Yes, you can do this in Mixpanel using the Compare to Past feature in Insights, combined with the Percent Change over Baseline option — however, that gives you a percentage. For an absolute number difference, here's the most practical approach:
Using Formulas in Insights
You can create a Formula that subtracts the previous period's value from the current period's value. Here's how:
- 1.
In your Insights report, add your "email total subscribers" event metric twice — label them (e.g., A and B).
- 2.
Use the Compare to Past feature to set one metric to the previous period.
- 3.
Then use a Formula (A - B) to calculate the absolute difference.
Mixpanel supports subtraction in formulas using the - operator. [Insights Formulas]
Using Compare to Past
Alternatively, the Compare to Past feature lets you overlay the current period against a previous period (previous day, week, month, quarter, or year) directly on the chart. By default, it shows both values visually, and you can switch to "Percent Change over Baseline" — but this only gives a percentage, not an absolute number. [Compare to Past]
Recommended Approach
The Formula method (A - B) is likely your best bet for getting an absolute numeric difference. Set up:
Metric A: Total of your "email total subscribers" event for the current period
Metric B: Total of the same event for the previous period (using Compare to Past or a separate filtered metric)
This will give you the raw change in subscriber count between the two periods. [Insights Formulas]
Note: The knowledge sources confirm formula arithmetic is supported, but do not explicitly detail every step of combining a formula with a time-shifted metric in a single report. You may need to experiment with the exact setup, or reach out to Mixpanel support for confirmation of this specific configuration.
