# How Many Apps Ship the Paywall as Its Own Standalone Flow?

Source: Lazyweb Research
Published: 2026-07-07
Sample size: n=193
Tags: paywall, monetization, upsell, saas, mobile
HTML: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/how-many-apps-ship-a-standalone-paywall-flow
Markdown: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/how-many-apps-ship-a-standalone-paywall-flow.md

**Answer.** Across the flows tracked by Lazyweb Research, 193 dedicated paywall flows exist across 163 companies [1]. Many apps ship the paywall as its own standalone flow — with names like 'Paywall', 'Paywall 2', and 'Welcome back paywall' — in addition to, or instead of, an in-onboarding paywall. So an app without an onboarding paywall may still monetize on a dedicated surface.

> 193 dedicated paywall flows exist across 163 companies, Lazyweb Research, July 2026.

## The finding

There are 193 flows whose names contain 'paywall' — dedicated paywall flows — spread across 163 distinct companies [1]. Examples of these flow names include 'Paywall', 'Paywall 2', and 'Welcome back paywall' [1]. That averages just over one dedicated paywall flow per company that has one, and some companies ship multiple paywall variants.

## In-flow vs standalone paywalls

| Paywall surface | Count |
|---|---|
| Onboarding flows with an in-flow paywall | 40 |
| Canonical flows with an in-flow paywall | 318 |
| Dedicated standalone paywall flows | 193 |

The standalone paywall (193 flows) is a distinct surface from the in-onboarding paywall (40 onboarding flows) [1][2][3]. Apps commonly maintain both.

## How to apply it

Don't assume an app monetizes only where you see a paywall in onboarding. Multiple named paywall variants per company (e.g. 'Paywall 2', 'Welcome back paywall') suggest apps run different paywalls for different entry points — first run, re-engagement, upsell. If you are auditing competitors, look for standalone paywall flows, not just the onboarding step.

## Caveats

This count is based on flow-name matching for 'paywall', so it captures explicitly named paywall flows and may miss unnamed ones [1]. It is a separate lens from the is_paywall screen flag used for in-flow detection.

## The numbers

| Stat | Computed from |
| --- | --- |
| 193 dedicated paywall flows across 163 companies | dedicated_paywall_flows |
| 318 of 2,467 canonical flows contain an in-flow paywall | all_flows_context |
| 40 of 129 onboarding flows contain an in-flow paywall | onboarding_flows_with_paywall |

## Methodology

Universe: 193 dedicated paywall flows across 163 companies (~800 tracked apps), July 2026; identified via flow-name matching for 'paywall'. Caveat: name-based detection may miss unnamed paywall flows.

## Sources & citations

- [1] Lazyweb Research analysis of 193 dedicated paywall flows (~800 tracked apps), July 2026. Flow names containing 'paywall' across 163 distinct companies.
- [2] Lazyweb Research analysis of 2,467 canonical flows (~800 tracked apps), July 2026. In-flow paywall detections across all flows.
- [3] Lazyweb Research analysis of 129 onboarding flows (~800 tracked apps), July 2026. In-onboarding paywall detections.

## Related questions

- [How Common Are In-Flow Paywalls Across All App Flows, Not Just Onboarding?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/how-common-are-in-flow-paywalls-across-all-flows)
- [What Percent of Onboarding Flows Include a Paywall Step?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/what-percent-of-onboarding-flows-include-a-paywall)
- [How Far Into Onboarding Do Apps Place the Paywall?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/how-far-into-onboarding-do-apps-place-the-paywall)