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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryMobile & App MarketingInstall-to-Trial Rate

Mobile & App Marketing

Install-to-Trial Rate

The percentage of new installs that start a free trial, an early indicator of subscription app performance.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Install-to-trial rate is the percentage of new app installs that go on to start a free trial. It is an early indicator of subscription app performance, reflecting how well onboarding and the paywall communicate value. Because trials precede revenue, the metric helps teams judge campaign and product changes before payment data arrives.