What CTA Copy Do Hard Paywalls Use Most?
- By Ali Abouelatta
- n = 1,342
- Published
- Updated
- 2 min read
- paywall · monetization · trials · mobile · upsell
Short answer
On no-exit (hard) paywall screens tracked by Lazyweb Research, the top primary CTA is 'continue' (276 of 1,342 primary CTAs), followed by 'subscribe' (65), 'start free trial' (58), 'try for free' (49) and 'subscribe now' (42) source[1]. 'Continue' is about 3.8x more common on hard paywalls than on soft ones in absolute terms (276 vs 73) source[1]. Hard paywalls lean on a neutral next-step verb, not the offer source[2].
'Continue' is the top hard-paywall CTA at 276 of 1,342 primary CTAs — 3.8x its count on soft paywalls — Lazyweb Research, July 2026.
Bar chart · Count
Count — Top hard-paywall CTAs
One block is about 9.9 Count
- continue
- 276
- subscribe
- 65
- start free trial
- 58
- try for free
- 49
- subscribe now
- 42
Top hard-paywall CTAs
| Primary CTA (no-exit) | Count |
|---|---|
| continue | 276 |
| subscribe | 65 |
| start free trial | 58 |
| try for free | 49 |
| subscribe now | 42 |
Counts are primary-role CTA texts on no-exit screens with frequency >= 8 source[1]. 'Continue' dwarfs every other option.
Contrast with soft paywalls
On exit-visible screens the leaders reorder toward the offer: 'continue' (73), 'try for free' (25), 'start free trial' (25), 'subscribe' (24), 'try 3 days free' (19) source[1]. Aggregating copy types, only 14.8% of soft primary CTAs are neutral 'Continue/Next' versus 24.7% of hard ones, while free/trial copy is 38.4% soft vs 31.7% hard source[2]. Hard paywalls minimize commitment language; soft paywalls sell the trial source[2].
How to apply it and caveats
If your paywall is a hard gate, 'Continue' is the corpus-default primary verb — it reframes a forced subscription as a step forward rather than a purchase source[1]source[2]. If you soften the gate, expect to swap toward explicit trial copy like 'try for free' to keep conversion up source[2]. Caveats: these are frequency counts on what shipped, pattern-matched, and never tied to measured lift source[1]source[2].
Real in-market screens
Screens from real, in-market apps, tracked by Lazyweb Research.
Linkedin1170 × 2532opens the full image 
Wsj1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Reddit1125 × 2436opens the full image 
Disney1125 × 2436opens the full image
The numbers
| # | Stat | Computed from |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | no-exit: continue 276, subscribe 65, start free trial 58, try for free 49, subscribe now 42; exit continue 73 | top_primary_cta_no_exit |
| [2] | neutral 'Continue' 24.7% no-exit vs 14.8% exit; free/trial 31.7% no-exit vs 38.4% exit | primary_cta_copy_by_exit |
Methodology
Top-text counts come from primary-role CTAs on the 1,342 no-exit primary CTAs; copy-type shares compare against exit-visible screens. Frequency, pattern-matched, what-shipped only. July 2026.
Sources
- [1]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 1,342 primary paywall CTAs on hard (no-exit) screens (mobile app corpus), July 2026
Top primary CTA texts on no-exit screens (frequency >= 8); frequency counts, not lift.
- [2]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 1,884 primary paywall CTAs (mobile app corpus), July 2026
Copy-type shares split by exit presence; association not causal lift.
Source: Lazyweb Research — proprietary analysis of real, in-market app screens. Cite as Lazyweb Research, 2026-07-07.