Subscription math

Subscription Annual Cost Comparator

Compare a monthly subscription price against an annual plan to see how much you'd save, and exactly how many months of use it takes for annual billing to win.

—Savings with annual (12 mo)
—Annual plan's monthly rate
—Break-even (months)

Calculated on your device. Nothing is uploaded or stored on a server.

How to use the subscription annual cost comparator

Enter the monthly price and the annual (yearly, prepaid) price for the same subscription, plus roughly how many months out of the year you'll actually use it. The comparator shows the annual plan's true monthly rate, your savings over a full year, and the break-even point.

Monthly vs. annual billing

Annual plans are usually discounted compared to paying monthly for 12 months, since the provider gets your money upfront and locks in your commitment. The break-even point is how many months of the monthly plan it takes to equal the annual price — if you'll use the service for more months than that in a year, annual billing saves money.

Annual isn't always better

If you might cancel partway through the year, the upfront annual cost is usually non-refundable, so a monthly plan can be the safer choice despite the higher per-month price.

Compare the true monthly rate

Dividing the annual price by 12 gives you the annual plan's effective monthly cost, which is the number to compare directly against the monthly price.

Subscription annual cost comparator FAQ

Common questions, answered.

How is the break-even point calculated?

Break-even in months is the annual price divided by the monthly price — the number of months of the monthly plan it takes to equal what you'd pay upfront for the year.

What if I might cancel before the year is up?

If you're not confident you'll use the service for the full year, the monthly plan may be lower risk even though its total 12-month cost is higher, since the annual price is typically non-refundable.

How much do I actually save by switching to annual?

Savings shown assumes 12 months of use: (monthly price × 12) minus the annual price. Enter fewer months used to see how the comparison changes if you won't use the full year.

Does this account for free trial periods or promo pricing?

No, it compares only the two prices you enter. Factor in any trial credit or first-year discount manually by adjusting the price you enter.

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