# Why do registration paywalls look simpler than in-app paywalls?

Author: Ali Abouelatta
Source date: 2024-04-05
Tags: monetization, registration paywalls, onboarding, conversion
HTML: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/registration-paywalls
Markdown: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/registration-paywalls.md

Short answer: Registration paywalls often show less feature and benefit detail than later in-app paywalls because they appear before the user has full product context. Ali observed this pattern while reviewing more than 100 onboarding flows, especially in apps with multiple subscription tiers.

> Registration paywalls often show less feature and benefit detail than later in-app paywalls because they appear before the user has full product context.

## Visuals

### Primary visual: Registration paywalls summary graphic from First 1000.

Image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/registration-paywalls/01-registration-paywall-summary.webp
Original image URL: https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/69b163cd-fea7-486e-826a-87c7c41e7505_1200x628.png
Image description: A summary graphic introduces the difference between registration paywalls and later paywalls.

### Visual: Registration and post-registration paywall comparison example.

Image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/registration-paywalls/02-registration-paywall-example-one.webp
Original image URL: https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/31aba4e1-97f4-4032-a2a8-f71dcb587048_3036x2493.png
Image description: A side-by-side paywall comparison shows the registration version with less explanatory context than a later paywall.

### Visual: Second registration and post-registration paywall comparison example.

Image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/registration-paywalls/03-registration-paywall-example-two.webp
Original image URL: https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/166fbb1c-2e8b-457c-96e1-2777caff309f_3036x2493.png
Image description: A second comparison reinforces that registration paywalls often simplify benefits while later paywalls carry more detail.

## Evidence

The paired screenshots show the same product category using simpler registration paywalls and more explanatory post-registration paywalls.

## What changed

- Registration paywalls reduce context and benefit detail.
- Later paywalls provide more feature explanation because the user has more product context.
- The pattern is especially common where multiple subscription tiers need explanation.

## Why it matters

- A first paywall should not always mirror an in-app upsell paywall.
- The right amount of context depends on where the paywall appears in the user journey.

## Sources

- [1] Lazyweb Research: Registration Paywalls. Ali says he reviewed more than 100 onboarding flows and saw registration paywalls commonly provide less feature context than post-registration paywalls, especially with multiple tiers. [Source](https://read.first1000.co/p/registration-paywalls)

## Methodology

Product-experiment write-up by Ali Abouelatta, dated on April 5, 2024. Source links are listed below.

- [First 1000 issue](https://read.first1000.co/p/registration-paywalls)

## Related research

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- [When does positive friction improve retention or conversion?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/positive-friction)
- [Why should sign-up screens be boring?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/boring-sign-up-screens)