Article · About a 12 minute read

SaaS Cohort Analysis: A Guide for Businesses

Stripe · Stripe Resources Free Intermediate

Once you suspect a spike, this guide shows you the mechanic that actually proves it: split customers into cohorts by the month they arrived and watch each group's retention curve separately. It makes the point that a stable-looking aggregate can hide a launch or promo cohort that is churning out fast while your older, organic cohorts quietly prop up the average. A practical starting point for telling promo-driven arrivals apart from durable ones.

• Aggregate churn and growth numbers can look calm while a recent launch or discount cohort is disappearing far faster than your steady older cohorts.
• Grouping customers by signup month and following each cohort's retention curve is how you see where behaviour actually shifts.
• Comparing cohorts across acquisition channels shows which sources bring customers who stay, not just customers who show up.