Free vs Pro table on the paywall: +1% conversion, +5% activation
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsTurning a paywall feature list into a Free vs Pro comparison table lifted conversion by 1% and paid user activation by 5%.
Symmetry, a workout plan app for Latin American markets, ran this test.
It was published as a Superwall case study.
- Conversion: +1%. This is a small lift, and the source does not say whether it is relative or in percentage points.
- Paid user activation rate: +5%, meaning more new subscribers went on to use premium features.
- Only the way features were presented changed, so the lift can be tied to the table format.
The change
The feature list becomes a two-column Free vs Pro table; headline and CTA stay the same.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The paywall showed a headline, a plain list of premium features and a CTA in a bottom drawer.
Variant
The same headline and CTA, with the feature list reformatted into a two-column table comparing Free and Pro.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A side-by-side table shows what users miss on the free plan, which a plain list does not.
- Contrast makes the Pro tier easier to judge at a glance.
- Users who understood what Pro adds may have been more likely to use those features after paying.
Caveats: The +1% conversion lift is small, and it is unclear whether it is relative or absolute. Sample size, duration and confidence were not shared, and the case study was published by Superwall, which sells the paywall testing tool used.
Who ran it
Symmetry 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 premium features as a Free vs Pro comparison table instead of a list, then more users will subscribe because the gap between tiers is clearer.
- Primary metric
- Paywall conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Paid user activation rate
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Refund rate
- Who should test it
- Freemium apps with a usable free tier and clear Pro-only features. It fits less well for hard-paywall apps with no free plan to compare against.
Questions
Is a 1% lift worth testing for?
It can be, if it is real and your traffic is large.
Check whether a reported lift is relative or absolute, and whether downstream metrics like activation also move.
What is paid user activation rate?
It is the share of new paying users who go on to use premium features.
It helps show whether a paywall change brings in engaged subscribers or just more sign-ups.
Similar tests
Kovalee