Calculator
Subscription Leak Finder
Streaming, gym, cloud storage, that app you forgot you signed up for. List your subscriptions and see the real annual drain — plus what that money could be worth if invested instead.
Your subscriptions
Used for the "could be worth" figure. 7% is a common long-term stock-market average after inflation.
Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
"If invested" assumes you redirect the same monthly amount into an investment compounding monthly at the rate above. Real returns vary year to year and are not guaranteed.
How the subscription leak finder works
Subscriptions are designed to be forgettable: small, automatic, recurring. Add a few up and they quietly become your second-biggest line item after rent or mortgage. This calculator tallies them at three timescales — monthly, annual, and the 10/20/30-year opportunity cost if you invested the same money instead.
The two costs of every sub
- Direct cost: what you actually pay each month, multiplied by 12 for the annual figure.
- Opportunity cost: what the same monthly amount would compound to in an index fund. This is usually the bigger number.
Worked example
Scenario: Netflix £15.99, Disney+ £8.99, Spotify £11.99, Gym £35, News app £6 = £77.97/month.
Annual cost: ~£936
10-year opportunity cost at 7% invested: ~£13,500
25-year opportunity cost: ~£63,200
Cancelling two unused subs and redirecting £25/mo into an index fund could be worth ~£20,000 over 25 years.
Frequently asked questions
Why do small subscriptions matter?
Because they're recurring. £15 a month feels trivial, but it's £180 a year and £1,800 over a decade — and that's before factoring in what the money could have earned invested. Five small subscriptions can quietly cost more than a holiday.
How is the long-term cost calculated?
We compound the monthly subscription total at your chosen investment return rate over the time horizon you set. If you redirected £100/month into an index fund returning 7%, after 25 years you'd have around £81,000. That's the true opportunity cost of those subscriptions.
What's a typical subscription bill?
UK and US households commonly run £100-£250 a month across streaming, music, gym, news, software and cloud storage. Many people underestimate by 30-40% because billing is staggered and some subs are annual.
Should I cancel everything?
No — the goal is to spot subs you don't actively use or value. Audit each one against the question: 'If this charged me a lump sum once a year for the same total, would I still pay?' If the answer is no, cancel.
Are annual subscriptions cheaper?
Usually 10-20% cheaper than the monthly rate, yes. But they also commit you for 12 months and tend to auto-renew, so only pay annually for things you've used consistently for at least six months on the monthly plan.
How do I stop forgotten subscriptions?
Use a virtual card per subscription, set a recurring calendar reminder before each renewal, or audit your bank statements quarterly. Some banks now flag recurring charges automatically.