Churn sets your ceiling, not signups
At 10% monthly churn, 30 new subscribers a month plateaus at 300 — no matter how long you keep going. The steady-state number in the results is the honest ceiling of your current motion; raising it means either more signups or lower churn, and lower churn is almost always cheaper.
Where subscription income actually comes from
Sub counts are less important than sub behaviour.
- • Consistent schedule — subscribers churn fastest when streams become unpredictable.
- • Subscriber-only perks that are visible during the stream, so non-subs see the value.
- • Gifted subs, which convert to paying renewals at a meaningful rate.
- • Higher tiers: a handful of top-tier subs often out-earn hundreds of base-tier ones.
Don't build on one income stream
Subscriptions are the steadiest creator income there is, but platform terms and cuts change without notice. Pair this with gifting and brand-deal models so a single policy change doesn't take out your whole month.
Related guides
Long-form playbooks on the same topic, written by the RevenueLab editorial team.
YouTube vs TikTok vs Instagram Payouts: What Creators Actually Make in 2026
Side-by-side RPM, CPM, and creator-fund payouts across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram — with the per-1,000-view math and calculator links so you can model your own numbers.
Read the guideNewsletter Monetization in 2026: Paid Subs vs Sponsorships vs Both
How paid newsletters actually pencil — conversion rates from free to paid, churn assumptions, and when sponsorship-led models out-earn subscription-led ones.
Read the guideCreator Sponsorship Rates 2026: What to Charge Across YouTube, TikTok & Newsletters
Real-world sponsorship rate ranges by audience size and platform — plus how integration depth, exclusivity, and usage rights move the number up or down.
Read the guideFAQ
Why is the app store fee separate from the platform cut?
They apply in sequence: the store takes its share of the in-app payment first, then the platform splits the remainder with you. Stacking them is why the effective take rate is well above the headline split.
Do gifted subs pay the same?
Usually yes — the gifter pays and you receive the same net per sub. They churn differently though, so track them separately if they're a large share of your base.
How do I lower churn?
Schedule consistency first, then perks that renew value monthly. Most subscription churn is a scheduling problem dressed up as a content problem.
Are these payout rates official?
No. Creator subscription splits vary by program, region, and payment method, and platforms don't publish a single fixed rate. Use your own payout statements to set the platform cut input.
How this calculator is built
Independently maintained
Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
Sourced from primary data
Benchmarks come from public AdSense / Stripe / IRS disclosures and reader-submitted data — never third-party "$X per view" claims. Full methodology.
Last editorial review
Reviewed on a rolling quarterly cycle. Dated reviews are published on the methodology record for each calculator.
Editorial standards
See our editorial policy and disclaimer. Results are estimates, not advice.