SaaS Metrics Cheat Sheet
Master the 20+ essential SaaS metrics every founder and marketer needs to track. Get formulas, benchmarks, and actionable insights in one comprehensive guide.
Essential SaaS Metrics by Category
Track what matters most for your SaaS business growth and success
Growth Metrics
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
Formula: Sum of all monthly subscription revenue
Benchmark: $10K+ for early stage
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
Formula: MRR × 12
Benchmark: $1M+ for Series A
Growth Rate
Formula: (Current MRR - Previous MRR) / Previous MRR × 100
Benchmark: 15-20% monthly
Net Revenue Retention
Formula: (Starting MRR + Expansion - Contraction - Churn) / Starting MRR × 100
Benchmark: 110%+
Customer Metrics
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Formula: Total Sales & Marketing Spend / New Customers Acquired
Benchmark: < 1/3 of LTV
Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
Formula: ARPU / Churn Rate
Benchmark: 3x CAC minimum
Churn Rate
Formula: Customers Lost / Total Customers × 100
Benchmark: < 5% monthly
Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Formula: Unique users active in 30 days
Benchmark: Varies by product
Financial Metrics
Gross Margin
Formula: (Revenue - COGS) / Revenue × 100
Benchmark: 80%+
Burn Rate
Formula: Monthly cash outflow
Benchmark: 12-18 months runway
Cash Runway
Formula: Current Cash / Monthly Burn Rate
Benchmark: 12+ months
Revenue per Employee
Formula: Total Revenue / Number of Employees
Benchmark: $200K+
Marketing Metrics
Lead Conversion Rate
Formula: Leads Converted / Total Leads × 100
Benchmark: 2-5%
Cost per Lead (CPL)
Formula: Marketing Spend / Leads Generated
Benchmark: Varies by channel
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL)
Formula: Leads meeting qualification criteria
Benchmark: Track trend
Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)
Formula: MQLs accepted by sales
Benchmark: 20-30% of MQLs
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- 20+ Essential SaaS Metrics
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