Revenue Metrics

Annual Recurring Revenue

Also: ARR

The total predictable, recurring revenue from subscriptions normalised to a yearly figure.

Why it matters

ARR is the headline measure of a subscription business's scale and the foundation for most growth and valuation conversations. It captures only recurring revenue, stripping out one-off fees, so it reflects the durable base. Its growth rate is what investors and operators watch most.

How it is calculated

ARR = sum of the annualised value of all active recurring subscriptions

What good looks like

ARR itself is a scale number, the growth rate and the quality (net of churn, see NRR) matter more. Be careful to exclude one-time and non-recurring revenue, or ARR overstates the durable base.

Related terms

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