Simulate your multi-tier strategy: price, churn, LTV:CAC and MRR per tier. 3 scenarios, AI interpretation and monthly projection. Free.
Advanced simulator
Is my SaaS growing healthy, or only inflating MRR?
Model your tiers, churn and CAC to see which one carries the business, which only inflates MRR, and where you can move price without breaking unit economics.
Global parameters
Monthly acquisition, projection horizon and acceptance thresholds.
Subscription tiers
Define each tier with price, churn, gross margin and CAC. Order matters: the first tier is the entry tier.
Saved configurations
Fill in your data to see the report
This simulator only generates a diagnosis, charts and recommendations when it has your real business values. Fill the editor above and the report will appear automatically.
Required data
Plans / tiers
New customers per month
Months to project
Want to explore it first?
Load a realistic case to see how the report looks. You can edit any field afterwards.
Internal editorial estimate based on industry best practices.
How it works
1. Define your tiers
Each tier with price, margin, churn, CAC, adoption mix and upgrade rate. First tier is entry.
2. Enter globals
Total monthly acquisition, horizon, and LTV:CAC / payback thresholds for automatic alerts.
3. Compare scenarios
Base, conservative (churn +40%) and aggressive (churn −30%). Identify the weakest tier and optimize.
Frequently asked questions
1How do you compute LTV per tier?
LTV = ARPU × gross margin / monthly churn. Standard SaaS formula. Assumes constant churn; does not model revenue expansion within the same tier (that would be net revenue retention).
2What is the monthly upgrade rate between tiers?
It is the % of tier i customers who upgrade to tier i+1 each month. For example, 2% means 2 out of 100 Basic customers move up to Pro monthly. In mature PLG SaaS 1-3% is common; if your product has a clear upgrade path it can be higher.
3Does the simulator predict my real MRR?
No. It projects based on your assumptions (churn, CAC, mix). Useful to compare pricing strategies and understand sensitivity. For real prediction you need historical cohorts and measured per-tier churn.
4How is it different from the LTV and Churn calculator?
The LTV and Churn calculator analyzes ONE average customer. This simulator models MULTIPLE tiers, projects MRR month by month, includes per-tier CAC, inter-tier upgrades and compares 3 macro scenarios. It is the upper tier of monetization analysis.
1How do you calculate the optimal price for a SaaS?
Start from value: how much your customer saves or earns per month with your product. Price at 10-20% of that value for strong retention; 30%+ if switching cost is high. Triangulate with a cost floor (unit cost x 4-10), a competitive ceiling, and Van Westendorp on your ICP.
Expect +1 to +3 pp of annual churn in the announcement cohort for a 10-15% raise, concentrated in the first 60 days. Grandfathering existing customers for 12 months typically cuts triggered churn ~40% (OpenView). Price-sensitive segments (entry, monthly) churn most.
Flat-rate, tiered (good-better-best), per-seat, usage-based, and hybrid (base + usage). In 2026 hybrid is growing fastest - Microsoft Copilot ($30/seat + AI credits) is the canonical template. OpenView: ~60% of new launches are hybrid.
5What is an acceptable SaaS churn rate?
Enterprise 0.5-1.0% monthly, mid-market 1-2%, SMB 3-7%, B2C 5-9%. NRR is the metric VCs watch: public median ~114%, best-in-class 120%+. GRR < 90% almost always signals a product or ICP problem, not a pricing one.
6How do you run a Van Westendorp test?
Survey 100-300 high-intent customers or prospects with four questions: at what price is it too expensive, expensive but worth it, a bargain, and so cheap you doubt the quality. Plot cumulative curves; the intersection of 'too expensive' and 'bargain' is the optimal price point (OPP). Pair with Gabor-Granger for a sharper curve.
7What are MRR and ARR?
MRR = monthly recurring revenue from all active subscriptions. ARR = MRR x 12, annualized run rate. Report MRR in growth reviews (captures monthly changes) and ARR in board decks (tied to valuation multiple). Exclude one-time fees, implementation, and professional services.
8How do you segment customers by willingness to pay?
Cross value metric (seats, usage, endpoints) with industry, company size, and region. Run Van Westendorp by segment. Subscribers who have already expanded usage 2x+ typically pay 20-35% more than the median without lifting churn. New logos are 2-3x more elastic than customers of 12+ months.
9When should you raise prices on a SaaS?
Every 12-18 months for B2B. The median reviews every 2.4 years - too slow. Raise when three signals align: your delivered value exceeds the price by 20%+, the competition is above you, and your NRR is already above 100% - so the existing base absorbs the change.
10How do you calculate subscriber LTV?
LTV (contribution-margin flavor) = ARPU x gross margin / monthly churn. With ARPU $250, margin 78%, and churn 2% monthly: LTV = $250 x 0.78 / 0.02 = $9,750. Dropping churn to 1.5% lifts LTV to $13,000 - +33% from 0.5 pp of retention.
Keep exploring
Tools from the same topical cluster. Use them together to close the loop on your analysis.
What you'll see, what it prevents, and where you shouldn't trust it
Every simulator on Simúlalo ships with the same editorial structure: two hypothetical worked examples with numbers, the errors it helps you avoid, the model's declared limitations, and a visible financial disclaimer. The review is signed and dated.
Hypothetical case·Case A
A SaaS that adds a middle tier and lifts ARPU 27% without losing conversion
A B2B SaaS had two tiers: Basic ($29/mo) and Enterprise ($299/mo). 78% of users were on Basic, 6% on Enterprise. The simulator models a new 'Pro' tier at $89/mo with features that move the Basic ceiling. Under assumed migration of 22% from Basic to Pro and 35% from Enterprise to Pro, ARPU rises from $48 to $61 (+27%), MRR improves 19% in 6 months, and churn stays at 4.2%. LTV:CAC moves from 3.1x to 4.0x. The decision: launch Pro with a 90-day guarantee and measure real migration.
Illustrative figures. Does not represent a real company or an investment recommendation.
Hypothetical case·Case B
A fintech that rejects a 'Lite' tier with projected LTV:CAC of 2.1x
A personal finance fintech had a single tier ($199 MXN/mo) with 6.8% churn, $940 CAC, and $2,920 LTV (LTV:CAC 3.1x). To grow the funnel top, they evaluate a 'Lite' tier at $79/mo with expected churn of 9.5% (worse cohort quality). The simulator projects LTV of $1,420 and CAC of $670 (cheaper channels). LTV:CAC = 2.1x — below the 3x floor the committee set. The decision: reject the Lite tier and focus on improving conversion of the current tier with onboarding.
Illustrative figures. Does not represent a real company or an investment recommendation.
Common mistakes it helps you avoid
Things a team or decision-maker might assume that this simulator forces you to verify before committing.
Calculating LTV with gross margin only and not subtracting cost-to-serve: the simulator requires declaring variable support and ops cost per active user.
Assuming average churn: the cheapest tier's churn is typically 1.5-2x the high tier's, and mixing them paints a false picture.
Comparing prices across products without normalizing for feature parity: two competitors 'at $99' may charge for features that sit in your high tier.
Ignoring the upgrade path: real LTV includes users who migrate from Basic to Pro to Enterprise; the simulator lets you model that chain.
Model limitations
What the simulator does not do, and where you need a professional or a specialized tool.
Does not query your Stripe or CRM. ARPU, churn, cost-to-serve, and CAC are declared by you using real cohorts.
Models tiered pricing (Basic, Pro, Enterprise). Does not model usage-based pricing or one-off negotiated enterprise prices.
Migration elasticities are assumptions. You need to validate with a real experiment (A/B cohorts) before committing.
Does not predict virality or network effects. If your LTV depends on a social component, the model underestimates it.
When NOT to use this simulator
If your model is 100% usage-based, or if your pricing is negotiated individually for each enterprise account, this simulator does not capture reality. For usage-based, model average ARPU under consumption distributions in a separate sheet; for negotiated enterprise, use the contribution margin per contract calculator. Reopen the simulator when you have fixed self-serve tiers.
Financial notice
Results are illustrative estimates and do not constitute financial, tax, accounting, or legal advice. Use the results as a reference point and validate important decisions with a certified professional.
Editorial review
Reviewed by the Simúlalo editorial team
This simulator was reviewed by the people listed below before being published. The review covers the declared formula, the model's assumptions, the explicit limitations, and the absence of unsupported financial claims.
They are part of the Simúlalo editorial team, focused on building financial tools that are clear, educational, and easy to interpret.
Last updated: ·We update this page when the methodology, sources used, or simulator structure change.
This tool uses standard financial formulas and user-supplied data. To explain concepts like rates, credit, risk, or cash flow we consult public and official sources (Banxico, SAT, CONDUSEF, CNBV, Banco de España, IFRS, BIS, among others). Simúlalo is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these institutions.