SaaS

Customer Retention Calculator

Calculate the percentage of starting customers retained after accounting for new customers added during the period.

Last reviewed: April 30, 2026Free toolMethodology

Customer Retention Calculator

These fields start with sample inputs. Keep them or replace them, then run the tool to show a fresh result.

Number fields accept plain values and common formatted input such as 250000, 250,000, or 1,234.56.

Result

Calculating the sample result.

Why it matters

Retention complements churn by focusing attention on what stayed, which is often easier to map to operational work than churn alone.

When to use

  • Monthly or quarterly customer health reviews
  • Comparing onboarding or success changes
  • Pairing with churn analysis for a fuller retention view

Inputs & Outputs

Inputs

  • Starting customers are the customers at the beginning of the period.
  • Ending customers are the customers at the end of the period.
  • New customers are the customers added during the same period.

Outputs

  • Retention rate shows the share of the starting base that remained by the end of the period.
  • Retained customers shows the count of customers from the original base that stayed.

Retention formula

Subtract new customers from ending customers to isolate retained customers, then divide by starting customers and convert to a percentage.

Retention rate = (ending customers - new customers) / starting customers

Worked example

1

Quarterly retention check

A company started with 1,600 customers, ended with 1,720, and added 220 new customers during the quarter.

Inputs

  • Starting customers: 1,600
  • Ending customers: 1,720
  • New customers: 220

Steps

  • Retained customers = 1,720 - 220 = 1,500
  • Retention = 1,500 / 1,600 = 93.75%

Result

  • Customer retention is 93.75% for the quarter.

Edge cases & caveats

  • Retention can look healthy even if revenue quality worsens through contraction.
  • Be precise about whether you are measuring logos, seats, or active paying users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why subtract new customers from ending customers?

Because retention is about the customers you started with, not the new logos added during the period.

Can retention be above 100%?

Customer retention cannot exceed 100% using this logo-based formula. Revenue retention can.

Keep going

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