100+ Subscription Paywalls, decoded
100+ Subscription Paywalls, Decoded is a free 90-page PDF playbook. It takes apart 110 real paywalls from top apps — plans, defaults, price anchors, trust and the CTA — rates each out of 5 on five dimensions and tags the Laws of UX at work. It adds 12 frameworks, a copy library, a scorecard and a 30-day plan.
- Printable · LightWhite pages, for printing a hard copy
- Soft copy · DarkFor reading on screen
Who it’s for
- Product managers and growth teams designing or testing a subscription paywall
- Product designers who want proven layouts, copy and the psychology behind them
- Engineers building paywalls and experiments who want the why behind each element
- Founders launching or fixing monetization in a subscription app
What’s inside
- 110 real paywalls, each with its pattern, plans, default, price anchor, trial, trust signals and CTA
- A Science of Apps rating out of 5 on clarity, visual design, pricing, trust and persuasion
- The Laws of UX at work in each paywall, and an index of all 34 with the best example to study
- 12 frameworks: triggers, the test ladder, pricing, trust, timing, offers, copy, metrics and dark patterns
- A 30-day paywall sprint, a pre-launch checklist and a printable experiment log
Sample pages
Anatomy of a paywall that converts 
Every paywall rated and annotated 
The scorecard: all 110 ranked
Contents: 20 chapters in 5 parts
The Laws of UX index links each law to its free page online.
01 Foundationsp. 6
The 12 truths about paywalls, Anatomy of a paywall that converts, The starter paywall
02 Frameworksp. 10
Six paywall triggers, The test ladder, Pricing & packaging rules, Trust & risk reversal, Multi-page flows & timing, Offers, exits & win-backs, Copy & CTA library, Metrics & benchmarks, Dark patterns to avoid
03 Laws of UXp. 20
110 paywalls by the numbers, Laws of UX index
04 The 110p. 26
How Science of Apps rates paywalls, The 110 paywalls, annotated, The scorecard
05 Implementp. 85
Your 30-day paywall sprint, Pre-launch checklist, Experiment log
Frequently asked questions
Is the paywall PDF really free?
Yes. You enter your name and email and the PDF is emailed to you straight away, with a download link. There is no card and no paywall. You also get occasional UX psychology tips by email and can unsubscribe at any time.
Which apps' paywalls are in the book?
110 paywall screens, from apps such as Blinkist, Headspace, Spotify, Perplexity, Tinder, Telegram, Reddit, VSCO and GoodRx, plus well-designed paywall templates. Each one is analyzed and rated out of 5.
How does Science of Apps rate a paywall?
Each screen is scored from 1 to 5 on five dimensions: clarity, visual design, pricing and packaging, trust and transparency, and persuasion. The overall rating is the average. It is an editorial assessment of the screen as captured, not a verdict on the app's results.
What is the difference between the Light and Dark editions?
The content is the same. The Light edition has white pages and is made for printing. The Dark edition is made for reading on a screen. You can ask for either one or both.
Who wrote 100+ Subscription Paywalls, Decoded?
Sushant Singh, founder of Science of Apps, a behavioral UX consultancy for app and SaaS teams.
Keep 110 paywalls on your desk
Free. No card, no paywall. Enter your email and the PDF arrives straight away, as an attachment and a download link.