Free trial as an opt-in, not a default: +10% trial conversion
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsLinearity Curve made its free trial an opt-in instead of a default, and trial conversion rate rose 10%.
The vector design app ran the A/B test on its paywall to see whether users who choose a trial are more committed.
The result was published as a Superwall case study.
- Trial conversion rate: +10% for opt-in trial users.
- Trial starts fell, as expected when the trial is no longer automatic. The size of the drop was not shared.
- Net revenue per user was not shared, so the overall gain is not proven.
The change
The trial becomes a choice the user selects, not a default
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The free trial was included by default in the purchase flow.
Variant
The trial became an option the user had to actively select before continuing.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Users who pick a trial on purpose likely have more intent to keep paying.
- A visible choice makes the trial terms clearer, which may cut surprise cancellations.
- Default trials pull in people who never meant to buy, and the opt-in filters them out.
Caveats: Trial starts went down, and the source gives no net revenue figure, sample size, duration or significance. Superwall sells the paywall and testing tool used here, and its published case studies can lean positive.
Who ran it
Linearity Curve ran this test. Source: Superwall 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 make the free trial something users have to select instead of a default, then trial-to-paid will rise because the users who start a trial will be more committed.
- Primary metric
- Paying users (or proceeds) per paywall view
- Guardrails
- Trial start rate
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Direct purchase rate without a trial
- Who should test it
- Apps with many trial starts but weak trial-to-paid, especially pro tools with a serious audience. It is risky if most of your revenue depends on trial volume and conversion is already strong.
Questions
Won't an opt-in trial cut trial starts?
Yes, it did here. The question is whether the higher conversion rate makes up for it, so judge the test on paying users per paywall view.
What does trial conversion rate mean here?
It is the share of trial users who become paying subscribers.
A higher rate with fewer trials can still mean fewer payers overall.
How should the opt-in look?
Linearity Curve required an explicit action to select the trial.
A toggle or a separate trial option are common ways to do that.