Gross revenue retention (GRR)
The true leak; can't be masked by upsells.
- Formula
- (Start - Contraction - Churn) / Start; excludes expansion; caps at 100%
- Unit
- %
- Models
- SaaS, Usage-based, Subscription
| consensus | 88%–90% | KBCM; High Alpha; ChartMogul |
| Enterprise | 90%+ | KBCM; High Alpha; ChartMogul |
| SMB | 80%–88% | KBCM; High Alpha; ChartMogul |
What it is
Gross Revenue Retention (GRR) measures how much of last period's recurring revenue a company keeps — after accounting for contraction and churn — but before any expansion. It is calculated as (Starting ARR − Contraction − Churned ARR) / Starting ARR and is capped at 100%.
How to calculate it
Take the ARR at the start of the period, subtract any revenue lost to downgrades (contraction) and cancellations (churn), then divide by the starting ARR. Expansion MRR/ARR from upsells or cross-sells is explicitly excluded; GRR can never exceed 100%.
Why it matters
GRR is the clearest signal of product-market fit and customer satisfaction in subscription and SaaS businesses. Unlike Net Revenue Retention, it cannot be inflated by expansion, making it a more conservative and credible measure of revenue durability. Investors use it to assess downside floor: a high GRR means the base revenue is sticky even before upsell motions are considered.
Benchmarks & pitfalls
According to KBCM, High Alpha, and ChartMogul (2024), the consensus B2B median sits at 88–90%. Enterprise-focused businesses typically post 90%+, while SMB-weighted books run 80–88%, reflecting higher churn from smaller customers. Because GRR excludes expansion, a company with mediocre GRR but strong NRR is masking a churn problem with upsell revenue — watch both together. Definitions vary: some practitioners use MRR, others ARR, and some include seat reductions while others do not; align definitions before benchmarking.