CaddieThe bottom line
Pro badges alone lifted free-to-paid conversions 35%
Before badges100
With pro badges135
Adding pro badges to features exclusive to paying users raised Mobbin's free-to-paid conversions by 35%. Showing what the pro plan offers, and where the paywall sits, pushes free users to upgrade.
Key takeaways
- Pro badges on paid-only features increased free-to-paid conversions. They made the value of upgrading visible.
- The result was a 35% increase in free-to-paid conversions.
- No other changes were made to the app.
- The badges were meant to raise awareness of monetization. Free users could see which features need a paid plan.
- The badges also prevented unexpected paywalls. Free users know a feature is exclusive before they try it.
The test: Pro badge
Badges turn surprise paywalls into visible upgrade reasons
| Without badges | With pro badges | |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-only features | Look like any other | Marked with a badge |
| Paywall | Hit without warning | Expected in advance |
| Value of upgrading | Unclear | Visible while browsing |
| Free-to-paid conversions | Baseline | +35% |
Mobbin marked pro-only features with badges and saw a clear rise in upgrades.
- The change added pro badges to features exclusive to paying users.
- The app is Mobbin, and the category is monetization awareness.
- The goal was to communicate the advantages of the pro plan clearly.
- Free users no longer hit paywalls without warning.
- The badges alone produced the lift.
- No other changes were made to the app.
- Free-to-paid conversions rose by 35%.
In the growth library
Mobbin, Monetization awareness test. Labeling paid-only features with a Pro badge tells free users what upgrading gets them and avoids surprise paywalls. In Mobbin's test, this single change raised free-to-paid conversions by 35%.
Lessons that draw on this:
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