These 20 SaaS marketing stats and SaaS churn stats for 2027 planning show a market where buyers build their shortlists from review sites and AI before talking to sales, marketing spend is flat as a share of ARR, and median gross revenue retention just fell from 88% to 84%. Much of that churn traces back to a customer’s first year, which makes onboarding one of the most direct levers for retention.
Take this example scenario: A VP of Customer Success opens the renewal forecast and spots a pattern. A handful of accounts that signed in Q1, deals marketing worked hard to source, and sales worked hard to close, never made it past setup. Nobody complained. Usage just flattened, and now the renewal is at risk.
This scenario sits at the center of SaaS growth going into 2027. Buyers do most of their research before a seller gets a call, which puts more pressure on marketing to win the shortlist. Once the contract is signed, the first few months decide whether that customer renews, expands, or quietly churns.
These SaaS marketing stats and SaaS churn stats below follow that arc, from how buyers choose to why they stay. Use them to benchmark your own retention, see where your team could be losing customers between the signed contract and the first renewal, and make the case for video onboarding investment.
Key takeaways
- Among technology buyers, 83% shortlist three or fewer products, and 67% end up buying their first choice, according to TrustRadius.
- At SaaS companies, 40% of new ARR comes from existing customers at the median, and expanding a customer costs $0.80 per $1 of new ARR versus $1.63 for a new logo (Benchmarkit).
- Median gross revenue retention fell from 88% to 84% in 2025, the largest single-year drop in Benchmarkit’s four-year trend. At 84%, the typical company loses 16% of its existing ARR each year before expansion.
- Even best-in-class software products keep only 57% of new users after three months (Pendo).
- Among companies that cut onboarding investment, 57% saw churn rise within six months (OnRamp).
SaaS marketing stats: software buyers decide before sales gets involved
These stats describe a software buyer who does the research alone and arrives at the first sales conversation with a short list and a favorite.
1. Review sites and AI chatbots are the top two influences on software shortlists
The G2 2026 Buyer Behavior Report, based on a June 2026 survey of 1,038 B2B decision-makers, found that the top sources influencing buyer shortlist decisions are review sites (38%) and AI chatbots (37%). Evaluation is now the longest stage of the buying journey for 40% of buyers, ahead of research (36%). For SaaS marketers, reviews, product content, and how AI tools summarize your brand now carry most of the early sale.
2. 8 in 10 software buyers used AI chatbots to source software recommendations
Per G2, 8 in 10 buyers used AI chatbots like ChatGPT to source software recommendations in the last 24 months, and half of those buyers say AI had the greatest influence during shortlisting and evaluation. SaaS content now has to be clear and specific enough for an AI assistant to summarize accurately, because that summary is often a buyer’s first impression.
3. 83% of technology buyers shortlist three or fewer products
The TrustRadius 2026 B2B Buying Disconnect Report, which surveyed 1,862 technology buyers, found that 83% shortlisted three or fewer products, with an average shortlist of 2.7. A SaaS vendor that doesn’t make the shortlist rarely gets a second chance in the same buying cycle.
4. 79% of tech buyers had heard of the product they bought before researching
Per the same TrustRadius research, 79% of buyers had heard of the tool they purchased before they began researching, and 67% bought their first-choice product. Brand familiarity built long before a buying cycle shapes which SaaS products make the list at all.
5. 74% of tech buyers consult reviews, and vendor collateral ranks last
TrustRadius found that 74% of technology buyers consult customer reviews, while vendor marketing collateral ranked last among the resources buyers use. Buyers want proof from customers like them, which raises the value of customer stories and content that shows real product outcomes.
6. 63% of tech buyers used AI during the buying process
Per TrustRadius, 63% of technology buyers used AI during their buying process, and among those buyers, 72% always or very often fact-check what AI tools tell them, up from 58% the year before. AI speeds up research, but buyers still verify against sources they trust.
Buyers trust proof over pitch. See how enterprise SaaS teams turn customer data into personalized onboarding and adoption videos. Take the 5-minute platform tour →
Where SaaS growth and spend are shifting
SaaS budgets tell their own story: acquisition got more efficient in 2025, but expansion still delivers new ARR at about half the cost of winning a new logo.
7. Private SaaS companies spend a median 8% of ARR on marketing
The SaaS Capital 2026 Spending Benchmarks, based on more than 1,000 private B2B SaaS companies, put median marketing spend at 8% of annual recurring revenue (ARR), unchanged from the prior year. Median sales spend rose to 15%, up from 13%.
8. Customer success spend now exceeds marketing spend
Per SaaS Capital, median spend on customer support and success rose to 9% of ARR, up from 8%, which puts it ahead of marketing. SaaS companies are investing more in the post-sale experience, and that spend needs to show up in retention.
9. SaaS companies spend $1.63 to win each $1 of new-customer ARR
The Benchmarkit 2026 SaaS and AI Metrics Benchmarks report, drawn from 342 B2B SaaS and AI-native software companies, found that the median New CAC Ratio improved to $1.63 in 2025, down from $2.00 in 2024. That means companies spent $1.63 on sales and marketing for every dollar of ARR from new customers. Every customer who churns early takes that acquisition cost with them.
10. 40% of new ARR comes from existing customers, at about half the cost
Per Benchmarkit, expansion accounted for 40% of total new ARR at the median in both 2024 and 2025, and 62% for companies above $100M in ARR. Expansion is also cheaper: the median Expansion CAC Ratio was $0.80 per dollar of new ARR, versus $1.63 for new logos. For many SaaS companies, the installed base has become the most efficient source of growth, which only works when those customers stay and adopt.
11. Median NRR is 102%, but the bottom quartile fell to 92%
Benchmarkit also found that median net revenue retention (NRR) was 102% in 2025, while the 25th percentile fell from 95% to 92%, below its 2023 low. Companies growing faster than 50% posted a 111% median NRR. Expansion revenue matters more than ever, and retention has gotten harder to hold.
How a leading SaaS marketing platform onboards at scale: personalized onboarding video drove significantly higher engagement in the first seven days after signup. See personalized onboarding video →
SaaS churn stats: where revenue retention breaks down
These SaaS churn stats and retention benchmarks show how much revenue leaks out after the sale, and when it happens.
12. Median GRR fell from 88% to 84% in 2025
Per Benchmarkit, median gross revenue retention (GRR) fell from 88% in 2024 to 84% in 2025, the largest single-year drop in its four-year trend, and the 75th percentile fell from 95% to 91%. At 84%, the typical company loses 16% of its existing ARR each year to churn and contraction. The SaaS Capital 2025 B2B SaaS Retention Benchmarks, based on a different sample of more than 1,000 private B2B SaaS companies, put median GRR at 91% and median NRR at 101%. Either way, the typical company barely makes back its losses through expansion.
13. In the $25K to $50K ACV band, top-quartile NRR is 111%, and the bottom quartile is 97%
In the $25K to $50K annual contract value (ACV) band, SaaS Capital found top-quartile NRR of 111% and bottom-quartile NRR of 97%. Per SaaS Capital, companies with NRR of 110% or higher grew faster than the 24% median, while those below 100% grew more slowly.
14. At least a quarter of SaaS companies are contracting in most ACV bands
Per SaaS Capital, companies at the 25th percentile are seeing contraction in every ACV band except the highest, above $250K. Those high-ACV companies also post the highest gross retention, a 95% median, which SaaS Capital attributes to longer sales cycles, in-depth scoping and implementation, and dedicated support.
15. Even top-quartile companies keep only 70% of new customers through year one
ChartMogul’s 2023 SaaS Retention Report, drawn from more than 2,100 SaaS businesses, found that top-quartile companies retain 90% of new customers through the first three months and 70% through the first 12. Those are the best performers, and their losses start early and compound through year one.
16. SaaS companies with NRR of 100% or more grow 48% a year
ChartMogul’s 2024 SaaS Retention Report, drawn from more than 2,500 SaaS businesses, found that the median company with NRR of 100% or more grew 48% year over year in the first half of 2024, more than twice as fast as companies below 100%. That makes retention a growth metric as much as a customer success one.
SaaS adoption and onboarding stats that predict churn
These stats look at what happens inside the product and during onboarding, where early churn starts.
17. In best-in-class apps, 80% of clicks come from 15.6% of features
Pendo’s Product Benchmarks, drawn from more than 6,800 applications, put best-in-class feature adoption at 15.6%, measured as the share of features that generate 80% of click volume. Even in top-performing products, most usage is concentrated in a small set of features, so customers often never reach the capabilities that make the product hard to replace.
18. Best-in-class products keep only 57% of new users after three months
Per Pendo, best-in-class three-month user retention is 57%. Put another way, even the top-performing software products lose more than 40% of new users within their first three months.
19. 48% of customers abandon onboarding without quick value
A Q1 2025 OnRamp survey of 161 senior customer success and onboarding leaders, primarily in SaaS, found that 48% of customers abandon onboarding if they don’t see value quickly. Per the same survey, 65% of companies that implemented digital onboarding programs reduced time to value by at least 25%.
20. 57% of companies that cut onboarding investment saw churn rise within six months
OnRamp also found that 57% of companies that cut onboarding investment saw churn increase within six months. For a SaaS leader looking for budget, onboarding is one of the riskiest places to save money.
Onboarding is where retention is won. With personalized onboarding video, SundaySky customers have seen up to a 23% reduction in early-life churn and 70% faster time to value. See personalized onboarding video →
Why early adoption helps predict SaaS churn
These numbers combined point to a common cause of early churn: adoption. The customer didn’t reach the point where the product became deeply integrated into how they work. The admin didn’t finish setup, the users didn’t learn the features that matter, and by the time the renewal conversation comes around, there’s a lack of concrete value to point to.
SaaS data consistently shows that retention drops fastest in the first months, product usage concentrates within a small set of features, and the SaaS segment with the deepest implementation support posts the strongest gross retention. Benchmarkit’s 2026 data points the same way: sales-led companies post a median GRR of 88%, versus 79% for product-led companies, a gap it ties to high-touch relationships such as dedicated CSMs and formal QBRs.
What these SaaS marketing stats mean for 2027 planning
The SaaS marketing and churn stats in this roundup show software buyers forming a short list long before sales gets a call, and SaaS companies spending $1.63 to win each dollar of new-customer ARR. The SaaS churn stats show what happens next: a retention curve that’s steepest in the first months, gross retention that just posted its biggest one-year drop in four years, and a median company that barely offsets churn with expansion.
The two sets of numbers connect at onboarding. With 40% of new ARR coming from existing customers, the revenue marketing works to win only compounds if those customers reach value fast enough to renew and expand. For 2027 planning, that means putting onboarding in the same budget conversation as acquisition, and measuring it on time to value, feature adoption, and first-year GRR. For more data on the post-sale experience, see our roundup of customer onboarding statistics.
FAQ
What is a good churn rate for B2B SaaS?
A useful way to benchmark churn is through gross revenue retention (GRR), which measures how much recurring revenue you keep before expansion. Benchmarks vary by sample: SaaS Capital’s 2025 benchmarks put median GRR for private B2B SaaS companies at 91%, or about 9% annual revenue churn, while Benchmarkit’s 2026 report puts it at 84% for 2025, down from 88% the year before.
Companies with higher contract values tend to retain more; SaaS Capital found the highest gross retention among companies with ACVs above $250K. If your GRR is above 91%, you’re outperforming both medians. If it’s lower, the first place to look is usually the first year of the customer lifecycle, where ChartMogul data shows even top-quartile companies lose about 30% of new customers.
What’s the average net revenue retention for SaaS companies?
Median net revenue retention for private B2B SaaS companies is 101%, according to SaaS Capital’s 2025 benchmarks of more than 1,000 companies. Benchmarkit’s 2026 report puts it at 102% for 2025, but its bottom quartile fell from 95% to 92%. NRR includes expansion, so a figure above 100% means growth from existing customers outpaces losses from churn and downgrades. The gap between top and bottom performers is wide: in the $25K to $50K ACV band, top-quartile companies reach 111% while the bottom quartile sits at 97%.
Why do SaaS customers churn in the first year?
Most early SaaS churn comes from customers who never fully adopt the product. If an admin doesn’t finish setup or end users don’t adopt the features tied to the customer’s goals, the account never sees the value it bought. ChartMogul’s 2023 report found that even top-quartile companies retain only 70% of new customers through their first 12 months, and Pendo’s benchmarks show best-in-class products keep 57% of new users after three months. The fix usually starts with shortening time to value and making onboarding specific to each account’s role, plan, and use case.
How does onboarding reduce SaaS churn?
Onboarding reduces churn by getting customers to their first meaningful outcome faster, before doubt sets in. When customers understand how the product fits their workflow, adoption grows, usage data improves, and the renewal conversation has evidence behind it. OnRamp’s 2025 survey of CS leaders found that 57% of companies that cut onboarding investment saw churn rise within six months, while 65% of companies that implemented digital onboarding programs cut time to value by at least 25%. Onboarding that guides users past the basics also helps spread usage across more of the product’s features.
How can SaaS companies personalize onboarding at scale?
The most efficient approach is to connect onboarding content to the customer data you already have. SundaySky Create lets SaaS teams build a single onboarding video template that renders individually for each customer, pulling in details like account name, plan tier, admin role, and configured features from systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, or Snowflake. Each customer gets guidance specific to their setup without your team producing separate videos. The same templates support feature adoption nudges and renewal recaps, and the platform is built for enterprise governance, with SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and HITRUST compliance.
Learn how personalized onboarding protects revenue
If first-year customer churn is cutting into the growth marketing works to create, onboarding is the place to start. See how SaaS teams use SundaySky to turn customer data into personalized onboarding, adoption, and renewal videos at scale.
