What this checker works out
This checker builds a list of subscriptions with their monthly cost and how often you use them, and ranks them by cost per use.
Ranking is what a single-subscription calculation cannot do. The useful question is rarely whether one service is worth it, but which of several is worth the least.
Subscription value tracker
Add subscriptions and compare monthly cost, annual cost and cost per use.
Before you build the list
- Take costs from statements rather than memory, and divide annual subscriptions by twelve.
- Count actual uses in a typical month. Most services report your own history.
- Mark genuinely essential services so they are not judged on cost per use alone — broadband and insurance are not entertainment.
- Include everything, including services shared with others, noting that a shared service is doing more work than a single user's count suggests.
Insurance, breakdown cover and cloud backup are bought so that they are rarely needed. A service used once in three years is not poor value if that once mattered. The essential marker exists to keep those out of a ranking that would otherwise put them at the bottom.
How this calculator works
Cost divided by uses, ranked:
Cost per use = monthly cost ÷ uses per month
Services ranked from highest cost per use downwardsA service used zero times in a month returns its full monthly cost as the cost per use, which is the correct answer. Ranking then places it at the top of the list, which is where a decision is needed.
Worked example: a £12.99 service
Using the default figures — a service at £12.99 a month used 4 times:
- Cost per use: £3.25
£3.25 a use is roughly the price of a coffee, which for most entertainment services is reasonable. The value of the list, though, is comparison: add a second service at £9.99 used once a month and it costs £9.99 a use — three times more, at a lower monthly price. Ranking finds that; looking at each subscription in isolation does not.
Common mistakes
- Judging insurance and backup on cost per use. Mark them essential.
- Estimating uses. Most services report your actual history.
- Ranking on monthly price rather than cost per use. The cheapest subscription is often the worst value.
- Ignoring shared use. A family plan used by four does four times the work.
- Cancelling everything at once. Targeted cancellation lasts; blanket cancellation reverses.
Frequently asked questions
How many uses make a subscription worthwhile?
It depends on the alternative. A streaming service replacing a cinema trip at £12 is good value at almost any usage. One replacing nothing you would otherwise pay for needs a much lower cost per use to justify. Working backwards from what you would pay per instance in cash is the most reliable test.
What about services I use seasonally?
Rank them over a period that includes both the busy and quiet months, or cancel and resubscribe. Most services have no minimum term and keep your account, so paying only for the months you use is straightforward — and is exactly what the monthly pricing model allows.
Should I switch to annual billing?
It usually saves the equivalent of one or two months, and it removes eleven opportunities to reconsider. It suits services you are certain about and works against you for anything marginal. Setting a calendar reminder before renewal restores the review that monthly billing provides automatically.
How do I find subscriptions I have forgotten?
Search a year of bank and card statements for repeated amounts, check the subscription lists in your Apple and Google accounts, and look at PayPal's recurring payments. Many banking apps now identify recurring payments automatically, which is the quickest route.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Your subscription list is processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained. Closing the tab discards it.
Related tools
References
- MoneyHelper — guidance on reviewing regular payments and cutting outgoings
- Financial Conduct Authority — rights over recurring card payments and cancellations
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.