Subscription apps continue to struggle with keeping users engaged after cancellation, and a new report from RevenueCat shows just how difficult it has become to win those customers back. The company recently published part two of its State of Subscription Apps 2026 report, focusing on subscriber retention, cancellations, and renewal behavior across different app categories and pricing strategies.
RevenueCat reports that more than half of trial cancellations now occur on the very first day. However, apps offering longer trials appear to perform better after the initial drop-off period, as churn rates for 14-day and 30-day trials fall below 10% after Day 2.
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The report also highlights a major problem for developers relying on yearly plans.
RevenueCat found that 95% of users who cancel annual subscriptions never reactivate them. In comparison, monthly subscribers return at nearly four times the rate, showing that shorter plans still offer better opportunities for re-engagement.
Annual subscriptions still deliver stronger retention
Despite the low reactivation numbers, annual plans continue to provide the strongest long-term retention once users renew for the first time. RevenueCat says yearly subscriptions renew at an overall rate of 83.4%, which is far higher than both weekly and monthly plans.
The report also found that retention improves significantly after every successful renewal cycle. First annual renewals see median renewal rates between 23% and 40%, while second and third renewals climb even higher.
RevenueCat also explored how geography, app categories, and pricing tiers affect subscriber behavior. Shopping apps showed the fastest early churn, while education apps had the lowest first-month cancellation rates among annual subscribers.
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