What is SaaS Metrics Dashboard?
A SaaS metrics dashboard consolidates the key performance indicators that determine a subscription business's health: Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), churn rate, customer lifetime value (LTV), and growth rate. Together, these metrics paint a complete picture of revenue trajectory, customer retention, and long-term viability.
The Formula
ARR = MRR × 12 LTV = ARPU ÷ Monthly Churn Rate Net Revenue Retention = (Starting MRR + Expansion − Contraction − Churn) ÷ Starting MRR × 100
MRR should only include recurring subscription revenue, exclude one-time fees, setup charges, and professional services.
Worked Example
A SaaS company has $85,000 MRR, 1,200 customers, 3.5% monthly churn, and $50 average expansion revenue per customer.
- ARR = $85,000 × 12 = $1,020,000
- ARPU = $85,000 ÷ 1,200 = $70.83/month
- LTV = $70.83 ÷ 0.035 = $2,023.71
- Monthly churn revenue = $85,000 × 0.035 = $2,975
- Monthly expansion = 1,200 × $50 × 0.1 = $6,000 (10% expand)
📌 With $1M+ ARR and a $2,024 LTV, this company is approaching a key funding milestone. The expansion revenue exceeding churn suggests healthy net revenue retention.
Why This Matters
Fundraising milestones
$1M ARR is often the threshold for Series A conversations. Track your burn rate alongside ARR to demonstrate capital efficiency.
Revenue quality assessment
High MRR with high churn is a leaky bucket. Check your SaaS Quick Ratio to measure growth efficiency.
Expansion revenue strategy
Net revenue retention above 100% means existing customers grow faster than churn. Track revenue growth rate to forecast milestones.
Common Mistakes
❌ Including non-recurring revenue in MRR
One-time setup fees, consulting hours, and implementation charges should never be included in MRR. This inflates your recurring metrics and misleads investors.
❌ Ignoring contraction MRR
Downgrades are a form of churn. If 20% of your customers downgrade each quarter, your net revenue retention suffers even if nobody fully cancels.
❌ Reporting logo churn instead of revenue churn
Losing 10 small customers is very different from losing 1 enterprise customer. Revenue churn gives a more accurate picture of business impact than customer count churn.
Industry Benchmarks
| Category | Good | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Stage (pre-$1M ARR) | 15%+ MoM growth | 8-15% MoM | Below 5% MoM |
| Growth Stage ($1-10M ARR) | 100%+ YoY growth | 50-100% YoY | Below 30% YoY |
| Net Revenue Retention | 120%+ | 100-120% | Below 90% |
Source: OpenView Partners SaaS Benchmarks 2025
Benchmark data sourced from OpenView Partners SaaS Benchmarks 2025.