TL;DR
ProfitWell Metrics (now part of Paddle) is a free, accurate subscription-metrics dashboard, monetised through add-ons like Retain (dunning) and price optimisation. RetentionLens also has a free tier, but its differentiator is predictive churn — survival analysis and customer health scoring that tell you who is likely to churn next, rather than only reporting what already happened.
ProfitWell Metrics is popular for good reason: it is free and the numbers are accurate. Paddle monetises around it with Retain (failed-payment recovery) and pricing tools. If you want a free, reliable read on MRR and churn, it delivers.
“Free” metrics still cost you something when they stop at description. RetentionLens offers a free tier too, but adds predictive churn modelling and health scoring on top — the forward-looking layer that helps you intervene before a customer leaves.
RetentionLens vs ProfitWell: side by side
| Capability | RetentionLens | ProfitWell |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe-native setup | Yes — connect and backfill | Yes |
| MRR, ARR, ARPA | Yes | Yes |
| Churn rate (revenue & customer) | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort retention | Yes | Yes |
| NRR / GRR | Yes | Yes |
| Predictive churn (survival analysis / Cox) | Yes | No — descriptive only |
| Customer health scoring | Yes | No |
| Dunning / failed-payment recovery | On roadmap | Yes (Retain, paid) |
| Free metrics dashboard | Yes (Starter, $0) | Yes (free) |
| Independent of a billing vendor | Yes | Part of Paddle |
When ProfitWell is the better pick
- You want a free metrics dashboard and nothing more.
- You want Paddle’s Retain for failed-payment recovery.
- You are comfortable being inside the Paddle ecosystem.
When RetentionLens is the better pick
- You want predictive churn and health scores, not just free descriptive metrics.
- You want a tool focused on retention insight rather than a billing-vendor add-on.
- You want to act on churn risk before it shows up in the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Is RetentionLens a ProfitWell alternative?
Yes. ProfitWell Metrics is free and accurate for descriptive reporting. RetentionLens also has a free tier but adds predictive churn (survival analysis) and customer health scoring, so it is the better fit if you want forward-looking retention signals rather than only historical metrics.
If ProfitWell is free, why pay for RetentionLens?
You don’t have to pay to start — RetentionLens has a free Starter tier. You upgrade when you want the predictive layer: knowing which customers are likely to churn next and how healthy each account is. That is not part of ProfitWell’s free metrics.
Does RetentionLens recover failed payments like ProfitWell Retain?
Not yet — dunning is on the RetentionLens roadmap. If recovering failed payments is your main goal today, Paddle’s Retain is the more complete option. RetentionLens focuses on predicting and preventing voluntary churn.
Is RetentionLens tied to a billing provider?
No. RetentionLens is an independent analytics tool that connects to your Stripe account. ProfitWell Metrics is part of Paddle, so its roadmap and monetisation are tied to that ecosystem.
Other comparisons
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Competitor capabilities and pricing change over time; verify current details on their site. Comparison last reviewed 2026-05-30.