Multi-step paywall showing features first: +27% conversion
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsSwapping a single-screen paywall for a multi-step flow that shows features before prices raised conversion by 27% and proceeds by 36%.
Speak4Me, a text-to-speech app, ran this A/B test, and the result was published as a Superwall case study.
- Conversion rate: up 27% over the single-screen paywall.
- Proceeds: up 36%.
The change
Variant adds feature screens before the plan and price
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
A simple paywall that showed the offer on one screen, with a checkbox to add the free trial.
Variant
A multi-step flow that walked users through the app's features first, then showed prices and trial options.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Speak4Me's premium features, like premium voices and unlimited exports, were hard to explain on one screen.
- Seeing the value first likely made the price feel fair once it appeared.
- The extra steps added friction, but that cost was smaller than the gain from explaining the product.
Caveats: The whole paywall flow changed, so the lift can't be tied to one screen or message. Sample size, test length and confidence were not shared. Superwall sells the paywall testing tool used here and published this result, so it may lean positive.
Who ran it
Speak4Me 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 show our key features over a few screens before the price, then conversion will rise because users understand what they're paying for.
- Primary metric
- Paywall conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Proceeds per user
- Drop-off at each step
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Who should test it
- Apps with several premium features that a single screen can't explain. It may not help apps with one simple, obvious benefit.
Questions
Don't extra screens lose users?
Some, maybe. Speak4Me still saw conversion rise 27%, so the value shown outweighed the extra friction.
How many steps should a multi-step paywall have?
Speak4Me tested a three-step flow. Track drop-off on each screen and cut any step that loses people without adding value.
Which features should go first?
Lead with the features people pay for most.
For Speak4Me, that meant premium voices and unlimited exports.
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