---
title: Paywall CTA and microcopy that converts
slug: paywall-cta-copy
summary: Tested button and microcopy wins — "Continue" over "Subscribe" (+30%), "Start free trial" on Android, "Unlock…" for lifetime, "No payment now" (+30%), the word "free" (+11%).
domain: mobile-apps
tags: [monetization, paywall, copywriting, cta, ios, android]
related: [long-paywall-sell-the-outcome, paywall-price-display-and-plan-count, three-screen-pre-paywall-sequence, paywall-design-learnings-at-scale]
sources: [yt:vZXn_BSi5AE, yt:2soA7LyyQ64, yt:lkwX_kc0NS8, yt:24QMRDXck70]
updated: 2026-10-24
---

# Paywall CTA and microcopy

## TL;DR
- Never "Subscribe". Use **"Continue"** or "Get started" — +30% for one client.
- Platform split: **"Continue" wins on iOS, "Start free trial" wins on Android.**
- Lifetime (one-time) purchase: "Unlock lifetime insights" beat "Get all features" and other variants.
- Put **"No payment now"** directly under the CTA when there's a free trial: +30% for a client.
- Add the word **"free"** to a feature/offer: +11% conversion in one test.
- Superwall's Jonathan Parra adds **"No commitment, cancel anytime"** under the plans on almost every paywall (small but reliable bump), a **chevron (›)** on the CTA, and a big button (~56–65pt).
- With a trial, Vahe Bagdasarian uses **"Try for $0"** / "Try for free" CTAs and repeats "free" across screens.

## Details
**Verb choice.** Nobody wants to "subscribe"; a client who used it switched to "Continue"/"Get started" and conversions rose 30%.[^1] Continue also beat "Start free trial" on iOS, while "Start free trial" performed better on Android.[^2][^1]

**Lifetime plans.** For a one-time in-app purchase, four CTA variants were tested; "Unlock lifetime insights" had the most activations — "unlocking" feels rewarding, and "lifetime" reminds buyers they pay once, making the price feel smaller.[^3][^2]

**Reassurance microcopy.** "No payment now" under the CTA (with a free trial) → +30% conversions for another client.[^1]

**"Free".** Framing something as free ("buy a burger, get free fries") lifted conversion 11% in one paywall test.[^1]

Keep the CTA above the fold and, on long paywalls, floating ([[long-paywall-sell-the-outcome]]).

**Superwall learnings.** Parra: "No commitment, cancel anytime" is a hack he adds to almost every paywall for a granular conversion bump; a right-chevron on buttons also bumps conversions; "Continue" gently moves users on, while descriptive CTAs like "Put AI into action" lost.[^4][^5][^6] When the trial is on the weekly plan, "Start my 3-day free trial" made the offer clearer than a generic CTA and won.[^7] Vahe's trial paywalls use "Try for $0" and "Try for free" ([[three-screen-pre-paywall-sequence]]).[^8]

## Disagreements / caveats
- These are single-client results; wording effects vary by audience and locale — always A/B test.

## See also
- [[paywall-price-display-and-plan-count]]

[^1]: yt:2soA7LyyQ64 @ 16:29 — Steve P. Young
[^2]: yt:vZXn_BSi5AE @ 14:24 — Steve P. Young
[^3]: yt:vZXn_BSi5AE @ 13:27 — Steve P. Young
[^4]: yt:lkwX_kc0NS8 @ 06:35 — Jonathan Parra
[^5]: yt:lkwX_kc0NS8 @ 08:10 — Jonathan Parra
[^6]: yt:lkwX_kc0NS8 @ 14:32 — Jonathan Parra
[^7]: yt:lkwX_kc0NS8 @ 11:38 — Jonathan Parra
[^8]: yt:24QMRDXck70 @ 11:42 — Vahe Bagdasarian