2026 State of Subscriptions: The new rules for retention, AI, and trust

The era of unrestrained expansion has evolved. The 2026 State of Subscriptions isn’t just a collection of trends — it’s a roadmap for executives to gain a competitive edge.

• AI from start to finish: 43% of consumers are comfortable with AI managing and optimizing accounts
• Flexibility drives loyalty: 71% of consumers cite easy cancellation as essential to their subscription decisions
• Retention drives growth: Top-performing brands offering options like "pause before cancel" saw 337% more pauses, with 3 out of 4 of those subscribers returning within months.

The 2026 State of Subscriptions combines Recurly’s analysis of 2,200+ subscription businesses like Paramount+, Twitch, and FabFitFun, along with 76 million subscribers and proprietary consumer survey data, to deliver the insights you need to succeed.