Enter your list size, monthly email revenue and churn, and see what each subscriber is worth per month and over their lifetime, what 1,000 new subscribers are worth, and how much you can afford to pay for each new signup.
Churn helper: don’t know your churn yet? Pick a typical monthly rate and the calculator fills it in.
Planning estimate only. Assumes revenue per subscriber and churn stay the same; new subscribers often earn more in their first weeks and less later.
Quick answer: Divide your monthly list revenue by your number of subscribers to get revenue per subscriber. Divide 1 by your monthly churn rate to get how many months a subscriber stays, then multiply the two for lifetime value. For example, 5,000 subscribers earning $750 a month is $0.15 per subscriber; at 2% churn they stay 50 months, so each is worth $7.50.
The calculator works out what an average subscriber earns you, using only the numbers you enter — no hidden industry averages.
Revenue per subscriber = monthly list revenue ÷ total subscribers
Average lifetime (months) = 1 ÷ monthly churn rate
Lifetime value = revenue per subscriber × average lifetime
Profit per subscriber = (monthly revenue − monthly list costs) ÷ subscribers
1,000 subscribers after n months = 1,000 × revenue per subscriber × (1 − (1 − churn)ⁿ) ÷ churn
The “1,000 subscribers over time” bars include churn, so they add up to the lifetime value. Payback months are rounded up.
The big number is revenue lifetime value: what a subscriber brings in before costs. If you add your monthly list costs under “Optional”, the calculator also shows profit per subscriber, which is the safer number to plan ad spend with.
If each subscriber earns you $7.50 over their lifetime, paying $7.50 for each one only breaks even. Paying $2 leaves $5.50 of value per subscriber. Add your cost per new subscriber under “Optional” and the calculator shows how many months it takes to earn that cost back.
Example values are only placeholders. Your result is only as accurate as the numbers you put in, so use real data as soon as you have it:
| Input | Where to find it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Total subscribers | Your email platform (MailerLite, systeme.io, Kit) | Count active subscribers only, not unsubscribed or bounced. |
| Monthly list revenue | Affiliate dashboards and store sales from email links | Use tracking links or UTM tags so you know which sales came from email. |
| Monthly churn rate | Your platform’s unsubscribe and bounce reports | Average the last 3 months: unsubscribes + bounces + complaints ÷ subscribers. |
| Monthly list costs | Your email platform’s billing page | Add any paid tools used only for the list. |
| Cost per new subscriber | Your ads manager: spend ÷ new signups | Leave at 0 if all your subscribers come from free traffic. |
1,000 subscribers earning $500 a month = $0.50 per subscriber. At 2% churn they stay 50 months, so each is worth $25, and 1,000 new subscribers are worth $25,000 over their lifetime.
50,000 subscribers earning $1,000 a month = just $0.02 per subscriber. At 2% churn, each is worth only $1. More emails with useful offers would help more than more subscribers.
Each subscriber is worth $7.50 ($0.15 a month, 2% churn). Buying subscribers at $2 each, you earn the cost back in about 16 months, and each one returns 3.75 times what you paid.
60,000 subscribers earning $1,200 a month = $0.020 each. Removing 10,000 inactive subscribers leaves 50,000 earning the same $1,200, so the real value is $0.024, 20% higher, and your email platform bill usually drops too.
Lifetime value is revenue per subscriber × months they stay, so raising either one lifts it. Pick the lever that’s easiest for you to move:
It varies widely by niche and offer. A common rule of thumb for affiliate and creator lists is around $1 per subscriber per month, but many lists earn far less. Track your own number over time; rising is what matters.
Churn comes from your real data. If 2% of your list leaves each month, the average subscriber stays 1 ÷ 0.02 = 50 months. That’s more reliable than a guess.
Then the average lifetime has no limit, so lifetime value can’t be worked out. Every real list loses some subscribers, so use at least 0.5–1% for planning.
Enter revenue as your list revenue. Then add your monthly list costs under “Optional” to see profit per subscriber as well. Use the profit figure when deciding how much to spend on ads.
Not always. A small list can have high value per subscriber but low total income. Look at both your value per subscriber and your total monthly revenue.
No. It only changes the symbol shown. Enter all your amounts in the currency you choose.
New to affiliate marketing? Start with What Is Affiliate Marketing?, then see our free traffic methods for beginners.
Disclaimer: This calculator is a planning tool, not an income promise. It uses only the numbers you enter and standard arithmetic. Email results depend on your niche, offers and how often you email, and many lists earn little or nothing.
Last updated: 9 October 2026 · By Udaychandra, IncomeJets