# Members vs non-members comparison chart: +76% free trial sign-ups

- Outcome: Won
- Page type: Free trial (SaaS)
- Elements: Comparison table, Testimonials
- Date shared: 2008-05
- Test run by: [MarketingSherpa](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/marketingsherpa/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://marketingexperiments.com/a-b-testing/to-increase-conversions-hold-the-hype-and-stick-with-the-matrix
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/marketingsherpa-comparison-matrix-free-trial/

Adding a members vs non-members comparison chart, plus testimonials, to a membership free-trial page lifted free trial subscriptions by 76%. MarketingSherpa ran the test on its own page, and it was published by sister site MarketingExperiments. The chart and testimonials shipped together, so the lift belongs to the bundle, not the chart alone.

## Result

**+76% free trial sign-ups**

- Free trial subscriptions: +76% for the version with the comparison chart and testimonials.
- The page grew longer, yet still converted better, which suggests the added content was worth the extra scroll.
- Sample size, duration and confidence level were not shared.

## Control

The membership free-trial page described the benefits in copy, with no side-by-side view of what members get versus non-members.

## Variant

A comparison matrix showed member versus non-member access, with testimonials placed beside the chart and below the call to action. The page also got longer.

## Why it likely won (our reading)

- A table is faster to scan than paragraphs, so visitors could see the gap between free and paid access at a glance.
- Showing what non-members miss frames the trial as a clear upgrade.
- Testimonials next to the chart and under the button may have eased doubts right at the point of decision.

## Caveats

Bundled test: the chart and testimonials were added at the same time, so the result can't be credited to one element. The test is from 2008 and sample size was not shared.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we add a free vs paid comparison chart to our trial page, then trial sign-ups will rise because visitors can see the value of the paid tier in seconds.
- Primary metric: Free trial sign-up rate
- Guardrail: Trial-to-paid conversion
- Guardrail: Bounce rate on the trial page
- Guardrail: Plan mix of new sign-ups
- Who should test it: SaaS and membership businesses with a free tier or public content and a paid plan with clear extras. It helps less when the paid plan's value is hard to list as features, or when there is no free option to compare against.

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Credit: MarketingSherpa ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/marketingsherpa-comparison-matrix-free-trial/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.