RevenueCat simplifies in-app purchase and subscription management for your mobile application. Whether you’re implementing one-time purchases like premium features or recurring subscriptions for content access, RevenueCat handles the complexity of monetization. Launchtoday comes with RevenueCat pre-integrated, making it easy to start monetizing your app, including support for customizable paywalls to showcase your offerings.

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Monetization Types

Launchtoday supports two main types of monetization through RevenueCat:

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1. In-app Purchases

One-time purchases that unlock specific features or content in your app:

  • Consumable: Can be purchased multiple times (e.g., virtual currency, game items)
  • Non-consumable: Purchased once and permanently unlock features (e.g., premium features, ad removal)

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2. Subscriptions

Recurring revenue products that give users access to content or features for a specific duration:

  • Auto-renewable: Automatically renews until cancelled
  • Non-renewing: Fixed duration without automatic renewal

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Paywall Integration

Launchtoday includes pre-built paywall screens that you can customize to:

  • Display multiple subscription tiers
  • Showcase feature comparisons
  • Highlight promotional offers
  • A/B test different pricing strategies
  • Present trial periods and introductory offers

These paywalls are fully customizable to match your app’s branding and can be configured through RevenueCat’s dashboard.

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Choosing the Right Monetization Strategy

Selecting the right monetization strategy for your app requires careful consideration of several key factors. Let’s explore the main considerations that should guide your decision between subscriptions and one-time purchases.

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Content & Feature Updates

The nature of your app’s content and update cycle plays a crucial role in this decision. Subscription models thrive when your app regularly delivers fresh content, provides ongoing services, or frequently updates its feature set. For instance, a fitness app that releases new workout routines weekly or a meditation app with daily content would benefit from a subscription model.

On the other hand, if your app offers primarily static content or permanent feature unlocks, one-time purchases might be more appropriate. Examples include photo editing filters, game level packs, or premium features that don’t require regular updates.

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User Engagement Patterns

Consider how users interact with your app over time. Subscription models work best when your app provides consistent, ongoing value that users engage with regularly. This could be:

  • Daily utility apps (productivity tools, health trackers)
  • Content consumption platforms (streaming, education)
  • Services requiring continuous access (cloud storage, premium features)

In contrast, if your app’s value proposition is more sporadic or feature-specific, one-time purchases might better align with user expectations. This is particularly true for tools that users might need occasionally or features that maintain their value without regular updates.

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Business Model Considerations

From a business perspective, subscriptions offer the advantage of predictable, recurring revenue and potentially higher lifetime customer value. They create a steady cash flow that can fund continuous development and improvement of your app. However, they also come with the responsibility of consistently delivering value to justify the ongoing cost to users.

One-time purchases, while potentially generating less predictable revenue, offer their own advantages. They’re simpler to manage, require less pressure to constantly add new value, and often face lower resistance from users who prefer making single payments for specific features.

A pragmatic approach, especially when starting out, is to implement a hybrid model. You might offer a base subscription for core features while maintaining premium one-time purchases for specific enhancements. This allows you to test different price points and value propositions while learning what resonates best with your user base.

Once you have a better understanding of your app’s monetization strategy, you can configure your in-app purchases and subscriptions in App Store Connect and RevenueCat covered in the next section.