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Retention

Customer Retention Cost Calculator

Measure Customer Retention Cost (CRC) and compare it to your CAC. Understand if your CS investment is proportionate.

What this calculator does

The Customer Retention Cost Calculator calculate how much you spend to keep customers, then compares your result against operator benchmarks (CRC should be 15-25% of CAC for healthy unit economics.). Enter your numbers below and you'll get a result, a benchmark band, and a plain-English interpretation in under two minutes.

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Customer Retention Cost

$300

Good, CRC is 25.0% of CAC

CRC

$300

CRC:CAC Ratio

25.0%

Rating

Good

Benchmark

15-25% of CAC

Formula

CRC = CS Spend / Retained Customers

Benchmarks: CRC should be 15-25% of CAC for healthy unit economics.

Sources: OpenView 2024 SaaS Benchmarks, ChartMogul Retention Reports, ProfitWell Pricing Studies, and Pressense operator data.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as CS spend?

Salaries, tools, support costs, onboarding expenses, and any retention-focused programs.

About this calculator

Built and reviewed by the Pressense team, a strategy and systems partner working with B2B SaaS operators on unit economics, retention, GTM, and positioning. Every calculator in this library uses public benchmarks from OpenView, ChartMogul, ProfitWell, and KeyBanc, supplemented with anonymised data from the operators we partner with.

Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational and planning purposes only. Outputs are estimates based on the inputs you provide and industry benchmarks, not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Validate all results with a qualified professional before making decisions about funding, valuation, hiring, or capital allocation.

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