Gross revenue retention (GRR) is the share of starting recurring revenue still there at the end of a period, counting downgrades and cancellations but not upgrades. It can never exceed 100%.
GRR = (MRR at start − Contraction − Churned) ÷ MRR at start × 100
On the sample data below, six months come to 92.84%.
Why it matters
GRR shows how much revenue leaks before upsells cover it up. A strong NRR on a weak GRR depends on a few customers expanding.
Worked example
The table shows the columns this metric needs from six months of a made-up subscription brand. Add each column up over the six months, then put the totals into the formula:
| Month | MRR at start of month | Contraction MRR | Churned MRR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹3,500 | ₹9,000 |
| 2026-02 | ₹1,95,500 | ₹4,100 | ₹10,200 |
| 2026-03 | ₹2,12,900 | ₹3,900 | ₹11,800 |
| 2026-04 | ₹2,30,000 | ₹4,600 | ₹12,900 |
| 2026-05 | ₹2,41,400 | ₹4,200 | ₹12,100 |
| 2026-06 | ₹2,60,400 | ₹4,800 | ₹13,400 |
| Total | ₹13,20,200 | ₹25,100 | ₹69,400 |
(₹13,20,200 − ₹25,100 − ₹69,400) ÷ ₹13,20,200 × 100 = 92.84%
Add up first, then divide. Averaging the six monthly figures gives a slightly different answer, because it counts a small month the same as a large one.
Month by month
| Month | Gross revenue retention |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 93.06% |
| 2026-02 | 92.69% |
| 2026-03 | 92.63% |
| 2026-04 | 92.39% |
| 2026-05 | 93.25% |
| 2026-06 | 93.01% |
GRR calculator
How to read it
GRR is 100 minus gross revenue churn. Read it next to NRR: the gap between them is expansion.
Common mistakes
- Leave expansion out; including it gives NRR.
- Cap any single customer at their starting revenue, so an upgrade does not offset someone else's cancellation.
- Use the same period for both sides.
Calculate gross revenue retention in Excel, SQL or Python
The quickest version, for the sample sheet laid out as in the CSV (headers in row 1, months in rows 2 to 7):
=(SUM(AA2:AA7) - SUM(AD2:AD7) - SUM(AE2:AE7)) / SUM(AA2:AA7)- Gross revenue retention in Excel and Google Sheets — per-month formula and zero-safe version
- Gross revenue retention in SQL — query by month and for the period
- Gross revenue retention in Python (pandas) — pandas script with expected output
Related metrics
See all business metrics, or the statistics methods that sit behind them.
Questions people ask
- What is gross revenue retention?
- Gross revenue retention (GRR) is the share of starting recurring revenue still there at the end of a period, counting downgrades and cancellations but not upgrades. It can never exceed 100%.
- How do you calculate gross revenue retention?
- GRR = (MRR at start − Contraction − Churned) ÷ MRR at start × 100. For example, with six months of sample data: (₹13,20,200 − ₹25,100 − ₹69,400) ÷ ₹13,20,200 × 100 = 92.84%.
- What is the GRR formula in Excel?
- With the sample data laid out as in the downloadable CSV, =(SUM(AA2:AA7) - SUM(AD2:AD7) - SUM(AE2:AE7)) / SUM(AA2:AA7) gives the figure for the whole period (format the cell as a percentage). For one month, use =(AA2 - AD2 - AE2) / AA2 and fill it down.
- What is a good gross revenue retention?
- There is no figure that is right for every business: it depends on your products, prices and channels. GRR is 100 minus gross revenue churn. Read it next to NRR: the gap between them is expansion.
Check how stable it is
A metric moves for ordinary reasons as well as real ones. These methods separate the two: the spread shows what a normal month looks like, the moving average smooths it, the z-score flags a month that is out of line and the trend line shows the direction.
Guides
About the data on this page
The figures come from a small made-up dataset, printed above in full so you can check every number by hand. Download it as monthly.csv. The results are computed from those rows when the page is built, and the Excel formulas, SQL and Python on these pages are run against the same rows before publishing, so the code and the answers agree.
To get these numbers from your own data without writing formulas, try AnalyzeIt: ask in plain words and it shows the working behind every figure.
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