Free trial or introductory offer: which to choose

A free trial is one of three introductory offers Apple gives you, next to pay as you go and pay up front. Pick a free trial when people need to try your app before they believe in it, and a discounted price when they already know what they want.

The three introductory offers

• Free trial: the subscription starts right away, but people pay nothing until the trial ends. Then the normal price starts.
• Pay as you go: a lower price every billing period for a set time, like a cheaper price for the first three months. Then the normal price.
• Pay up front: one payment for a longer first period, like six months for one price. Then the normal price.

How long they can last

• Free trial: 3 days, 1 or 2 weeks, 1, 2, 3 or 6 months, or 1 year.
• Pay up front: 1, 2, 3 or 6 months, or 1 year.
• Pay as you go: a number of billing periods. For a monthly plan that's 1 to 12 months.

Who gets the offer

Introductory offers are for people who haven't used one yet. Each person can use only one introductory offer per subscription group. If someone used the free trial of your monthly plan, they won't get the trial of your yearly plan in the same group too.

When a free trial fits

• Your app shows its value only after some use, like a habit tracker or a learning app.
• People don't know your app yet and need to see it work first.
• Your onboarding shows the best part of the app within the trial.

When a discounted price fits

• Pay as you go: people already want the app, but the full price feels high. A lower start makes saying yes easier.
• Pay up front: you want people to stay long enough to build a habit before the first full renewal.
• Both: you want to start with paying users, not with people who cancel before the trial ends.

Good to know before you start

• You can set an offer per country, with its own price.
• Per country you can have one current and one future introductory offer.
• An offer can't be edited once it's made. To change it, delete it and make a new one.

Change one thing at a time, and compare paying users after a few weeks, not after a few days.

In Fermium100 you make free trials and offer codes right in the app, and see what each offer brings in.