AppCalcsPlan pricing
Annual vs Monthly Plan Calculator
Compare what one acquired subscriber is worth on each plan, after churn and Apple's commission.
Free calculator
Your assumptions
Per acquired subscriber
- Monthly plan net
- $126.27
- Annual plan net
- $157.45
- Monthly plan retention
- 14.9 months
- Annual plan retention
- 22.2 months
- Annual price per month
- $8.33
- Annual plan discount
- 17%
Estimate only. Compares one acquired subscriber, so it is independent of how many you acquire. Apple drops the commission to 15% after a subscriber completes a year of paid service. Taxes, refunds, grace periods, and trials are excluded.
Why the plans differ
Two effects push in opposite directions. An annual plan collects twelve months up front and removes eleven chances to cancel, so retention is usually far higher. Against that, the annual price is normally discounted, so each retained month is worth less.
Apple's commission adds a third effect. The standard rate is 30%, dropping to 15% once a subscriber has completed a year of paid service. A monthly subscriber reaches that lower rate in month 13; an annual subscriber reaches it at the first renewal. Under the Small Business Program the rate is a flat 15%, so this effect disappears.
The comparison is per acquired subscriber, which keeps it independent of acquisition volume. Fee assumptions last reviewed 2026-08-25.