Keywords · Retention · Updated 2026-07-21

What is Churn?

Short answer: The rate at which customers stop using a product or cancel a subscription over a given period.

Definition

The rate at which customers stop using a product or cancel a subscription over a given period.

Why it matters for growth

Churn is the mirror image of retention and directly caps how large a business can grow before new acquisition is entirely offset by losses.

Example

A company loses 5% of its paying customers every month, meaning nearly half its customer base turns over annually if unaddressed.

FAQ

What is Churn?
The rate at which customers stop using a product or cancel a subscription over a given period.
Why does Churn matter for growth?
Churn is the mirror image of retention and directly caps how large a business can grow before new acquisition is entirely offset by losses.
What is an example of Churn?
A company loses 5% of its paying customers every month, meaning nearly half its customer base turns over annually if unaddressed.
What is Churn? Definition and growth use · Cofounderbase