We Opened a Free Dataset of 500 iOS Subscription Paywalls

If you are building a subscription app, one of the hardest questions is not only how to implement subscriptions.

It is what your paywall should actually look like.

Should you offer a free trial?

Should you show monthly and annual plans?

Should the annual plan be selected by default?

Should the paywall appear after onboarding?

How do top apps frame value before asking users to subscribe?

Most teams answer these questions by looking at a few competitors, copying a layout they like, and then running A/B tests.

But A/B testing also needs direction.

Before deciding what to test, it helps to study real examples from apps that are already monetizing at scale.

That is why we created Open Paywall Gallery.

GitHub repo:

https://github.com/paywallpro/paywall-gallery

What is Open Paywall Gallery?

Open Paywall Gallery is a free public GitHub repository published by PaywallPro.

The first release includes 500 curated examples of iOS subscription app paywalls and onboarding flows.

Each entry is organized as a Markdown file, making the dataset easy to browse and easier to process programmatically.

The repo includes:

• Paywall screenshots
• Onboarding previews
• Pricing models
• Paywall pattern labels
• Selected monetization signals
• Machine-readable Markdown files

We also plan to add 50 new apps every week.

Why we built it

At PaywallPro, we study how top iOS apps design, test, and evolve their subscription flows.

One thing we noticed is that many app teams still make paywall decisions based on guesswork.

They may ask:

• What do competitors do?
• Which layout looks better?
• What price feels reasonable?
• Should we add a trial?
• Should we push annual plans harder?

These are important questions, but answering them from one or two screenshots is risky.

A paywall does not exist in isolation.

It is connected to:

• The app category
• User intent
• The onboarding flow
• The pricing structure
• The trial strategy
• The perceived value of the product
• The user’s willingness to pay

That is why we wanted to make a public dataset that helps builders look at real patterns across many apps, not just isolated screenshots.

Who is this for?

Open Paywall Gallery can be useful for:

• Indie app developers
• iOS developers working on subscriptions
• Product managers
• Growth teams
• UX and product designers
• Founders building AI tools or subscription apps

If you are designing a new paywall, redesigning an existing one, or preparing pricing experiments, the repo can help you build better test hypotheses.

How to use the dataset

A simple workflow looks like this:

1. Pick your category

Start with apps in your category.

For example:

• AI tools: Productivity, Photo & Video, Utilities
• Fitness apps: Health & Fitness
• Education apps: Education
• Content apps: Entertainment, Books, Music

Do not start by browsing everything.

The most useful reference usually comes from apps with similar user intent and monetization behavior.

2. Study at least 10 similar apps

One competitor can be misleading.

A single app may have a strong brand, a unique acquisition channel, or a different user base.

Looking at 10 similar apps helps you identify patterns instead of copying one example.

Pay attention to:

• Common paywall layouts
• Trial usage
• Monthly vs annual plan structure
• Default selected plans
• Discount framing
• CTA wording
• Onboarding before paywall

3. Identify the paywall pattern

Common patterns include:

• Free Trial Soft Paywall
• Hard Paywall
• Multi-Offer Paywall
• No Free Trial Paywall
• Onboarding Paywall

Each pattern reflects a different conversion strategy.

For example, a free trial may reduce the first payment barrier. A hard paywall may work better for strong intent products. A multi-offer paywall can help segment users by willingness to pay.

4. Break down pricing structure

Pricing is often more important than UI.

Look at:

• Weekly plans
• Monthly plans
• Annual plans
• Default selected plan
• Savings percentage
• Discount badges
• Low-price entry points
• Multiple tiers

A paywall is not just a screen. It is a pricing decision interface.

5. Study onboarding before the paywall

Many high-performing paywalls are supported by onboarding.

The app may first ask users about their goals, preferences, pain points, or desired outcomes.

Then the paywall appears after the user has already invested time and seen a personalized value proposition.

This can make the subscription offer feel more relevant.

6. Turn observations into test hypotheses

The goal is not to copy another app.

The goal is to turn real examples into testable ideas.

For example:

• Should we add a free trial?
• Should we select the annual plan by default?
• Should we add a lower-priced monthly entry point?
• Should we show the paywall after onboarding?
• Should we add a personalized flow before the paywall?
• Should our CTA focus more on the outcome?

This is where research becomes useful for product decisions.

GitHub public layer vs PaywallPro

The GitHub repo is the public preview layer.

It is designed for quick browsing, learning, and community feedback.

The full PaywallPro product includes deeper research capabilities, such as:

• Complete paywall screenshot history
• Full onboarding flows
• Historical version changes
• Pricing experiment records
• Before and after paywall comparisons
• More complete revenue, ranking, and subscription metrics
• Advanced filters by category, region, pricing model, and app type

The public repo helps teams discover examples and questions.

PaywallPro helps teams conduct deeper research and make better subscription decisions.

What comes next

This is just the first public release.

We plan to keep updating the repo with:

• 50 new apps every week
• More categories
• More paywall pattern pages
• More pricing examples
• More onboarding references
• Community-requested apps

We are also exploring a Skills version of the dataset so developers, product managers, and growth teams can reference real paywall examples directly in their workflows.

Feedback welcome

If you are working on an iOS subscription app, mobile growth, pricing, onboarding, or UX design, we would love your feedback.

GitHub repo:

https://github.com/paywallpro/paywall-gallery

What would make this dataset more useful?

• JSON export?
• API access?
• More pricing fields?
• More onboarding metadata?
• More category pages?
• More historical version data?

Feel free to open an Issue or suggest apps we should add next.

If the repo is useful, a Star would also help us keep the project going.