tech
March 10, 2026
AI-powered apps struggle with long-term retention, new report shows
AI can drive stronger early monetization for apps, but sustaining value remains the challenge, RevenueCat's latest report finds.
TL;DR
- AI-powered apps are not guaranteed to retain subscribers long-term, with a median churn rate 30% faster than non-AI apps.
- AI apps underperform in annual (21.1% vs. 30.7%) and monthly (6.1% vs. 9.5%) retention rates, but lead in weekly retention (2.5% vs. 1.7%).
- AI apps have 20% higher refund rates (4.2% vs. 3.5% median) than non-AI apps.
- AI apps convert users from trials to paid customers 52% better and monetize downloads around 20% better than non-AI apps.
- AI apps generate significantly higher monthly realized lifetime value ($18.92 vs. $13.59 median) and annual realized lifetime value ($30.16 vs. $21.37 median).
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