Gross $ Retention Is the Real Revenue
Why It Really Matters—Even If You’re Pre-Revenue
Whether you’re building the next big SaaS or looking to invest in one, there’s one metric that speaks louder than marketing fluff: gross USD retention.
This metric tells you how much recurring revenue you’re keeping from your existing customers—without counting any upsells, expansions, or new customer wins. It’s a pure measure of your product’s core value.
It focuses solely on:
✅ Renewals
⚠️ Downgrades
❌ Cancellations (aka churn)
