Solo Work ToolsUpdated November 2026For anyone choosing a plan at checkout. Drag how long you'll really keep it; the cheaper plan lights up.
| Kept for | Monthly $12.99 | Yearly $99.99 | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | $38.97 | $99.99 | Monthly by $61.02 |
| 6 months | $77.94 | $99.99 | Monthly by $22.05 |
| 8 months | $103.92 | $99.99 | Yearly by $3.93 |
| 12 months | $155.88 | $99.99 | Yearly by $55.89 |
| 18 months | $233.82 | $199.98 | Yearly by $33.84 |
Example prices. The 18-month row assumes the yearly plan renews once at the same price.
The yearly discount is real, but only if you keep paying past the break-even month. Here that's month 8.
Assumes prices stay the same, the yearly plan renews at the end of each 12 months unless cancelled, and cancelling stops the next charge, not the current one.
An annual subscription is worth it when you'll keep the service at least until the break-even month: the yearly price divided by the monthly price, rounded up. Before that month, monthly costs less; after it, yearly saves money. A $99.99 year against $12.99 a month breaks even at month 8, so anything you'd drop by month 7 belongs on monthly.
The harder part is the honest guess. Plenty of yearly plans are bought for a project, a season or a resolution that ends early. The Federal Trade Commission's guide to free trials, auto-renewals and subscriptions (updated December 2025) warns that promotional rates can expire, and to check that a renewal price matches what you expected. A first-year discount that renews at full price changes the math for year two.
Pay yearly for the things you've already kept a year. Pay monthly for anything you're still testing.
A meal-planning app offers $59.99 a year or $7.99 a month. Break-even is month 8 ($59.99 ÷ $7.99 = 7.5, rounded up). The yearly plan feels like the disciplined choice in January.
By April the cooking routine has slipped. Four months of monthly would have been $31.96, so the yearly plan cost $28.03 more than the months it was used. Next January, it renews at whatever the price is then, unless someone remembers to check.
One design decision we made on purpose: totals in different currencies are kept separate and marked as estimates, never blended into one number.
Divide the yearly price by the monthly price and round up. $99.99 ÷ $12.99 is about 7.7, so month 8 is where yearly starts to cost less.
Work it out per plan: 1 − yearly price ÷ (12 × monthly price). $99.99 against $12.99 a month saves about 36% if you keep it all 12 months, and nothing if you leave early.
It depends on the company's terms. Cancelling usually stops the next renewal rather than refunding the current year, so plan as if the year is spent.
At least a week before, and earlier if you'll want to compare prices. For App Store subscriptions, Apple says to cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends to avoid the next charge.
Add your plans, see what each costs a year, and get a cancel-by reminder before the next charge. Start with 7 days of Full Protection, no payment required.