By Quick answer: Should you use RevenueCat or Superwall?
- RevenueCat — infrastructure first; free to $2,500 MTR, then 1%.
- Superwall — paywall experiments first; infrastructure free.
- Superwall fee — 1% of paywall-attributed revenue above $10k/month.
- Together — common: RevenueCat backend, Superwall paywalls.
- Choose by — whether your bottleneck is plumbing or conversion.
Key takeaways
- Subscription plumbing is hard; don't build it yourself.
- Paywall experiments often lift revenue more than new features.
- Read exactly what revenue each vendor's fee applies to.
- Fees of about 1% are small next to store commissions — but model them.
- Test paywalls with real users; small copy changes matter.
Every subscription app needs two things: plumbing that reliably knows who paid for what, and a paywall that convinces people to pay. RevenueCat started with the plumbing. Superwall started with the paywall. Both now overlap — and their pricing reflects where each began.
Side by side
| RevenueCat | Superwall | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Subscription infrastructure | Paywall design and experiments |
| Free threshold | Up to $2,500 monthly tracked revenue1 | Infrastructure free; paywalls free up to $10k/month attributed revenue2 |
| Fee above threshold | 1% of tracked revenue | 1% of paywall-attributed revenue |
| Purchases, entitlements, receipts | Core strength | Included, free at any scale |
| Paywall builder and A/B tests | Yes (growth tools) | Core strength |
| Web-to-app funnels | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Strong subscription analytics | Paywall and revenue analytics |
Pricing models change. Read each pricing page carefully — especially which revenue the fee applies to — before modelling costs.
Choose RevenueCat if…
- You want the most established subscription backend and analytics
- You need integrations across many platforms and tools
- Paywall experimentation is a nice-to-have, not the core need
Choose Superwall if…
- Paywall conversion is your biggest revenue lever
- You want to test paywalls without app releases
- You'd rather pay only on revenue your paywalls generate
Paywall tests worth running
Trial length
Compare a 3-day and a 7-day trial.
Plan emphasis
Highlight annual vs monthly; show savings clearly.
Timing
After onboarding vs after the first success moment.
Copy
Outcome-focused headlines vs feature lists.
Keep paywalls honest — no fake countdowns or hidden cancellation. Apple's guidelines require clear subscription terms3.
Key terms, defined
Entitlement — what a user has paid to access. Paywall — the screen asking users to subscribe. MTR — monthly tracked revenue. A/B test — comparing two versions with real users. Web-to-app funnel — selling subscriptions on the web for use in an app.
Frequently asked questions
How much does RevenueCat cost?
RevenueCat's Pro plan is free up to $2,500 in monthly tracked revenue; above that, it charges 1% of tracked revenue. Enterprise pricing is custom.
How much does Superwall cost?
Superwall says its subscription infrastructure is free at any scale. Its paywall product is free for the first $10,000 a month of paywall-attributed revenue, then 1% of paywall-attributed revenue.
Can I use RevenueCat and Superwall together?
Yes. A common setup uses RevenueCat for purchases and entitlements and Superwall to design and test paywalls.
Does RevenueCat have paywalls?
Yes. RevenueCat offers paywalls, web-to-app funnels and A/B testing as growth tools alongside its infrastructure.
Do these tools replace App Store and Google Play billing?
No. They sit on top of store billing, handling receipts, entitlements, analytics and paywalls across platforms.
Is a paywall SDK worth it for a small app?
Both have free tiers that suit small apps. The time saved on purchase logic and the ability to test paywalls usually justify them.
Sources
- RevenueCat — Pricing
- Superwall — Pricing
- Apple — Auto-renewable subscriptions
- Checked October 23, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- Subscription vs one-time purchase — pick the model
- How free apps make money — monetisation basics
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