SubScan › Subscription spending by category

How to See Your Subscription Spending by Category

Stop guessing where your money goes. SubScan breaks your subscriptions into a live category chart — streaming, AI tools, music, cloud, and more — in under two minutes, free, with no bank login.

Why category visibility matters

Most people know their subscriptions cost "too much." The harder question is: which category is actually the problem?

West Monroe's 2025 research found the average US household spends $273/month on subscriptions — but when surveyed, people guessed $86. The gap is widest in categories people don't mentally track as "subscriptions": AI tools, cloud storage, and fitness apps.

The 9 categories SubScan tracks

How SubScan's category chart works

1. Add each subscription on the "+ Add" tab — name, amount, billing cycle, category.
2. Open the Audit tab. The donut chart appears as soon as you have one subscription.
3. Each slice is sized to your exact dollar spend. The legend shows category name, dollar amount, and percentage.
4. The Savings Simulator below the chart lets you check boxes next to subscriptions and instantly see how much you'd save per month and per year if you cancelled them.

Detecting duplicate categories (Pro)

SubScan Pro adds a duplicate subscription detector: if you have two or more subscriptions in the same category, it flags the overlap and estimates the monthly cost of the duplication.

Common duplicates users discover:

• Streaming: Netflix + Max + Peacock + Hulu all active simultaneously
• Music: Spotify and Apple Music running in parallel (95%+ catalog overlap)
• Cloud: iCloud 200GB + Google One + Dropbox — usually one covers all needs
• AI Tools: ChatGPT + Perplexity + Claude Pro — feature overlap depends on use case

Cancel savings calculator

The Savings Simulator (free) lets you select which subscriptions you're willing to cancel and shows the instant impact:

• Monthly savings
• Annual savings
• Updates in real time as you check/uncheck

This answers the question most trackers skip: not just "what do I spend" but "what happens if I stop?"

Frequently asked questions

How can I see what I spend per category on subscriptions?

Add each subscription to SubScan (free, no bank login). The Audit tab shows a live donut chart breaking your total by category. It updates in real time as you add items.

Which subscription category do most people overspend on?

Streaming is typically the largest single category, but AI tools are the fastest-growing in 2026. Many people are unaware they're paying $60-120/month across multiple AI subscriptions with significant feature overlap.

Do I need to connect my bank to see subscription categories?

No. SubScan is 100% on-device. You enter subscriptions manually. No bank credentials, no account required, nothing is uploaded. All data stays in localStorage in your browser.

What counts as an AI tool subscription?

Any recurring payment for AI services: ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo), Claude Pro ($20/mo), Midjourney ($10-$60/mo), Perplexity ($20/mo), Cursor, GitHub Copilot, etc. SubScan tracks AI spend as its own category because it's the most underestimated cost in 2026 budgets.