This calculator measures pre-seed customer retention over a selected period by comparing the number of customers remaining at the end with the number present at the start, excluding newly acquired customers. It also reports the corresponding churn rate and net customer loss.
The result helps early teams monitor product stickiness before revenue metrics are stable. Use a consistent cohort and time window so the percentage reflects true retention rather than growth from new signups. Small cohorts can move sharply, so review both the rate and the underlying customer counts.
1. Choose a cohort period
Use the same start and end dates for both customer counts.
2. Enter starting customers
Count active customers at the beginning of the period.
3. Enter retained starting customers
Count only those original customers still active at the end; exclude new customers.
4. Interpret retention
Review the percentage together with churn and the absolute number lost.
Retention rate = Retained starting customers ÷ Starting customers × 100 Churn rate = 100% − Retention rate
This is logo retention based on customer counts. It does not measure revenue expansion or contraction.
The main result is the share of the original customer cohort that remained active through the selected period.
Use cohort-based retention for a more detailed view when customer behavior varies by signup date.
Given: 120 customers at the start and 102 of those customers still active at the end.
Calculation: Retention = 102 ÷ 120 × 100 = 85%. Churn = 15%. Customers lost = 18.
Result: The business retained 85% of the starting cohort.
No. Include only customers who were already in the starting cohort and remained active.
Choose a period appropriate to the buying cycle, such as monthly or quarterly, and keep it consistent across comparisons.
Not in logo retention. A larger ending figure usually means new customers were included by mistake.
A small number of cancellations can move the percentage significantly when the cohort is small.
Customer retention counts logos, while net revenue retention tracks recurring revenue after expansion, contraction, and churn.