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Calculating Active Subscriptions, Activations, and Cancellations with App Store Connect

The subscriptions report provides a vast amount of information, including several calculated metrics. In this article we'll walk you through how we calculate Active Subscriptions, Activations, and Cancellations

Active Subscriptions

The number of paying subscriptions that are active at the end of the period.

Formula:

Active subscriptions = active subscriptions from the previous day + activations from the current day - cancellations from the current day

Example:

Let's use the date, June 3rd, as the example for our calculation. Take the active subscriptions on June 2nd and then add in activations for the current day, June 3rd. And lastly, subtract the cancellations reported on June 3rd.

  • Active Subscriptions (June 2nd) = 1,683
  • Activations (June 3rd) = 27
  • Cancellations (June 3rd) = 5

Active Subscriptions = 1,683 + 27 - 5 = 1,705

Activations

The number of subscriptions that have been activated during the period.

Formula:

Activations = new subscriptions + reactivations + trial conversions + transitions in + grace recovery

Example:

  • New Subscriptions = 4
  • Re-activations = 15
  • Trial Conversions = 20
  • Transitions In = 1
  • Grace Recovery = 2

Activations = 4 + 15 + 20 + 1 + 2 = 42

Cancellations

Any subscription not renewed directly by the customer or as a result of a plan/tier change.

Formula:

Cancellations = cancelled subscriptions + transitions out + new grace

Example:

  • Cancelled subscriptions = 18
  • Transitions Out = 3
  • New Grace = 7

Cancellation = 18 + 3 + 7 = 28

Note: Based on time zone differences, Apple's active subscription total can differ slightly day to day when calculating with activations and cancellations.