Subscription customer lifetime value (LTV) calculator
Estimate subscription contribution lifetime value from monthly revenue per customer, contribution margin and customer churn.
01 / YOUR INPUTS
USD
%
%
Monthly inputs. Use consistent tax-exclusive amounts. Currency changes formatting, not exchange rates. Inputs reset when you leave or reload this page.
02 / YOUR PLANLive calculation
Estimated contribution LTV
$600.00
based on your monthly assumptions
Contribution / customer / month$30.00
Expected lifetime (months)20
A simplified subscription model: constant monthly ARPU, contribution margin and churn, with one contribution before the first possible churn. Excludes acquisition cost, fixed overhead, discounting and expansion. Zero churn cannot establish a finite lifetime; use observed cohorts to validate this estimate.
At 50 monthly revenue, 60% contribution margin and 5% monthly churn, monthly contribution is 30 and estimated lifetime is 20 months. Contribution LTV is 600 before acquisition cost and fixed overhead.
Is this suitable for every business?
No. It assumes a recurring subscription with constant churn and economics. For irregular repeat purchases, calculate contribution from observed customer cohorts instead. Zero churn does not support a finite LTV estimate.
Keep the assumptions consistent
Use one planning period and one currency. Enter amounts consistently excluding sales tax or VAT. These simplified models do not account for uncertainty, inventory limits, working capital or progressive taxes. Results are planning estimates.