# What Percent Of Paywalls Offer Only 'Restore Purchases' As An Exit?

Source: Lazyweb Research
Author: Ali Abouelatta, Lazyweb Research
Published: 2026-07-07
Updated: July 2026
Sample size: n=2708
Category: [Hard vs soft paywalls and dismissal affordances](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/category/hard-vs-soft-paywalls-and-dismissal-affordances)
Tags: paywall, monetization, checkout, mobile, ux-patterns
HTML: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/what-percent-of-paywalls-offer-only-restore-purchases-as-an-exit
Markdown: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/what-percent-of-paywalls-offer-only-restore-purchases-as-an-exit.md

**Answer.** Of 2,708 mobile paywall screens tracked by Lazyweb Research, 151 (5.6%) offer only a 'Restore purchases' link and no dismiss, X, or text-link exit — across 56 companies [1]. Restore-only is the least common visible pattern, behind the X (517) and the 'Maybe later' link (193) [2]. For a new user, restore-only is effectively a hard paywall: the link recovers a prior purchase, it does not let them leave [1].

> 151 of 2,708 paywall screens (5.6%) give only 'Restore purchases' — no real exit — across 56 companies, Lazyweb Research, July 2026.

## The finding

On 151 screens (5.6%) the only escape-shaped control is a 'Restore purchases' link, with no dismiss, X, or worded opt-out present [1]. These span 56 companies [1]. In the precedence taxonomy, restore-only ranks below both the visible X and the text link, so these are screens where restore is genuinely the sole option [2].

## Why restore-only is a soft-looking hard gate

'Restore purchases' exists for users who already paid and reinstalled; it does nothing for a first-time visitor. So a restore-only paywall functions as a hard gate for the audience that matters for conversion, even though a link is present [1]. Treat these 151 screens as near-hard when you benchmark, not as soft.

## How to apply it and caveats

If your goal is to soften a paywall, adding 'Restore' does not achieve it — you need an X or a worded opt-out that a new user can act on [2]. If your goal is a hard gate but you must satisfy store review, restore-only is the minimal pattern 56 companies use [1]. Caveat: counts are extraction-based lower bounds and what-shipped only [1].

## The numbers

| Stat | Computed from |
| --- | --- |
| 151 restore-only screens (5.6%) across 56 companies | restore_only_screens: 151/2,708 = 5.6% |
| restore-only ranks below X (517) and text link (193) in precedence taxonomy | exit_type_taxonomy |

## Methodology

Restore-only is a branch of the exit taxonomy over 2,708 screens: a Restore CTA with no other exit. Extraction-based lower bound, what-shipped only. July 2026.

## Visual references

Real, in-market app screens tracked by Lazyweb Research:

- Uber: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/travel1_uber/lazyscreenshots/2025_08_19_11-31-01_F24716B4.png
- Evgo: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/uploaded_evgo/paywall/compare/2026-05-28/1780017963258_00_EVgo-20260529-012602-01.png
- Zero: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/health116_zero/lazyscreenshots/2024_01_01_08-47-10_C42FE420.png
- Disney: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/ent6_disney/lazyscreenshots/2023_12_16_11-33-58_96F3C97D.png

## Sources & citations

- [1] Lazyweb Research analysis of 2,708 paywall screens (mobile app corpus, 56 companies), July 2026. Restore-only = a 'Restore' CTA present but no dismiss/X/text-link exit; a lower bound.
- [2] Lazyweb Research analysis of 2,708 paywall screens (mobile app corpus), July 2026. Mutually exclusive exit taxonomy with visible-X precedence.

## Related questions

- [How Do Apps Let Users Exit The Paywall — X Button, 'Maybe Later', Or Not At All?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-do-apps-let-users-exit-the-paywall)
- [Hard Vs Soft Paywall: How Common Is Each?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/hard-vs-soft-paywall-how-common-is-each)
- [What Percent Of Paywalls Have A Visible Dismiss Option?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/what-percent-of-paywalls-have-a-visible-dismiss-option)
- [What Share Of Paywall CTAs Are Dismiss Buttons?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/what-share-of-paywall-ctas-are-dismiss-buttons)
- [What Share Of Companies Run A Soft Paywall Variant?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/what-share-of-companies-run-a-soft-paywall-variant)
- [How Many Paywalls Show A Visible Close Or X Button?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-paywalls-show-a-visible-close-x-button)
- [How Many Paywalls Use A 'Maybe Later' Text Link Instead Of An X?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-paywalls-use-a-maybe-later-text-link)
- [What Is The Most Common Dismiss Button Copy On Paywalls?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/what-is-the-most-common-dismiss-button-copy-on-paywalls)

## Explore the evidence

- [Billing toggle experiment kit](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/billing-toggle-experiment-kit?utm_source=lazyweb&utm_medium=research&utm_campaign=billing-toggle-kit)
- [Cal AI annual-plan and trial presentation](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/cal-ai-paywall-annual-plan-and-trial)
- [Monthly versus annual billing toggles](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/monthly-vs-annual-billing-toggle-pricing)
- [Billing cadence versus plan tiers](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/annual-billing-toggle-vs-plan-tiers)
- [Cal AI trial-introduction screens](https://design.lazyweb.com/flow/cal-ai/onboarding-paywall)

## Continue your research

[Connect Lazyweb to your coding agent](https://www.lazyweb.com/mcp-install)