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100+ teardown analyses

SaaS Retention Benchmarks 2026

How does your churn, LTV:CAC, payback period, and expansion revenue stack up against indie SaaS founders at your revenue level?

Benchmarks by MRR Tier

$5K-$25K MRR

34 companies analyzed

Monthly Churn

Median6.2%
Range (25th-75th)4.1%-8.5%

LTV:CAC Ratio

Median3.2:1
Range2.1:1-4.8:1

Payback Period

Median8.5m
Range5.2-12.1m

Expansion Revenue

% with expansion28%
Median MoM growth+2.1%

Retention cliff: Month 6 is where churn typically accelerates. Successful teams hit onboarding + integration milestones by then.

$25K-$50K MRR

48 companies analyzed

Monthly Churn

Median4.8%
Range (25th-75th)2.9%-6.7%

LTV:CAC Ratio

Median4.1:1
Range2.8:1-5.9:1

Payback Period

Median6.2m
Range3.8-9.3m

Expansion Revenue

% with expansion42%
Median MoM growth+3.5%

Retention cliff: Month 8 is where churn typically accelerates. Successful teams hit onboarding + integration milestones by then.

$50K+ MRR

28 companies analyzed

Monthly Churn

Median3.1%
Range (25th-75th)1.8%-4.5%

LTV:CAC Ratio

Median5.2:1
Range3.7:1-7.3:1

Payback Period

Median4.1m
Range2.5-6.2m

Expansion Revenue

% with expansion58%
Median MoM growth+5.2%

Retention cliff: Month 10 is where churn typically accelerates. Successful teams hit onboarding + integration milestones by then.

Why These Metrics Matter

Why churn accelerates at month 6

Founder time-boxing expires. Default behavior kicks in. Successful teams hit integration +automation milestones by then.

Month 6 is when product-market fit resolves into expansion or churn.

From 3 teardown case studies

Expansion revenue splits by tier

Lower MRR tiers (DIY founders) rarely add seats. Mid-tier traction triggers team seats. $50K+ is where net-revenue growth wins over new CAC.

Build seat-based pricing between $15K-$35K MRR.

From 4 teardown case studies

Where Do You Stand?

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FAQ

How often are benchmarks updated?

Monthly. Every new teardown analysis is aggregated by MRR tier and published here. Median/range/percentiles update the first Monday of each month.

Is this free to see?

Yes. These benchmarks are free forever. Compare yourself against peers, then run a teardown analysis to understand your specific churn drivers (free or paid).

What data goes into these benchmarks?

Aggregated churn analysis data from RetentionCheck users (anonymized). Every teardown submitted contributes 1 company to the aggregate. Metrics: churn, LTV:CAC, payback period, expansion revenue.

Why does expansion revenue vary so much by tier?

Founder solo-ops at $5K MRR rarely add features. By $25K, team seats and add-ons become primary revenue lever. By $50K+, companies have expanded from 1-2 customer segments into 3+, driving net expansion into double digits.