A two-tier subscription app · B2C · guest's agency client
Give the top plan a dark, premium look that switches when users pick it
More users chose the top plan; no numbers
What they did
What happened
In their words
Jonathan Parra - I made 4,000 app paywalls and learned this
Jonathan ParraBut the point is, when you have the Pro, the app is white. And so, when you have contrast on the paywall, especially you've been going through onboarding, you have a black background, and then all of a sudden you have contrast on the paywall screen, you're conditioning the user to think, "Oh, something's happening," or, "Oh, okay, like this is different."
Jonathan ParraAnd then uh I want users to subscribe to the higher-tier option, because they get more um than if they were in just the Plus subscription. So, I have the Plus subscription with a white background, um and then I I have um the Pro background once they switch back to that, because users will play on on the paywall, um just go back to that more premium-looking design.
Jonathan ParraAnd as a result, yeah, more users subscribed to the Pro plan. Um Hinge This is This paywall is inspired by Hinge, and I can't remember if Hinge does this fade uh contrast effect, but I knew that I wanted to do it for this paywall, because um I wanted to have some contrast on it and make it look a little bit more premium.
Joseph ChoiAnd then is the actual app interface turn to black also once you finish the paywall?
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More from this episode
- Shorten plan names, add 'No commitment, cancel anytime', and label the button 'Continue'+10% conversion over the wordier paywall
- Cut the monthly plan; offer annual plus a weekly plan with 3 free daysBig conversion jump per the slide; exact number not read out
- Put 'No commitment, cancel anytime' on almost every paywallSmall but steady conversion bump, per the guest
- Show two plans, hide the rest behind 'View all plans', preselect annualGuest's standard setup; no numbers given
- When users close the paywall, show cheaper plans, then a 33%-off yearly dealNo result given; guest's go-to for apps that already test a lot
- For week- or month-long programs, show step by step how users will changeWorks across categories for journey-style apps, per the guest; no numbers
- Keep one-time offers at 25-33% off; save big sales for Black Friday
- Swap the feature table for 'Try it for 50% off' and a big screenshot+111% conversion; revenue per user also rose
- Make the paywall button about 65 points tall, with big text and an arrowGuest says bigger buttons and the arrow bump conversions; no numbers
- Start with a one-page paywall: headline, bullet list, reviews, buttonOne of the few layouts that performs well across categories, per the guest
- Test paywall design and plan mix first; leave price tests for laterGuest says design tests give the most mileage; no numbers
- Put a short video of the app in use on the paywallWon its A/B test; no numbers given
- Make the paywall look like a plain Apple settings screenBeat more custom designs 'by quite a long shot'; worked again for a second app
- Show the free trial as a timeline: today, day-5 reminder, day-7 billingStill a very high performer after years of copying, per the guest
- Charge about $20 a month for an AI chat app tuned to one nicheUsers pay for it, per the guest; no revenue shared
Tags: ios, tiered-pricing, premium-styling, contrast, hinge-style