How to Calculate Churn — and Why

Patreon backers have access to an exclusive ComicLab Churn Rate spreadsheet — it does the math for you!

Is your Patreon actually growing—or are new members disguising a retention problem? Brad walks Dave through the process of calculating churn rate and shows how one number can unlock a much clearer understanding of a membership business. They discuss subscriber retention, lifetime value, onboarding, well-timed interventions, and how to determine whether advertising or convention appearances are truly worth the investment. Then, Dave asks whether publishing a children’s book page by page on his existing webcomic could finally help him finish it.

Topics include:

• Skunk Watch 2026
• What churn rate means for a Patreon creator
• Why total membership and revenue can give you an incomplete picture
• Finding the necessary numbers in Patreon Insights
• Two methods for calculating churn rate
• What constitutes a healthy churn rate
• Why one month of data isn’t enough
• Calculating your average churn rate over time
• Calculating your retention rate
• Estimating average subscriber lifetime
• Calculating average monthly revenue per member
• Determining the lifetime value of a Patreon backer
• Why retaining a current member is cheaper than acquiring a new one
• Using Patreon Autopilot to reduce cancellations
• Evaluating the quality and value of your Patreon rewards
• Improving the onboarding experience for new members
• Welcome messages, digital gifts, and personalized Bonjoro videos
• Brad’s one-week Patreon check-in
• Helping new backers navigate a complicated archive
• Using average subscriber lifetime to schedule a retention intervention
• Brad’s 18-month check-in and longtime-backer gift
• Repackaging older work into valuable digital rewards
• Rewarding and recognizing your longest-serving supporters
• Exclusive livestreams, previews, and “inner circle” benefits
• Calculating an acceptable customer-acquisition cost
• Evaluating paid advertising with lifetime-value data
• Tracking whether a comic convention was financially worthwhile
• Why free webcomics may still be the best customer-acquisition strategy
• Dave’s productivity tip: drawing to Brazilian Carnival music
• Using a webcomic schedule to force yourself to complete a children’s book
• Why serialized children’s-book pages may not satisfy online readers
• Publishing complete thematic sections instead of individual pages
• Building a new project into an established comic’s schedule
• The difficulty of building an audience for an independent children’s book
• When a traditional children’s-book publisher may be helpful
• Creative control, editorial notes, and refusing unwanted revisions
• Breaking publishing rules and trusting your own experience
• Releasing a finished independent book before seeking wider distribution
• Why experienced cartoonists may resist redrawing or revising completed work
• ComicLab LIVE at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon

• $2 — Early access to episodes
• $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.

If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.