Ask someone what their subscriptions cost and they'll usually name the monthly ones. The yearly plan, the weekly box and the bill that comes every three months are easy to leave out, so the answer can be off. This guide shows how to put every plan on the same footing, a month and a year, and how to let Subs Cat, our subscription and bill list for iPhone and iPad, do the sums.
Put every plan on the same footing
Plans bill on different schedules, so you can't just add the amounts. Turn each one into what it costs a year, then divide by 12:
- Monthly: the amount × 12 is the year. The amount is already the month.
- Yearly: the amount is the year. A $60 yearly plan comes to $5 a month.
- Weekly: the amount × 52 is the year. A $3 weekly plan is $156 a year, or $13 a month.
- Every few months: the amount × 12, divided by the number of months. $15 every 3 months is $60 a year, or $5 a month.
Add up the yearly figures and you have what your subscriptions cost a year. Divide that by 12 for the monthly average.
Why one month can cost more than the average
The monthly average spreads a yearly plan evenly over 12 months, but the money doesn't go out evenly. The month a yearly plan renews, its whole price goes out at once. A weekly plan charges four times in some months and five in others. So it helps to know two numbers: the average, and what actually goes out soon.
Let Subs Cat do the sums
Subs Cat doesn't connect to your bank or your cards, or read the subscriptions in your Apple Account, so you type each plan in once. If you haven't gathered them yet, start with how to track subscriptions on iPhone.
- Open Subs Cat and tap Add, the + button at the top right.
- Type the name and the Amount: what comes out each time, not a monthly guess.
- Pick Subscription or Bill. Bills, like rent or the phone, count in the same totals.
- Under How often, pick Week, Month or Year. For a plan billed every three months, tap + on the stepper until it says Every 3 months.
- Set Next charge and tap Add.
The black panel at the top of the list shows A month: what everything comes to a month, worked out the same way as above. A yearly plan counts as a twelfth of its price, and a weekly plan as 52 charges a year spread over 12 months. Under it are the yearly total and the number of items. The totals change as soon as you add, edit or delete an item.
See what goes out soon
Below the panel on iPhone, or beside it on iPad, Next up lists every item with the soonest charge first, like "Next Oct 28 · in 4 days".
On iPad, a side column shows The next 30 days: what goes out in that window, with every charge counted, so a weekly plan counts each time it bills. Under it are the three soonest charges.
On iPhone or iPad, tap Summary, the page button at the top left, then Print summary or Share summary PDF. The summary shows the monthly and yearly totals, a line for what's due in the next 30 days, and a table of every item with an A month column, so you can see what each plan comes to a month side by side.
See which months cost the most, with Pro
With Subs Cat Pro, a Where it goes button sits in the black panel. Without Pro it's marked Pro. It opens two charts:
- A month, by category. A ring of what each category comes to a month, with its share and amount. Tap a category to see its amount in the middle. Items without one show as "No category".
- The next 12 months. A bar for each month, starting with this one, with every charge counted. The biggest month is labelled with its amount, and a month with a yearly renewal shows its whole price.
You set a category when you add or edit an item. Subs Cat suggests a few, like Streaming, Music, Fitness or Insurance, or you can type your own.
Pro also adds Export CSV, a spreadsheet with each item's amount, next charge, and what it comes to a month and a year.
Free trials count too
A trial counts in the totals at the price you typed, so the panel shows what you'd pay if you kept it. To get a reminder before a trial turns into a charge, see how to remember to cancel a free trial.
What Subs Cat doesn't do
- It doesn't read your bank, your cards or the subscriptions in your Apple Account. Every item is typed in by you.
- It doesn't set a budget or tell you which subscriptions to cut. It shows the totals and the dates, and the choice is yours.
- It never adds different currencies together. With Pro, each currency gets its own totals.
What it costs
Subs Cat is free for as many subscriptions and bills as you have, with reminders, the monthly and yearly totals, and the summary to print or share. There's no account and no ads. Your list is kept on your iPhone or iPad and in your own backups, and leaves only when you print, share or export it.
Subs Cat Pro is an optional one-time purchase that adds categories and charts, custom icons, more currencies with their own totals, and export to CSV. The totals don't need Pro. More on the Subs Cat page.
Quick answers
How do I work out the monthly cost of a yearly subscription?
Divide the yearly price by 12. A $60 yearly plan is $5 a month.
How do I work out the monthly cost of a weekly subscription?
Multiply by 52 for the year, then divide by 12. Subs Cat counts weekly plans the same way.
Can Subs Cat show my total subscription cost?
Yes. The panel at the top of the list shows what everything comes to a month and a year, free.
Can it show my subscriptions by category?
Yes, with Pro. Where it goes shows what each category comes to a month, and what goes out in each of the next 12 months.
What if I pay in more than one currency?
The free app keeps one currency, any you choose for the first item. Pro adds more, each with its own totals; they're never added together.
Try Subs Cat
Try Subs Cat: free, no ads, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/subs-cat