Keywords · Retention · Finance · Updated 2026-07-21

What is Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)?

Short answer: The percentage of recurring revenue retained from an existing customer cohort, counting churn and downgrades but excluding any expansion revenue.

Definition

The percentage of recurring revenue retained from an existing customer cohort, counting churn and downgrades but excluding any expansion revenue.

Why it matters for growth

GRR isolates how well a company keeps what it already has, without expansion masking a real churn problem the way NRR can.

Example

A company with the same starting ARR loses $50,000 to churn and downgrades over the year, giving a GRR of 95% even though NRR looked healthy.

FAQ

What is Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)?
The percentage of recurring revenue retained from an existing customer cohort, counting churn and downgrades but excluding any expansion revenue.
Why does Gross Revenue Retention (GRR) matter for growth?
GRR isolates how well a company keeps what it already has, without expansion masking a real churn problem the way NRR can.
What is an example of Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)?
A company with the same starting ARR loses $50,000 to churn and downgrades over the year, giving a GRR of 95% even though NRR looked healthy.
What is Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)? Definition and growth use · Cofounderbase