SaaS Revenue Projector

Model your future subscription revenue by adjusting key growth levers.

Input Metrics

Final MRR

$0

Final ARR

$0

Final Customers

0

Total Revenue

$0

Growth Over Time

Month-by-Month Breakdown

MonthStarting CustomersNewLostEnding CustomersMRRARR

⭐ SaaS Projection Guide: Understanding Your Growth Metrics

Operating a SaaS business requires more than building a great product — you must understand the metrics that predict your revenue, growth, and long-term sustainability. Below, we break down each concept so you can get the most accurate and meaningful results from your projections.

What Is MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)?

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the lifeblood of any subscription business. It represents how much predictable revenue your SaaS generates every month.

Formula:
MRR = Active Customers × ARPU

Because MRR is recurring and stable, it is one of the first metrics investors evaluate. In this tool, changes in customer count, churn, ARPU, and growth rate directly impact your projected MRR curve. Even small increases in growth or reductions in churn can produce significant compounding effects over time.

What Is ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)?

ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) is simply your MRR multiplied by 12. It gives a big-picture perspective of your subscription revenue at a yearly scale.

Formula:
ARR = MRR × 12

ARR is commonly used in valuation models and financial planning. This tool automatically calculates your ARR projection so you can forecast what your business might make per year based on your inputs.

Understanding ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) tells you how much each customer contributes in revenue on average.

Formula:
ARPU = MRR ÷ Total Customers

Increasing ARPU is one of the fastest ways to grow revenue. This can be achieved through:

  • Tiered pricing
  • Add-ons or upgrades
  • Bundling features
  • Better customer segmentation

In the projection tool, adjusting ARPU instantly changes your MRR curve.

Monthly Growth Rate Explained

Your Monthly Growth Rate represents the percentage increase in your customer base each month. It comes from marketing, word of mouth, product quality, and customer referrals.

A 5% growth rate means your customers compound by 5% every month. Even a small monthly growth rate can lead to exponential increases when projected over 12–36 months.

What Is Churn Rate and Why Does It Matter?

Churn Rate is the percentage of customers that cancel each month. High churn kills SaaS growth.

Examples of churn consequences:

  • A 2% churn rate might be manageable.
  • A 10% churn rate means you are losing customers faster than you can acquire them.

This tool subtracts churn from your growth to calculate net new customers, which represents true SaaS health.

How the Projection Model Works

Every month, the tool calculates:

  • Starting Customers
  • New Customers (based on growth %)
  • Customers Lost (based on churn %)
  • Ending Customers
  • MRR and ARR for that month

This creates a clear picture of how your business evolves over time. You can adjust sliders to simulate different business scenarios and instantly visualize the outcome.

Month-by-Month Breakdown

The month-by-month table allows you to see each calculation in detail, including:

  • How many customers you gained
  • How many churned
  • What your ending customer count is
  • How MRR and ARR grow month over month

This makes the model transparent and easy to understand for founders, investors, and team members.

Real-World SaaS Example

Imagine you start with:

  • 100 customers
  • ARPU of $50
  • 5% monthly growth
  • 2% churn

After 36 months, your SaaS could grow to:

  • 292 customers
  • $14,600 MRR
  • $175,200 ARR

This shows how powerful compounding growth can be, even with modest monthly increases.

How to Improve Your SaaS Metrics

Here are actionable strategies to improve each key metric:

To increase MRR:

  • • Add higher pricing tiers
  • • Introduce add-ons
  • • Improve onboarding to reduce churn

To reduce churn:

  • • Provide fast customer support
  • • Improve product onboarding
  • • Identify at-risk users with lifecycle emails

To increase ARPU:

  • • Upsell premium features
  • • Offer bundles
  • • Create "pro" plans

To increase growth rate:

  • • Improve SEO & content marketing
  • • Encourage customer referrals
  • • Offer annual discounts

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Projections are models, not guarantees. They give directional insight based on your inputs but real-world results may vary.

Use MRR for monthly planning and ARR for long-term financial strategy.

Most SaaS businesses aim for 1%–5% monthly churn, depending on the market.

Ideally monthly, especially when tracking growth or preparing for fundraising.

Churn compounds — losing even 2% of customers monthly can reduce long-term growth significantly.