Built-in VPN Integration Cut Churn by 18%

How Offering Built-in VPN Reduced Churn by 18% for a Productivity App?

Industry:Productivity SaaS, Mobile App integration

Highlights: In-app integration, quick deployment, VPN integration

“Adding a built-in VPN to our app was something we thought would take months and significant investment. With PureWL, we were able to integrate it rapidly, under our own branding, and without building our own network. Our users immediately noticed the added security, and we saw a clear reduction in uninstalls. It has made a real difference to retention.”

Client Background

The client is a globally recognized productivity platform with millions of active users. Its app helps individuals and teams manage projects, track tasks, share files, and collaborate seamlessly across devices.
With a strong presence in the US, Europe, and Asia, the app is widely used by remote teams, freelancers, and enterprise organizations to stay organized and connected. However, as usage expanded into public WiFi environments, coffee shops, co-working spaces, and airports, concerns about unsecured networks started surfacing. User feedback revealed growing anxiety about data privacy, particularly during file sharing and team communication.

Objectives

The client set out clear goals for this project:

Increase User Security: Protect users’ data and activity from potential breaches on unsecured networks.

Improve User Retention: Reduce uninstall rates driven by privacy concerns, particularly among business users.

Avoid Infrastructure Build-Out: Add VPN capabilities without hiring a security engineering team or managing global server networks.

Preserve User Experience: Integrate security features natively without requiring a separate app or introducing complexity.

Accelerate Time-to-Market: Deliver a branded privacy solution within weeks to stay competitive in the market.

Challenges

1. User Churn Due to Security Concerns
Feedback from support tickets and app store reviews revealed a recurring theme:

Business users expressed concerns about connecting through public networks without built-in protection.
Security-conscious teams began exploring alternative productivity platforms that promoted stronger privacy features.
In churn analysis, over 30% of users who uninstalled cited lack of security as a contributing factor, showing a clear correlation between privacy concerns and retention issues.

2. Limited Internal Security Expertise
Developing a secure VPN solution internally would have required:

Hiring security engineers and network specialists
Setting up a global network of servers and managing encryption protocols
Maintaining compliance with international privacy standards
Handling 24/7 server uptime and technical support

This approach would have delayed launch timelines significantly and introduced high operational costs. The client’s leadership recognized that cybersecurity is a specialized field and not their core competency.

3. Urgent Market Need and Competitive Pressure
Competing platforms had started marketing integrated privacy and security protections, making “secure collaboration” a differentiating feature. Industry analysts and tech blogs began highlighting these advancements, influencing buyer decisions. Without a comparable security offering:

The client risked losing market share to competitors with stronger privacy positioning.
Potential enterprise clients flagged the absence of built-in network security during procurement discussions.
Investor and stakeholder feedback emphasized that privacy features were no longer optional; they had become essential to stay competitive.
This urgency required a fast, proven solution rather than a multi-year infrastructure project.

4. Need for a Seamless User Experience
Adding security was non-negotiable, but so was maintaining the app’s simplicity and usability. Productivity users value speed and minimal disruption to their workflow:

A standalone VPN app would have complicated the user journey, requiring additional downloads and logins.
Complex VPN settings or technical jargon could overwhelm non-technical users.
Any added latency or unstable connections risked damaging the app’s reputation for reliability.
The solution needed to blend invisibly into the existing interface, require no extra learning curve, and work automatically without slowing down performance.

Innovative Solution

To solve these challenges, the client turned to PureWL’s White-Label VPN SDK, enabling them to:

Embed VPN directly into their existing iOS and Android apps without requiring users to download separate apps.
Provide secure, encrypted connections via PureWL’s 6,000+ servers in 80+ locations, ensuring user data remained private on any network.
Launch fully branded VPN services, matching their established interface and identity.
Utilize custom APIs to automate server selection and connection logic, improving ease of use.

Implementation Process

Technical Discovery: The engineering team evaluated PureWL’s SDK documentation and sandbox tools.
Rapid SDK Integration: The VPN was embedded into the productivity app quickly, with no need for additional infrastructure.
Brand Alignment: The VPN interface was fully styled to match the app’s visual design, icons, and in-app messaging.
Controlled Beta Testing: A limited group of power users tested the VPN under different network conditions before the full release.
Public Rollout: The built-in VPN was made available to all users without requiring a new app download or major update.

Result and Impact

18% drop in uninstalls within 90 days, directly linked to improved user confidence in security.
12% growth in average session time, particularly for remote teams frequently connecting via public hotspots.
Significant cost savings: Avoided 8+ months of VPN infrastructure development and ongoing server maintenance costs.
Market differentiation: The app gained recognition as a secure, business-friendly productivity solution, attracting larger enterprise customers.
Scalability: With PureWL’s infrastructure, the client can easily expand security features (password manager, threat protection) without major redevelopment.

Delivering Exceptional Outcomes with PureVPN Integration

By integrating PureWL’s White-Label VPN SDK, the productivity app enhanced its privacy capabilities, protected users on unsecured networks, and significantly reduced churn, all while maintaining its brand identity and avoiding costly infrastructure builds. This demonstrates how SaaS companies can quickly add premium security features that boost retention and competitive advantage.

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