Subscription Tracker: A Tool to Track All Your Subscription Costs
Do you actually know how much you’re spending on subscriptions every month?
Not the number you’re guessing in your head - the real number. The one that includes the app you signed up for last year and forgot, the trial that silently converted to paid three months ago, and the tool you tried “just to see” that’s been quietly charging you every billing cycle without anyone noticing.
According to C+R Research, the average person spends 80% more on subscriptions than they think they do. The reason is simple: we sign up across different platforms, pay with different cards, and there’s no single place to see the full picture.
I built Subscription Tracker - a free, no-login-required tool that runs directly in your browser at tool.natecue.com/subscription-tracker. This article covers every feature and walks you through setup from A to Z - including Google Sheets sync and automated Telegram bot reminders.
What problem does a subscription tracker actually solve?
As the number of services you use grows - from Netflix, Spotify, Adobe, to ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, Notion, GitHub Pro, domain hosting - tracking them mentally or in scattered notes becomes obviously ineffective.
The 3 most common problems:
Forgetting renewal dates - Auto-renew charges you without warning. Especially with annual plans, you only realize it when you check your credit card statement at the end of the month.
Not knowing your real total cost - Each subscription looks small individually ($9.99, $15, $19.99), but they can add up to hundreds of dollars per month. The “shock number” usually hits when you sit down and total everything up for the first time.
Keeping services you don’t use - “Leave it there, might need it someday” - and there it sits, charging you reliably for months, years. This is the most subtle form of financial lifestyle creep because each individual amount is too small to notice.
Subscription Tracker solves all three problems in a single interface, with no account registration required.
Core features of Subscription Tracker
The tool is built on React + Tailwind CSS 4, fully integrated into the tool.natecue.com design system with complete Light/Dark mode and responsive layout across all screen sizes. If you’ve used Time Tracker or other tools on the same platform, the interface will feel familiar immediately.
Managing your subscription list
Each subscription stores:
- Service name and category (Entertainment, Productivity, Design, AI Tools, Health…)
- Cost with multi-currency support: VND, USD, EUR
- Billing cycle: Monthly or Yearly
- Start date - the tool automatically calculates the next due date, no manual math needed
- Status: Active, Paused, Cancelled
The status filter lets you instantly see what’s running, what’s paused, and what’s been cancelled but not yet removed from the list.
3 dedicated tracking tabs
List tab - All subscriptions with status, billing cycle, and next due date. Subscriptions due within 7 days or already overdue are highlighted so you can act on them in time.
Upcoming tab - Only shows items that need attention in the next 30 days. No need to scroll through the entire list to find what matters.
Statistics tab - Summarizes costs by month and year, breakdown by category with visual progress bars, and Top 5 most expensive subscriptions. This is the tab most likely to cause a “shock moment” when you first enter all your data.
Summary cards at a glance
The top section always shows 3 cards when you open the tool:
- Total monthly cost - normalizes all subscriptions to a monthly equivalent
- Projected annual cost - shows you the real number for an entire year
- Number of items due in 30 days - red badge if there are overdue items
Step-by-step usage guide
Step 1 - Open the tool
Go to tool.natecue.com/subscription-tracker directly in your browser. No account needed, no login, no app to install.
Step 2 - Add your first subscription
Click the ”+ Add Subscription” button in the top right. Fill in the modal:
- Service name - e.g. “Claude Pro”, “Adobe CC”, “Notion”
- Category - pick from the list or type your own
- Cost and currency (VND / USD / EUR)
- Billing cycle: Monthly or Yearly
- Start date - the date you signed up or the date of your first charge
- Current status
Click Save - the tool will automatically calculate the next due date based on the start date and billing cycle. No need to remember or calculate it yourself.
Step 3 - Audit all your subscriptions
Set aside 15-20 minutes to enter all your active subscriptions. A suggested checklist by category:
- Entertainment: Netflix, YouTube Premium, Spotify, Apple Music, Disney+
- AI Tools: ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, Midjourney, Perplexity Pro, Cursor
- Productivity: Notion, Obsidian Sync, 1Password, Dropbox, Google One
- Design: Adobe CC, Figma, Canva Pro
- Dev & Hosting: GitHub Pro, Vercel, domain hosting, VPS, cloud storage
- Health & Fitness: running apps, meditation, gym tracking
Once you’ve entered everything, go to the Statistics tab to see the total. I’m fairly confident the number will be at least 30% higher than you expected.
Step 4 - Handle upcoming renewals
Go to the Upcoming tab to see what decisions you need to make in the next 30 days:
- Keep it if you’re still using it (it’ll auto-charge if you do nothing)
- Cancel before the due date to avoid getting charged another cycle
- Switch to Paused if you’re temporarily not using it but aren’t ready to cancel yet
Important technical note: Data is stored in your browser’s localStorage - it won’t disappear on page refresh, but it will be lost if you clear your browser cache or switch to a different device. This is why you should set up external sync right after entering your data.
Sync data to Google Sheets
Subscription Tracker has a built-in Google Apps Script (GAS) template to push all your data to Google Sheets in just a few steps. No coding knowledge needed.
How to set up Google Sheets sync
Step 1: In the tool, click the “Sync to Google Sheets” button - a modal will appear with a pre-written GAS script, copy it all.
Step 2: Open Google Sheets (create a new file or use an existing one) - menu Extensions - Apps Script.
Step 3: Paste the script into the editor, click Deploy - New Deployment - select type Web App. Set “Who has access” to Anyone so the tool can call the API.
Step 4: Copy the Deployment URL that’s generated, paste it into the “Apps Script URL” field in the tool and click Sync.
All your subscriptions will be pushed to the sheet with columns: Service Name, Category, Cost, Billing Cycle, Start Date, Next Due Date, Status.
What you get: A spreadsheet backup that’s easy to share with others (or manage household expenses together), easy to filter and sort by any column, and accessible from any device via the Google Sheets app. Data never gets lost even if you clear cache or switch machines.
Automated reminders via Telegram bot
Google Sheets is step one - durable backup and multi-device access. Step two is proactively reminding you before renewals hit, instead of having to remember to open the tool and check every day.
By combining Google Sheets (where your data is already synced) with the Telegram Bot API, you can create an automation chain that sends reminder messages every morning to Telegram - fully automatic, zero extra cost.
Step 1 - Create a personal Telegram bot
Open Telegram, find @BotFather and start a conversation. Type /newbot, give your bot a name and username (username must end with bot, e.g. mysubtracker_bot). BotFather will return a Bot Token in the format 123456789:ABC-DEF... - save this carefully, it’s the key to your bot.
Next, send any message to your bot once, then visit the following URL to get your Chat ID:
https://api.telegram.org/bot{YOUR_TOKEN}/getUpdatesFind the "chat": {"id": ...} field in the returned JSON - that’s your Chat ID.
Step 2 - Add the reminder function to Apps Script
Go back to the Apps Script you deployed earlier and add the following function to the same file:
function sendTelegramReminders() {
const BOT_TOKEN = "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"; // replace with your real token
const CHAT_ID = "YOUR_CHAT_ID"; // replace with your real chat ID
const DAYS_AHEAD = 7; // remind 7 days in advance
const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet()
.getSheetByName("Subscriptions");
const data = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
const today = new Date();
const reminders = [];
for (let i = 1; i < data.length; i++) {
const name = data[i][0];
const dueDate = new Date(data[i][5]); // "Next Due Date" column
const status = data[i][6];
if (status !== "active") continue;
const diffDays = Math.ceil((dueDate - today) / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24));
if (diffDays >= 0 && diffDays <= DAYS_AHEAD) {
reminders.push(
`📅 *${name}* is due in *${diffDays} days* ` +
`(${Utilities.formatDate(dueDate, "Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh", "dd/MM/yyyy")})`
);
}
}
if (reminders.length === 0) return; // nothing coming up, skip
const message = `🔔 *Subscription Reminder*\n\n${reminders.join("\n")}`;
UrlFetchApp.fetch(
`https://api.telegram.org/bot${BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage`,
{
method: "post",
contentType: "application/json",
payload: JSON.stringify({
chat_id: CHAT_ID,
text: message,
parse_mode: "Markdown"
})
}
);
}Step 3 - Set up a daily automatic trigger
In Apps Script, click the clock icon Triggers in the left menu - Add Trigger:
- Function to run:
sendTelegramReminders - Event source: Time-driven
- Type of time-based trigger: Day timer
- Time of day: 8:00 - 9:00 AM (or whatever window you want to receive reminders)
Save the trigger. From now on, every morning when a subscription is due within 7 days, the bot will automatically message you on Telegram with the service name and days remaining. No need to open an app, no need to remember to check.
You can adjust DAYS_AHEAD from 7 to 3 if you want shorter notice, or 14 if you want more time to decide before renewal hits.
FAQ
Where is my data stored?
All data is stored in your browser’s localStorage. NateCue does not collect or store any subscription information server-side. This is a deliberate choice - privacy-first, your data belongs to you.
What happens if I clear my browser cache?
localStorage gets cleared along with it. That’s why I recommend syncing to Google Sheets immediately after entering your data. The sheet serves as a durable backup accessible from any device.
Does the tool convert currencies using live exchange rates?
Currently the tool displays amounts in each subscription’s original currency (USD, EUR, VND separately). Real-time currency conversion is on the roadmap for an upcoming update.
Can I use this tool on my phone?
Yes, the interface is fully responsive on mobile. You can access and use all features from your phone’s browser without installing anything.
Conclusion
A subscription tracker is something everyone needs but few think about until they see their credit card statement.
I built this tool after discovering I was paying for 3 AI tools I didn’t remember subscribing to - two of which I hadn’t used since the previous month. The amount I saved after that first audit was enough to cover several months of subscriptions that were actually worth keeping.
Combined with Google Sheets backup and Telegram bot reminders, you get a complete subscription management system: visual tracking on the web, durable backup in a spreadsheet, and automatic morning reminders to Telegram. No third-party app, no paid plan, data entirely in your hands.
Try it at: tool.natecue.com/subscription-tracker
If you want to learn more about how I build and organize tools like this, I have more detailed notes at natecue.com/learn - where I compile knowledge on AI tools, Productivity, and Marketing I’m actively using.
Feedback or features you want added? Leave a comment below or find me on LinkedIn. I’m tracking feature requests to update the tool in the coming months.
Thanks for reading NateCue Insights!