A yearly total puts every plan on the same basis. It is the number that makes a $2.99 weekly app and a $79.99 annual plan comparable before you decide what is worth keeping.
Formulas
| Billing cycle | Charges per year | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | price × 52 |
| Every 2 weeks | 26 | price × 26 |
| Every 4 weeks | 13 | price × 13 |
| Monthly | 12 | price × 12 |
| Every 3 months | 4 | price × 4 |
| Every 6 months | 2 | price × 2 |
| Yearly | 1 | price |
“Every four weeks” and “monthly” are easy to confuse. A plan that bills every four weeks charges 13 times a year, one more than the same price billed monthly. Some gyms and memberships bill this way.
Weekly × 52 is the usual convention. A year is 52 weeks and a day or two, so a weekly plan occasionally bills 53 times in one calendar year.
- Per month$9.99
- Per week$2.31
- Per day$0.33
For example, $9.99 monthly costs $119.88 each year. A $79.99 yearly plan equals about $6.67 per month. This comparison shows whether a yearly option is genuinely cheaper, but only choose it if you expect to use it for the full term.
Going the other way: the monthly equivalent
Divide an annual cost by 12 for its monthly equivalent. A $79.99 yearly plan is about $6.67 a month. A $2.99 weekly plan is $155.48 a year, or about $12.96 a month. Monthly figures suit a budget that runs month by month; keep the yearly figure for decisions about annual plans.
A worked example
One person’s recurring costs, with example values:
| Item | Cycle | Price | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video streaming | Monthly | $15.49 | $185.88 |
| Music | Monthly | $10.99 | $131.88 |
| Photo editing app | Weekly | $2.99 | $155.48 |
| Gym | Every 4 weeks | $25.00 | $325.00 |
| Cloud backup | Yearly | $79.99 | $79.99 |
| Domain name | Yearly | $14.00 | $14.00 |
| Car insurance | Every 6 months | $412.00 | $824.00 |
| Total | $1,716.23 |
That is about $143.02 a month. Two lines are easy to underestimate. The weekly app looks like pocket change at $2.99 and costs more per year than the music plan. The gym, billed every four weeks, costs $325 a year where the same price billed monthly would cost $300.
Which price to use
- The price after the offer. For a trial or a discounted first year, annualize the price that applies once it ends.
- What you are charged, including tax. Some stores show prices before sales tax. Your receipt has the real amount.
- Your share. For a plan split with others, count the part you pay and note who pays the rest.
- The currency you pay in. Compare within one currency, or use a documented exchange rate instead of a guess.
Build it in a spreadsheet
Four columns are enough: item, price, charges per year, and annual cost. Fill the third column from the table above, then multiply.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Price | Charges per year | Annual cost |
| 2 | Music | 10.99 | 12 | =B2*C2 |
| 3 | Gym | 25.00 | 13 | =B3*C3 |
| 4 | Total | =SUM(D2:D3) |
A “charges per year” column keeps the formula the same on every row, and it makes the every-four-weeks case visible at a glance.
Check the total against your statements
Add up the recurring charges on your last 12 months of statements and compare that with your calculated total. A large gap usually means an item is missing, a price changed, or something bills to another card or account. A small gap is normal: exchange rates, tax and mid-year changes all move it a little.
When a price changes during the year
A price rise changes the yearly total from the date it applies, so count the months at each price separately. A $10.99 monthly plan that rises to $12.99 after four months costs 4 × $10.99 + 8 × $12.99 = $147.88 that year. The old annual cost was $131.88; from next year it is $155.88.
Cadora keeps a price history for each item, so the old price stays on record after you update it. For what to do about the rise itself, see what to do when a subscription price increases.
Do not forget irregular recurring costs
Include memberships, cloud storage, domains, insurance instalments, utilities, app subscriptions, and seasonal services. A yearly plan you already paid this year still belongs in the total; it costs that much every year it renews.
Cadora calculates recurring totals from the dates, cycles, currencies, and prices you enter. It does not retrieve or verify provider prices. It can track items in more than one currency; live exchange rates are optional and off by default, and without them Cadora uses rates bundled with the app.
FAQ
Should I include cancelled subscriptions?
For a forward-looking annual cost, no: count what will renew. For a look back at what you spent over the last 12 months, yes, including anything you cancelled part-way through.
How do I count a free trial?
Count it at the full price from the date the trial converts. If you plan to cancel, keep it on the list at that price until you have cancelled, so it stays visible.
Is there a calculator for this?
Yes. The subscription cost calculator on this site converts several items at once in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
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Khai Do is an independent iOS developer in Vietnam who builds and supports Cadora under Aquifer.