apps 2026:https://www.revenuecat.com/state-of-subscription-apps/?utm_source=appmasters&utm_medium=youtubeYou can also watch this video here: https://youtube.com/live/8Tk_EHQUeaY*********************************************SPONSORSStill designing, resizing, and uploading screenshots manually? AppScreens lets you pick from hundreds of high-converting templates, generate for every device size and language in minutes, and upload automatically to directly to App Store Connect and Google Play Console. Trusted by more than 100K developers and ASO experts worldwide.Try it free: https://appscreens.com/?via=am*********************************************Got tons of freemium users who won’t upgrade? Encore turns free users into paying customers and reduces churn by adding smart, curated affiliate offers at key user moments. Everyone wins with Encore.Learn more at https://encorekit.com/*********************************************Ready to take action? Start exploring AppsFlyer's deep linking suite - coming soon as a standalone solution, independent of their measurement packages → https://bit.ly/46O7Wgd*********************************************Follow us:YouTube: AppMasters.com/YouTubeInstagram: @App MastersTwitter: @App MastersTikTok: @stevepyoungFacebook: App Masters*********************************************
What this episode covers
In this episode, we break down the 2026 State of Subscription Apps report from RevenueCat, one of the largest analyses of subscription app performance ever conducted.We’re joined by David Barnard, Growth Advocate at RevenueCat, to unpack the key insights from the report.The study analyzes 75,000+ apps and more than $11B in revenue across over a billion transactions, revealing what’s actually working in today’s subscription economy.One of the most surprising findings: apps launched before 2020 still generate nearly 70% of all subscription revenue, even though thousands of new apps are launched every month.If you’re building or growing a subscription app, these benchmarks will help you understand where you stand and which levers can truly move revenue. You will discover:✅ Why the top 25% of apps grew 80%+ while the bottom quartile shrank✅ Why hard paywalls convert 5× better than freemium✅ The surprising truth about AI apps: higher revenue but worse retention✅ The growing importance of web-to-app funnels and web revenue✅ Benchmark metrics like conversion rates, RPI, and retentionLearn More:Connect with David:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbarnard/State of Subscription Apps 2026:https://www.revenuecat.com/state-of-subscription-apps/?utm_source=appmasters&utm_medium=youtubeYou can also watch this video here: https://youtube.com/live/8Tk_EHQUeaY*********************************************SPONSORSStill designing, resizing, and uploading screenshots manually? AppScreens lets you pick from hundreds of high-converting templates, generate for every device size and language in minutes, and upload automatically to directly to App Store Connect and Google Play Console. Trusted by more than 100K developers and ASO experts worldwide.Try it free: https://appscreens.com/?via=am*********************************************Got tons of freemium users who won’t upgrade? Encore turns free users into paying customers and reduces churn by adding smart, curated affiliate offers at key user moments. Everyone wins with Encore.Learn more at https://encorekit.com/*********************************************Ready to take action? Start exploring AppsFlyer's deep linking suite - coming soon as a standalone solution, independent of their measurement packages → https://bit.ly/46O7Wgd*********************************************Follow us:YouTube: AppMasters.com/YouTubeInstagram: @App MastersTwitter: @App MastersTikTok: @stevepyoungFacebook: App Masters*********************************************
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Subscription App Growth Is Getting Brutal (RevenueCat Data Explained)
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