“We recently tested making the free trial optional instead of default and that was a very positive test for us… some people want to make sure they lock it in — they don't want to lose it — and then other people say I'm not sure, give me the free trial.”

Making the Free Trial Optional Outperformed Making It the Default

Burner found that presenting the free trial as a choice outperformed forcing everyone through a trial. Users who already know they want the product convert immediately without friction; uncertain users still get the trial. Self-selection beats one-size-fits-all trial defaults.