SaaS Retention Rate Calculator
.saas-calc-container {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
color: #333;
background: #fff;
border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
border-radius: 8px;
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
padding: 2rem;
}
.saas-calc-header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 2rem;
}
.saas-calc-header h2 {
margin: 0;
color: #2c3e50;
font-size: 1.8rem;
}
.saas-form-group {
margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
}
.saas-form-group label {
display: block;
font-weight: 600;
margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
color: #4a5568;
}
.saas-form-group input {
width: 100%;
padding: 12px;
border: 1px solid #cbd5e0;
border-radius: 6px;
font-size: 1rem;
transition: border-color 0.2s;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.saas-form-group input:focus {
border-color: #4299e1;
outline: none;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(66, 153, 225, 0.2);
}
.saas-form-help {
font-size: 0.85rem;
color: #718096;
margin-top: 0.25rem;
}
.saas-calc-btn {
width: 100%;
background-color: #4299e1;
color: white;
border: none;
padding: 14px;
font-size: 1.1rem;
font-weight: 600;
border-radius: 6px;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.2s;
}
.saas-calc-btn:hover {
background-color: #3182ce;
}
.saas-result-box {
margin-top: 2rem;
padding: 1.5rem;
background-color: #f7fafc;
border-radius: 8px;
border: 1px solid #e2e8f0;
display: none;
}
.saas-result-header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
font-size: 1.2rem;
font-weight: bold;
color: #2d3748;
}
.saas-metric-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 1.5rem;
}
.saas-metric-card {
background: white;
padding: 1rem;
border-radius: 6px;
text-align: center;
box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
}
.saas-metric-value {
font-size: 2rem;
font-weight: 700;
color: #2b6cb0;
margin: 0.5rem 0;
}
.saas-metric-label {
font-size: 0.9rem;
color: #718096;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.5px;
}
.saas-insight {
margin-top: 1.5rem;
padding: 1rem;
border-left: 4px solid #48bb78;
background-color: #f0fff4;
color: #2f855a;
font-size: 0.95rem;
}
.saas-error {
color: #e53e3e;
margin-top: 0.5rem;
font-size: 0.9rem;
display: none;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.saas-metric-grid {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
function calculateSaasRetention() {
// Clear previous errors
document.getElementById('calcError').style.display = 'none';
// Get Inputs
var startCustStr = document.getElementById('startCustomers').value;
var endCustStr = document.getElementById('endCustomers').value;
var newCustStr = document.getElementById('newCustomers').value;
// Basic Validation
if (startCustStr === " || endCustStr === " || newCustStr === ") {
showError("Please fill in all fields.");
return;
}
var S = parseFloat(startCustStr);
var E = parseFloat(endCustStr);
var N = parseFloat(newCustStr);
// Logic Validation
if (isNaN(S) || isNaN(E) || isNaN(N)) {
showError("Please enter valid numbers.");
return;
}
if (S <= 0) {
showError("Start Customers must be greater than zero to calculate a rate.");
return;
}
if (S < 0 || E < 0 || N < 0) {
showError("Values cannot be negative.");
return;
}
// Logic Check: You cannot have acquired more new customers than the total ending count (unless churn was massive, but E must mathematically include N)
// Actually, End Count = Start + New – Churned.
// So Churned = Start + New – End.
// If End Start + New.
// But specifically, E must be at least N if we assume 100% churn of old customers.
// It is possible E < N if you started with 10, gained 50, but lost 55? (10+50-55 = 5). Yes.
// Calculate Churned Customers
var churned = S + N – E;
// Calculate Retention Rate Formula: ((E – N) / S) * 100
var retainedCustomers = E – N;
var retentionRate = (retainedCustomers / S) * 100;
// Calculate Churn Rate (100 – Retention)
// Alternatively: (Churned / S) * 100 (Customer Churn Rate usually based on start)
var churnRate = (churned / S) * 100;
// Cap displays if data is weird (e.g., negative retention implies data entry error usually)
if (retentionRate End Customers.
// While theoretically possible if you lost ALL start customers plus some new ones instantaneously, usually it's a data mismatch.
// We will display it but add a warning.
}
// DOM Updates
document.getElementById('resultRetention').innerHTML = retentionRate.toFixed(2) + "%";
document.getElementById('resultChurn').innerHTML = churnRate.toFixed(2) + "%";
document.getElementById('resultLost').innerHTML = churned > 0 ? Math.round(churned) : 0;
var insightText = "";
if (retentionRate >= 100) {
insightText = "Excellent! You have negative churn or perfect retention (Net). Note: For customer counts, this usually means 100% retention.";
document.getElementById('resultRetention').style.color = "#2f855a";
} else if (retentionRate >= 90) {
insightText = "Great Health. A retention rate above 90% is excellent for most SaaS businesses.";
document.getElementById('resultRetention').style.color = "#2f855a";
} else if (retentionRate >= 80) {
insightText = "Good Standing. You are within the industry average for B2B SaaS.";
document.getElementById('resultRetention').style.color = "#2b6cb0";
} else {
insightText = "Needs Attention. Your retention is below 80%. Investigate churn reasons immediately.";
document.getElementById('resultRetention').style.color = "#c53030";
}
document.getElementById('resultInsight').innerHTML = insightText;
document.getElementById('resultsArea').style.display = 'block';
}
function showError(msg) {
var errEl = document.getElementById('calcError');
errEl.innerHTML = msg;
errEl.style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('resultsArea').style.display = 'none';
}
SaaS Customer Retention Calculator
Calculate your Customer Retention Rate (CRR) accurately
Total paying customers at the beginning of the month/quarter/year.
Total paying customers at the end of the same period.
New sign-ups converted to paid during this specific period.
Analysis Results
Retention Rate
–
Churn Rate
–
Customers Lost
–
Period Net Change
(Calculated from E-S)
How to Calculate Retention Rate for SaaS
In the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry, Customer Retention Rate (CRR) is arguably the most critical metric for long-term viability. Unlike one-time sales models, SaaS relies on recurring revenue. Calculating your retention rate tells you exactly what percentage of your existing customers remained with you over a given time frame, excluding any new growth.
The SaaS Retention Formula
To calculate retention rate accurately, you must isolate your existing customer base from your new acquisitions. The standard formula used by this calculator is:
Retention Rate = [ ( E – N ) / S ] × 100
E (End Customers): The total number of customers at the end of the period.
N (New Customers): The number of new customers acquired during that period.
S (Start Customers): The number of customers you had at the start of the period.
Example Calculation
Let's say you run a CRM software company. You want to calculate your retention rate for Q1.
Start of Q1 (S): You started with 200 paying customers.
End of Q1 (E): You ended with 220 paying customers.
New Customers (N): During Q1, you acquired 40 new customers.
Step 1: Subtract new customers from the end total: 220 – 40 = 180 (these are the retained customers). Step 2: Divide by the starting count: 180 / 200 = 0.90. Step 3: Multiply by 100: 90% Retention Rate.
Why Retention Matters More Than Acquisition
While acquiring new customers (New MRR) is exciting, retaining existing ones is efficient. It is significantly cheaper to retain a customer than to acquire a new one. A high retention rate improves your LTV:CAC ratio (Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost) and compounds revenue growth through upsells and expansion revenue.
SaaS Retention Benchmarks
What is a "good" retention rate? It varies by customer segment:
SMB SaaS: 80% annual retention is considered average, while 90%+ is excellent.
Enterprise SaaS: Due to higher contract values and switching costs, benchmarks are higher. Expect 90% average and 95%+ for best-in-class companies.
Net Dollar Retention (NDR) vs. Customer Retention
This calculator focuses on Customer Retention (logos retained). However, many SaaS companies also track Net Dollar Retention (NDR). NDR measures the revenue retained from the cohort, including upgrades, downgrades, and churn. Ideally, your NDR should be above 100%, indicating that your revenue from existing customers is growing faster than the revenue lost from churn (negative churn).