Subscription Cost Calculator: Monthly, Yearly and Long-Term Cost of Your Subscriptions
Add up streaming, music, app, software, gym and box subscriptions billed weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly. See the monthly, yearly and daily total, a ranked list of what to cancel, the cost over several years with price rises, and what the same money could grow to invested.
How it works
Monthly cost of each = price × payments per month (weekly 52 ÷ 12 = 4.33, monthly 1, quarterly 1⁄3, every 6 months 1⁄6, yearly 1⁄12) × (1 + tax) · Total per month = Σ monthly costs · Per year = monthly × 12 · Per day = yearly ÷ 365 · One year invested = yearly × (1 + r)ⁿ · Every payment invested = Σ monthly payments compounded monthly at r ÷ 12
Subscriptions are small charges that stack up. Enter each one with the price you pay and how often you are billed; the calculator converts everything to a monthly figure (a weekly charge is paid 52 times a year, so it is 4.33 times the weekly price per month, not 4), adds any sales tax, and totals them per month, per year and per day. The table ranks them from largest to smallest, so the best candidates to cancel or downgrade are at the top. The long-term figures look ahead a number of years you choose. “Spent over” adds up the payments, optionally with a yearly price increase, since streaming and software prices tend to rise. Two comparisons show the opportunity cost: one year of the spending left invested for the whole period (the figure the earlier version of this page showed), and every payment invested monthly instead. Both use the return you set, 7% by default, a common long-run estimate for a stock index fund after inflation. Returns are not guaranteed and vary a lot from year to year. Subscriptions you use often can be good value; the point is to make sure each one is a choice and not a leftover.
Worked example
Three monthly subscriptions at $15.99, $10.99 and $4.99 come to $31.97 a month, $383.64 a year and $1.05 a day. Over 5 years that is $1,918.20. One year of the spending invested at 7% for 5 years grows to $383.64 × 1.07⁵ = about $538. Investing every $31.97 payment instead, compounded monthly at 7%, would grow to about $2,289 after 5 years. The largest subscription, streaming video at $15.99, costs $191.88 a year.
Sources: Investor.gov (SEC): compound interest calculator · calculate.co.nz: subscription cost calculator (52-week conversion)
Frequently asked questions
How do I count a yearly or weekly subscription?
Choose its billing period next to the price. A $120-a-year plan counts as $10 a month. A $5-a-week plan counts as 5 × 52 ÷ 12 = $21.67 a month, because there are 52 weeks, not 48, in a year.
How much does the average person spend on subscriptions?
Surveys give very different answers depending on what they count, and most people underestimate their own total. The reliable number is yours: go through a few months of bank and card statements and your phone’s app store subscriptions and enter every recurring charge.
Why compare against a 7% return?
US stocks have returned roughly 10% a year over the long run, or about 7% after inflation, so 7% approximates growth in today’s buying power. Any five-year stretch can be well above or below it; change the rate under More options to test other assumptions.
What is the fastest way to cut the total?
Start at the top of the table: the largest and least-used services. Look for duplicates (two video or music services), free trials that converted to paid plans, and plans you could switch to yearly billing or a cheaper ad-supported tier. Cancelling one $15 service saves more than trimming three $2 ones.
Is it cheaper to pay yearly?
Often. Many services charge the equivalent of 10 to 11 months when you pay for a year up front. Enter the yearly price with “Yearly” billing to compare it with the monthly plan, but only commit if you are sure you will use it all year.
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Investment figures are illustrations at a fixed return, not a forecast; real returns vary and can be negative.