Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) for SaaS at Public (Usage-Based)
2026 data · Sample size: 379 · Source: CB Insights State of Venture 2026
25th %ile
$3,750
Median
$5,138
75th %ile
$6,294
90th %ile
$7,218
▲Trending up year-over-year
About This Metric
Total revenue a business can expect from a single customer account over the entire relationship.
Average Revenue Per User × Average Customer Lifespan
Higher is better · Unit: currency
How to Improve
Ship usage-based pricing tiers that grow with customer success. Build expansion playbooks triggered by health score thresholds. Reduce time-to-value to lock in retention early.
Ehsan's Analysis
The LTV gap in SaaS at Public is widening. Top-quartile companies now retain 3.2x longer than bottom quartile. The secret is not customer success theater but product-embedded value creation. Build features that compound user investment over time. I have watched 40 startups in this space and the ones crossing $8K LTV all share one trait: they own the customer workflow, not just a feature.
EJ
Ehsan Jahandarpour
AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO
Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) for SaaS at Public?
The median Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) is $5,138. Top-quartile companies achieve $6,294. Aim for top-quartile to be competitive.
How does Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) change by company stage?
Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) improves as companies mature. Later-stage companies benefit from scale and optimization.
How to improve Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) in SaaS?
Focus on the primary drivers specific to SaaS. Track weekly with a 4-week rolling average and iterate on the biggest lever.