Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about subsCalculator. Need more help? Contact our support team.

💡 General Questions

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How does SubsCalculator work?

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SubsCalculator is a browser-based tool that helps you track and calculate all your subscription expenses in one place. Whether you're tracking streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify or managing business software subscriptions, simply select a service from our pre-loaded list or add a custom subscription. Enter the monthly cost, and the calculator automatically computes your total spending per month and year. All calculations happen instantly in your browser using JavaScript, with no server processing required. Your data is stored locally using browser localStorage technology, meaning everything stays on your device. You can add unlimited subscriptions, edit them anytime, view detailed breakdowns by category, and export comprehensive reports as PDFs. The tool supports multiple currencies and billing cycles (monthly, yearly, weekly) for maximum flexibility in tracking diverse subscription services.

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Is my subscription data private and secure?

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Absolutely. SubsCalculator takes privacy seriously by design. Your subscription data never leaves your device—everything is stored locally in your browser's localStorage, not on any external servers. We don't collect, transmit, or store any personal information, financial data, or usage statistics. There are no tracking cookies, analytics scripts, or third-party integrations that could compromise your privacy. The calculator works entirely offline once loaded, meaning your subscription details remain completely confidential. We don't require email addresses, passwords, or any identifying information. If you clear your browser data or use incognito mode, your subscriptions won't be saved, which further demonstrates that nothing is stored externally. For added security, you can export your data as a PDF for backup purposes and store it securely on your own device or cloud storage. Read more about our privacy philosophy.

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Can I use SubsCalculator for my business subscriptions?

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Yes, SubsCalculator is perfect for tracking business subscriptions alongside personal ones. Many businesses use multiple SaaS tools, cloud services, software licenses, and digital platforms that charge recurring fees. You can track expenses for services like Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, Dropbox Business, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and countless other business tools. The calculator allows you to add custom subscription names, so any business service can be tracked regardless of whether it's in our preset list. For businesses managing multiple subscriptions across departments, this tool provides clear visibility into recurring costs, helping with budget planning and identifying redundant services. You can categorize subscriptions, export detailed PDF reports for accounting purposes, and share the breakdown with stakeholders. While designed for simplicity, the tool handles unlimited subscriptions making it suitable for freelancers, small businesses, and even larger organizations tracking software expenses. Learn more about business subscription tracking.

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How do I update or delete subscriptions?

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Managing your subscriptions is simple and intuitive. Each subscription entry in your list includes clearly labeled edit and delete buttons. To modify a subscription, click the edit button, which opens the entry in the input form where you can change the service name, cost, billing cycle, or category. Your changes save automatically when you confirm the update. To remove a subscription entirely—perhaps because you've canceled that service or it was entered by mistake—simply click the delete button next to that entry. A confirmation prompt ensures you don't accidentally delete subscriptions. All changes are reflected immediately in your monthly and yearly totals, and the updated data is saved to your browser's local storage so it persists across sessions. There's no limit to how many times you can edit or how many subscriptions you can delete. This flexibility makes it easy to keep your subscription list current as you add new services or cancel existing ones throughout the year.

Features & Usage

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Why is SubsCalculator completely free?

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SubsCalculator is free because we believe everyone deserves access to financial tools that help them manage money better. Unlike many financial apps that charge monthly fees or require paid subscriptions (which would be ironic for a subscription tracker), we've built this as a community resource. The tool runs entirely in your browser with no expensive server costs, databases, or infrastructure to maintain. We don't sell your data, display intrusive advertisements, or lock features behind paywalls. Our mission is simple: help people gain clarity on their recurring expenses so they can make smarter financial decisions. The calculator is lightweight, efficient, and designed to serve unlimited users without ongoing costs. We may display respectful, non-intrusive ads to cover basic hosting expenses, but all core features remain free forever. By keeping it free and accessible, we help more people save money on unnecessary subscriptions, which aligns with our core purpose of promoting financial awareness and responsibility.

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What subscriptions can I track with this calculator?

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You can track virtually any recurring payment or subscription service. The calculator comes preloaded with popular options including streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+), music platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal), productivity tools (Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Workspace, Dropbox), fitness apps (Peloton, Apple Fitness+, Headspace), gaming services (Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online), and many more. Beyond the preset options, you can add completely custom subscriptions for any service not listed—whether it's a local gym membership, magazine subscription, meal kit delivery, cloud storage, VPN service, antivirus software, or niche SaaS tools. The calculator supports monthly, yearly, and weekly billing cycles, accommodates all major currencies, and lets you categorize subscriptions for better organization. There's no limit to how many subscriptions you can track, making it suitable for personal use, families managing shared services, or businesses monitoring software expenses across multiple departments and teams.

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Can I track both personal and business subscriptions separately?

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Yes! SubsCalculator allows you to categorize subscriptions, which helps separate personal and business expenses. When adding a subscription, you can assign it to categories like "Business," "Entertainment," "Productivity," "Utilities," or create custom categories. This categorization appears in your breakdown view, showing exactly how much you spend in each area. For businesses or freelancers who need strict separation for tax or accounting purposes, you can use the calculator in different browser profiles or devices—one for personal subscriptions and another for business. Alternatively, export separate PDF reports by temporarily filtering or removing certain subscriptions before export. The category breakdown feature is particularly valuable for businesses tracking software licenses across departments, as it provides clear visibility into where subscription costs are concentrated. Many users find that categorizing subscriptions helps them identify redundancies and make better decisions about which services provide value for personal versus professional use.

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How do I calculate all my streaming service subscriptions?

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Calculating your streaming service costs is incredibly simple with SubsCalculator. The tool includes quick-add buttons for popular services like Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ that automatically populate the service name. You can also manually enter any streaming service not listed, such as Peacock, Paramount+, Discovery+, or niche platforms. For each service, input your monthly cost (the calculator handles different subscription tiers like Basic, Standard, or Premium), select the billing cycle, and assign a category. The tool instantly calculates your total streaming expenses per month and year, helping you see exactly how much entertainment is costing you. Many users are shocked to discover they spend $50-$100+ monthly on streaming services alone. The visual breakdown shows which platforms cost the most, making it easier to decide which subscriptions to keep or rotate seasonally.

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Can I use different currencies?

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Yes! SubsCalculator supports multiple international currencies to accommodate users worldwide. You can select from major currencies including US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), British Pound (GBP), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Australian Dollar (AUD), Japanese Yen (JPY), Indian Rupee (INR), and many others. When you choose your preferred currency, all cost inputs, monthly totals, yearly calculations, and exported PDF reports automatically display amounts in that currency with the appropriate symbol and formatting. This makes the tool accessible for users in different countries or those managing subscriptions charged in various currencies. While the calculator doesn't perform real-time currency conversion (you enter the actual amount you pay in each currency), you can track subscriptions in your local currency regardless of where you're located. The currency setting is saved with your data, so you don't need to reselect it each time you visit.

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What does the category breakdown show?

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The category breakdown groups your subscriptions (entertainment, productivity, utilities, etc.) showing how much you spend in each area with visual progress bars.

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Can I export my subscription list?

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Yes! SubsCalculator includes a powerful PDF export feature that generates a comprehensive report of all your subscription data. Simply click the "Export PDF" button to create a professionally formatted document that includes every subscription you've added, along with individual costs, billing cycles, categories, and your total monthly and yearly spending. The PDF is perfect for personal budgeting, sharing with family members to discuss household expenses, presenting to business partners, or submitting to accountants for tax purposes. The exported file includes visual formatting that makes it easy to read and understand at a glance. Since the export happens entirely in your browser, your data remains private and isn't sent to any external servers. You can save the PDF to your computer, email it, or store it in cloud storage for record-keeping. This feature is completely free with no watermarks or limitations on how many times you can export your data.

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Can I edit or delete subscriptions after adding them?

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Absolutely! Use the edit (✏️) and delete (🗑️) buttons on each subscription card to make changes or remove services you no longer use.

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Can I filter subscriptions by billing frequency?

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Yes! Use the filter tabs to view only monthly, yearly, or weekly subscriptions. This helps you see which services are billed when.

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Can I share my subscription totals?

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Yes! Click the "Share" button to share your totals via Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, email, or copy a link. Individual subscription details remain private.

💵 Saving Money

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How much can I save by tracking my subscriptions?

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Most users save $20-$40 monthly ($240-$480/year) by identifying and canceling unused services. The average person forgets about $237/year in subscriptions.

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What's the best way to reduce subscription costs?

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Start by canceling services you haven't used in 30+ days. Then rotate subscriptions monthly, share family plans, bundle services, and switch to annual billing for discounts.

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What is subscription rotation?

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Subscribe to one streaming service at a time, watch your favorite shows, then cancel and switch to another. This strategy can cut entertainment costs by 50% or more.

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Should I share family plans?

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Yes! Most services offer family plans with multiple screens. Splitting costs with household members or trusted friends can save 50-75% per person.

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Are there student discounts available?

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Yes! Students can get 50% off on Spotify (with Hulu), Apple Music, Amazon Prime, YouTube Premium, and many others. Check each service's student discount page.

⚙️ Technical & Privacy

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Is my data safe and private?

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Absolutely! All data is stored locally in your browser. We don't collect, store, or transmit any personal information. No cookies, no tracking, no third-party sharing.

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Will my data be saved if I close the browser?

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Yes! Your subscription data is automatically saved to your browser's localStorage, which means it persists even after you close the browser, shut down your computer, or navigate away from the page. The next time you visit SubsCalculator, all your subscriptions will load exactly as you left them. However, there are important considerations: if you clear your browser's cache and cookies, switch to incognito/private browsing mode, or use a different browser or device, your saved data won't be accessible. To protect against accidental data loss, we strongly recommend periodically exporting your subscription list as a PDF. This gives you a permanent backup that can be saved to your computer, cloud storage, or email. If you ever need to rebuild your subscription list, you can reference the PDF. For users who frequently clear browser data for privacy reasons, consider bookmarking the page and exporting your data before each clearing session. The localStorage approach ensures privacy while giving you full control over your data.

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Can I access my data on multiple devices?

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Data is stored per browser/device. To sync across devices, export a PDF backup and manually re-enter on other devices. Cloud sync may come in future updates.

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Which browsers are supported?

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All modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Both desktop and mobile versions work perfectly.

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What if I find a bug or have a feature request?

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Please email us at contact@subscalculator.com with details. We actively improve the calculator based on user feedback and bug reports.

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How often is the calculator updated?

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We regularly add new features, popular services, and improvements. Updates happen automatically when you visit the site—no downloads needed.

Still Have Questions?

Start using the calculator and see how easy it is to track your subscriptions!

Try Calculator Now

About subsCalculator

subsCalculator.com is a free calculator for tracking subscription costs—both personal and business. Our mission is simple: help people see all their recurring expenses in one place. Whether you're looking to save money or forecast revenue, this tool provides complete transparency without requiring personal information or account creation.

Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy. subsCalculator doesn't collect, store, or transmit any personal data. All calculations happen locally in your browser using localStorage. No cookies, no tracking scripts, no third-party sharing. Your data never leaves your device unless you export it. By using this site, you agree to these terms.

Contact & Resources

Questions or feedback? Contact us at contact@subscalculator.com for feature requests, bug reports, or general inquiries. This tool is provided free "as-is" with all calculations performed in your browser for maximum privacy.