How to See Your MRR in WHMCS

Quick question: What's your MRR right now?

If you had to log into WHMCS and click around for 10 minutes to figure it out, you're not alone. WHMCS doesn't show MRR anywhere in the dashboard.

This is a problem.and in this guide, we'll explain why MRR matters and how to start tracking it today.

What Is MRR and Why Should You Care?

MRR stands for Monthly Recurring Revenue. It's the predictable income you receive every month from active subscriptions.

Why "predictable" matters:

WHMCS shows you how much money came in last month. But that number is misleading.

Example:

January: You collected $15,000 (10 annual renewals hit)
February: You collected $8,000 (no annual renewals)

Did your business shrink by 47%? No. Your actual recurring revenue stayed the same.the difference was just timing.

MRR normalizes everything to a monthly basis, so you see the real trend.

Why Doesn't WHMCS Show MRR?

WHMCS is built around transactions and invoices, not subscriptions. It tells you:

Invoice #4521 was paid on January 15
Client ABC owes $120
You received $8,000 this month

What it doesn't tell you:

Your predictable monthly income
Which clients generate the most recurring revenue
Whether your business is growing or shrinking
How much you'd lose if your biggest client left

For hosting providers, this is like driving without a speedometer. You know you're moving, but you don't know how fast.or if you're about to run out of fuel.

How Is MRR Calculated?

The formula is simple: take every active subscription and normalize it to a monthly value.

Billing Cycle	Annual Fee	MRR
Monthly	$30	$30
Quarterly	$81	$27
Semi-Annual	$150	$25
Annual	$240	$20

The key insight: A $240/year client isn't worth $240 in January and $0 for the rest of the year. They're worth $20 every month.

This normalization is what makes MRR useful. It smooths out the noise and shows you the real health of your business.

What Counts Toward MRR in WHMCS?

Not everything in your WHMCS contributes to MRR:

WHMCS Item	Counts as MRR?
Hosting services	Yes
Domain registrations	Yes
SSL certificates	Yes
Product addons	Yes
Configurable options	Yes
One-time setup fees	No
Late fees	No
Credits/refunds	No

Important: Only active, paid subscriptions count. A client with an unpaid invoice isn't contributing to your MRR yet.

Why Hosting Providers Need MRR More Than Other Businesses

Other businesses can survive on cash flow reports. Hosting can't. Here's why:

1. Mixed Billing Cycles

You have monthly clients, quarterly clients, and annual clients.all mixed together. Without MRR, you can't compare them fairly.

2. High Churn Impact

Losing one $50/month hosting client doesn't sound bad. But that's $600/year in recurring revenue gone. Multiply that by 10 clients, and you've lost $6,000 annually.

MRR helps you spot these losses before they compound.

3. Thin Margins

Hosting margins are tight. A 10% drop in revenue could mean the difference between profit and loss. You need to know exactly where you stand.not guess.

4. Business Valuation

Planning to sell someday? Hosting companies typically sell for 2-4x ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue).

If your MRR is $10,000, your ARR is $120,000, and your business is worth $240,000-$480,000.

But you can't calculate that if you don't know your MRR.

How to Start Tracking MRR in WHMCS

You have two realistic options:

Option 1: Manual Spreadsheets

Export your services, normalize billing cycles, sum it up in Excel.

Problems:

Takes 2-4 hours per month
Easy to make mistakes
No real-time visibility
You'll stop doing it after 3 months

We wrote about this in detail: Why Spreadsheets Fail for WHMCS Cost Tracking.

Option 2: MX Metrics Module

MX Metrics adds MRR directly to your WHMCS dashboard. For $19/month, you get:

Current MRR updated in real-time
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
Revenue per client breakdown
Top clients ranked by monthly value
Trends over time

No spreadsheets. No manual calculations. No forgetting to update it.

Setup takes about 5 minutes. See MX Metrics →

What Can You Do Once You See MRR?

Visibility is just the first step. Here's what MRR enables:

Make Hiring Decisions

"We're at $12,000 MRR. If we hit $15,000, we can afford a part-time support person."

Without MRR, you're guessing whether you can afford to grow.

Spot Problems Early

"MRR dropped 3% this month. Let me check which clients cancelled and why."

By the time you notice churn in your bank account, it's too late. MRR shows you the trend in real-time.

Measure Marketing ROI

"We spent $500 on ads last month and added $800 in new MRR. That's a 60% return in month one alone."

If you can't measure new MRR, you can't know which marketing channels work.

Plan for Growth

"We're growing 5% month-over-month. At this rate, we'll double in 14 months."

MRR growth rate is the best predictor of where your business will be next year.

Know Your Business Value

"Our MRR is $15,000. At a 3x ARR multiple, we're worth $540,000."

Whether you're seeking investment or planning an exit, MRR is the number buyers care about.

Understanding MRR Types

Once you're tracking basic MRR, you can break it down further:

New MRR

Revenue from brand-new customers this month.

Expansion MRR

Additional revenue from existing customers.upgrades, addons, extra services.

Contraction MRR

Revenue lost from downgrades (but the customer stayed).

Churned MRR

Revenue lost from cancellations.

Net New MRR

The formula that matters most:

Net New MRR = New MRR + Expansion MRR - Contraction MRR - Churned MRR

Positive net new MRR = your business is growing.

Negative net new MRR = you're shrinking, even if it doesn't feel like it yet.

What's a Good MRR for a Hosting Business?

MRR varies by business size:

Stage	Typical MRR
Side project	Under $500
Small business	$500 - $5,000
Growing company	$5,000 - $50,000
Established provider	$50,000+

More important than absolute MRR is growth rate. A 5-10% monthly growth rate is excellent for hosting.

At 5% monthly growth, you'll double your MRR in 14 months.

The Cost of Not Tracking MRR

Every month without MRR visibility is a month of:

Decisions based on gut feeling instead of data
Missing early warning signs of churn
Not knowing if your marketing is working
Underpricing your services because you don't know their true value
Undervaluing your business if you ever want to sell

For a hosting business doing $10,000+ in monthly revenue, flying blind is expensive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see MRR in WHMCS without a module?

Not directly. WHMCS shows invoice totals and payment history, but doesn't calculate normalized MRR. You'd need to export data and calculate it manually.

How often should I check MRR?

Weekly is ideal. Monthly at minimum. The more often you check, the faster you'll spot problems.

What's the difference between MRR and revenue?

Revenue is what you collected. MRR is what you can expect to collect every month from active subscriptions. A $1,200 annual payment is $1,200 in revenue but only $100 in MRR.

Should I track gross MRR or net MRR?

Both. Gross MRR shows your top-line recurring revenue. Net MRR (after costs) shows actual profit. For most decisions, gross MRR is the starting point.

Next Steps

Get MRR visibility . Install MX Metrics ($19/month)
Check it weekly . Add it to your Monday morning routine
Track the trend . Is MRR going up or down month-over-month?
Act on what you see . Reduce churn, upsell existing clients, cut unprofitable services

For a complete guide to hosting metrics beyond MRR, see 7 KPIs Every Hosting Provider Should Track.

Ready to see your MRR? MX Metrics adds real-time MRR tracking to your WHMCS dashboard for $19/month. No spreadsheets, no manual work. Get started →