Core Metrics Explained
Understand the four core metrics that power SaasDash.ai — customers, acquisition, churn, and ARPA — plus the derived metrics they produce.
SaasDash.ai is built on four raw inputs that drive every calculation in the platform. Understanding these metrics — and the derived metrics they produce — is essential for using SaasDash effectively.
The Four Core Inputs
1. Current Customers
Your total count of active paying customers right now. This is the starting point for all projections.
What counts: Only customers who are currently paying. Exclude free trials, freemium users who have not converted, and churned customers.
2. New Customers per Month
The average number of new paying customers you acquire each month. This drives the "acquisition" side of the Growth Ceiling equation.
How to calculate: Count new paying customers from the last 3 months and take the average. If your acquisition is seasonal, use a longer window.
3. Monthly Churn Rate
The percentage of customers who cancel or stop paying each month.
Formula: Monthly Churn Rate = Customers Lost This Month / Customers at Start of Month
Example: If you started the month with 200 customers and 10 cancelled, your monthly churn rate is 5% (10/200).
Logo churn vs revenue churn
SaasDash uses logo churn (customer count) for the Growth Ceiling calculation, not revenue churn. A customer who downgrades still counts as retained. A customer who cancels entirely counts as churned.
4. ARPA (Average Revenue per Account)
Your average monthly revenue per paying customer.
Formula: ARPA = Total MRR / Total Paying Customers
Example: If your MRR is $20,000 and you have 200 customers, your ARPA is $100.
Derived Metrics
From these four inputs, SaasDash automatically calculates:
| Derived Metric | Formula | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| MRR | Customers x ARPA | Your monthly recurring revenue |
| Growth Ceiling | New Customers / Churn Rate | Maximum sustainable customer count |
| Ceiling MRR | Ceiling Customers x ARPA | Maximum sustainable revenue |
| Net Change | New Customers - (Customers x Churn) | Monthly customer growth |
Monthly Snapshots
SaasDash tracks your metrics over time through monthly snapshots. Each snapshot records your four inputs for that month, and SaasDash automatically calculates the derived metrics and Growth Ceiling.
Navigate to Core Metrics
Go to Metrics > Core Metrics in the sidebar.
Enter your numbers
Fill in the four inputs with your current month's data.
Save the snapshot
Click Save Snapshot. Your Growth Ceiling and all derived metrics update immediately.
History limits: Free plans do not store historical snapshots. Starter stores 3 months. Growth stores 12 months. Scale stores unlimited history.
Consistency is key
Enter your snapshot on the same day each month (e.g., the 1st) for the most accurate trend analysis. The AI Advisor uses historical trends to generate better recommendations.
CAC Calculator Guide
Calculate your Customer Acquisition Cost with channel-level breakdowns.
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