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What is ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)?

Definition, examples, and more

Definition

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) is a financial metric used by subscription-based businesses to measure and forecast the total revenue expected from their subscriptions over a year. It’s essentially the predictable income a company anticipates receiving from existing customers, renewing their subscriptions at the same rate, and any new subscriptions obtained throughout the year.

How to Calculate

ARR = MRR x 12. Alternatively, ARR = (Monthly Subscribers x Monthly Price x 12) + (Annual Subscribers x Annual Price). For normalized calculations, include only recurring subscription revenue — exclude one-time purchases, tips, or ad revenue.

Example

A meditation app has 10,000 monthly subscribers at $9.99/month and 5,000 annual subscribers at $59.99/year. Their ARR = (10,000 x $9.99 x 12) + (5,000 x $59.99) = $1,198,800 + $299,950 = $1,498,750.

Why ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) Matters

ARR is the number investors, acquirers, and board members care about most because it represents your predictable revenue engine. A journaling app that grew from $500K ARR to $2M ARR in 18 months attracted a Series A at a 10x ARR valuation — meaning the difference between a $5M and $20M valuation came down to this single metric.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ARR and MRR?

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) measures your predictable monthly income, while ARR annualizes it. ARR = MRR x 12. MRR is better for short-term operational decisions, while ARR is preferred for fundraising, valuation, and annual planning.

Should I include trial users in ARR calculations?

No. Only include revenue from users who are actively paying. Trial users have not yet converted, so counting them would inflate your ARR and give a misleading picture of your business health. You can track ‘potential ARR’ separately if trial conversion rates are predictable.

What is a good ARR growth rate for a subscription app?

Early-stage apps should aim for 2-3x annual growth. Once you pass $1M ARR, growing 80-100% year-over-year is considered strong. At $10M+ ARR, 40-60% growth is impressive. The key benchmark is whether your growth rate is accelerating or decelerating.

Category
Subscription App Terminology
Related Area
Mobile App Growth & Monetization

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