Trial timeline instead of a feature list on the paywall: +23% trials
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsBlinkist replaced its feature-focused trial paywall with a screen that only explains how the free trial works, step by step, and promises a reminder before the trial ends.
Trial starts rose 23%. Blinkist ran the A/B test; the case study was published by Growth.Design.
- Trial starts: +23% for the timeline paywall over the feature-list paywall.
- Push notification opt-in: rose from 6% to 74%, because the app asks to send the promised trial-end reminder right after the trial starts.
- Customer complaints: down 55%, according to Growth.Design.
- Trial cancellations: Growth.Design says they also fell, but gives no number.
The change
The feature list and small print give way to a trial timeline with a reminder promise.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
A typical trial paywall: a bold restatement of the core offer, a list of reasons to subscribe, a faint close button that looked like a back arrow, and an asterisk pointing to small print.
Variant
A paywall with no features or benefits at all. It walks through the trial as a timeline and promises to remind the user before they are charged.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The main reason people held back was fear of forgetting to cancel and getting charged. The timeline answered that fear head-on.
- Removing the asterisk and small print likely made the offer feel less like it had a hidden catch.
- A close button users can actually find may lower the feeling of being trapped, which can make people push back against the ask.
- The reminder promise gave users a clear reason to allow notifications, which explains the jump in opt-in.
Caveats: Growth.Design does not share sample size, test length or confidence, and the trial-to-paid effect is not reported. The complaint and opt-in figures may come from after launch rather than from the split test itself.
Who ran it
Blinkist ran this test. Source: Growth.Design case study. The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
How to run this test on your app
- Hypothesis
- If we replace the feature list on our trial paywall with a clear timeline of what happens and when, plus a reminder before billing, then more users will start a trial because the fear of a surprise charge goes away.
- Primary metric
- Trial start rate (paywall view to trial start)
- Guardrails
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Refund requests
- Install-to-paid
- Who should test it
- Apps that use free trials with automatic billing, especially where users already know what the product does by the time they see the paywall. It fits less well with no-trial paywalls, or when users reach the paywall before they understand the value.
Questions
Will a trial timeline hurt trial-to-paid conversion?
Blinkist's case study does not report trial-to-paid, so we can't say.
Warning users before billing can lead to more cancellations, so track trial-to-paid and net revenue, not just trial starts.
Do I still need to list features on the paywall?
Blinkist's winning version listed none. That worked because the main doubt at that point was billing, not value.
If your users still doubt the value, test a timeline alongside a short benefit list.
Should I actually send the reminder?
Yes. The promise only builds trust if you keep it.
Blinkist asked for notification permission right after the trial started so it could send the reminder.
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