Subscription Tracker Spreadsheet: Free Template

A subscription tracker spreadsheet is a simple table with one row per subscription: what it is, what it costs, how often it bills, and when it charges next. Add one formula to convert every plan to a monthly cost, total that column, and sort by next charge date. You'll see your full monthly and yearly spend at a glance.

You can download the free subscription tracker template (CSV) and open it in Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers. Below, you'll find what each column is for, the exact formulas to paste in, how to highlight charges that are due soon, and the honest limits of doing all this in a spreadsheet.

What's in the free subscription tracker template#

The template has 11 columns. Here's what each one is for, with the column letters the formulas below use.

A few tips as you fill it in:

• Type the billing cycle exactly as Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly or Yearly. The formulas match these words, so "Annual" or "yearly " with a trailing space won't be picked up.
• Enter dates as real dates, not text. If the sheet left-aligns a date, it's probably stored as text and won't sort correctly.
• Use the Payment method column honestly. "Apple" matters, because subscriptions billed through Apple must be cancelled through Apple, not on the service's website.
• Keep prices as plain numbers in column C (no currency symbol typed in), so formulas can do math with them.

If you're not sure what to put in the sheet yet, start with how to track all your subscriptions in one place to find everything first.

Subscription tracker spreadsheet formulas#

CSV files store plain values, so depending on how you open the template, the Monthly cost and Yearly cost columns may arrive empty. If they do, paste these formulas into row 2 and copy them down. They work in both Google Sheets and Excel.

Monthly cost (column G)#

In G2:

=IF(E2="Yearly",C2/12,IF(E2="Quarterly",C2/3,IF(E2="Weekly",C2*52/12,C2)))

How it works:

• Yearly: price ÷ 12
• Quarterly: price ÷ 3
• Weekly: price × 52 ÷ 12 (there are 52 weeks in a year, not 4 per month)
• Anything else (Monthly): the price as is

Worked examples:

The prices above are examples, not current prices.

To keep the column tidy, wrap it in ROUND:

=ROUND(IF(E2="Yearly",C2/12,IF(E2="Quarterly",C2/3,IF(E2="Weekly",C2*52/12,C2))),2)

Yearly cost (column H)#

In H2:

=G2*12

For Netflix at $15.49, that's $15.49 × 12 = $185.88 a year. Seeing the yearly figure next to the monthly one is often what makes people cancel things.

Totals#

Below your last row (say row 30), add:

=SUM(G2:G29)
=SUM(H2:H29)

For a total by category, use SUMIF. For example, everything tagged Streaming:

=SUMIF(B2:B29,"Streaming",G2:G29)

Days until the next charge#

Add a helper column, L, called "Days left":

=F2-TODAY()

Format it as a number, not a date. A result of 3 means the charge is three days away; a negative number means the date has passed and needs updating.

Mixed currencies#

If you pay in more than one currency, your totals won't be accurate until everything is in one currency. In Google Sheets, you can fetch an exchange rate with GOOGLEFINANCE, for example =GOOGLEFINANCE("CURRENCY:EURUSD"), and multiply your monthly cost by it in another helper column. In Excel, the simplest approach is a small table of rates you update by hand.

A worked example: what the sheet tells you#

Here's a filled-in sheet for one person, sorted by next charge date. Prices are illustrative.

The monthly total: $2.99 + $11.99 + $15.49 + $20.00 + $40.00 + $11.58 = $102.05.

The yearly total: $35.88 + $143.88 + $185.88 + $240.00 + $480.00 + $139.00 = $1,224.64.

If you multiply the monthly total instead, you get $102.05 × 12 = $1,224.60. The 4-cent gap comes from rounding Prime to $11.58 a month. Summing the yearly column is the more accurate of the two, because it uses the real yearly prices.

Two things jump out from this sheet. Four charges land before the end of October, and the gym alone is $480 a year, which is worth a moment's thought if you went twice last month.

Sort by next charge date#

Sorting by column F puts whatever charges next at the top, which turns the sheet into a simple renewal calendar.

In Google Sheets#

1. Freeze the header row: View → Freeze → 1 row.
2. Select the data (not the total row).
3. Data → Sort range → Advanced range sorting options → tick "Data has header row" → sort by Next charge date, A → Z.

In Excel#

1. Select any cell in your data.
2. Data → Sort → sort by Next charge date, Oldest to Newest.
3. Make sure "My data has headers" is ticked.

Menus change between versions, so if yours looks different, look for Sort under the Data menu.

A live sorted view#

If you'd rather not re-sort by hand, both Google Sheets and recent versions of Excel have a SORT function. On a second tab:

=SORT(Sheet1!A2:K29,6,TRUE)

This shows all rows sorted by the sixth column (Next charge date), earliest first, and updates whenever you change the main sheet.

Highlight subscriptions that are due soon#

Conditional formatting can color any row that charges in the next seven days, so it stands out when you open the sheet.

In Google Sheets#

1. Select A2:K29.
2. Format → Conditional formatting.
3. Under "Format cells if", choose Custom formula is.
4. Enter: =AND($F2>=TODAY(),$F2<=TODAY()+7)
5. Pick a fill color and click Done.

In Excel#

1. Select A2:K29.
2. Home → Conditional Formatting → New Rule → Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
3. Enter: =AND($F2>=TODAY(),$F2<=TODAY()+7)
4. Choose a fill color and click OK.

Add a second rule in a different color for overdue dates, =$F2<TODAY(), so you notice rows where the date needs rolling forward. The $ before F keeps every cell in the row looking at the date column.

Roll the next charge date forward#

This is the part of a spreadsheet tracker that takes real upkeep. After a subscription renews, its next charge date is out of date until you change it.

A helper formula can calculate the following date for you. In column M ("Following charge"):

=IF(E2="Yearly",EDATE(F2,12),IF(E2="Quarterly",EDATE(F2,3),IF(E2="Weekly",F2+7,EDATE(F2,1))))

EDATE adds whole months and handles month lengths for you. When a charge goes through, copy the value from M into F (paste as values only, not the formula), and the row moves down the sorted list.

It's tempting to make column F calculate itself, but that gets fiddly fast with month-end dates, missed updates and price changes. A quick weekly pass, copying M into F for anything that has passed, is simpler and less error-prone.

The limits of a subscription spreadsheet#

A spreadsheet is free, flexible and private. It's also passive: it only knows what you type into it, and only tells you things when you open it.

The two big gaps are reminders and date upkeep. A spreadsheet can color a row red three days before a charge, but if you don't open the sheet that week, you won't see it. And every renewal means a manual edit; skip a few and the sheet slowly stops being true. If reminders are what you're after, see how to get reminded before every subscription renews.

When to switch from a spreadsheet to an app#

A spreadsheet is a great fit if you enjoy maintaining it, have a short list, and review it on a regular schedule. It might be time to switch if:

• You've missed a renewal or trial that was sitting right there in the sheet.
• Half your next charge dates are in the past.
• You mostly check subscriptions on your phone, where editing a sheet is awkward.
• You share costs with family and the sheet has become a source of confusion.
• You want a reminder on your phone before charges, not a colored cell.

If privacy is why you chose a spreadsheet, you don't have to give that up. Some apps work without a bank connection; how to track subscriptions without linking your bank explains the trade-offs. Monthlee is one example: you add subscriptions yourself, it never asks for a bank login, and it reminds you on the day or 1, 2, 3 or 7 days before each charge. The Plus plan also has CSV export, so you can still pull your list into a spreadsheet whenever you want. For other things to compare, see how to choose a subscription tracker app.

Many people use both: an app for reminders and day-to-day tracking, and a spreadsheet once or twice a year for a deeper review.

The bottom line#

Download the subscription tracker template, add one row per subscription, and paste in the monthly cost formula so every plan converts to the same unit. Total the column, sort by next charge date, and add a conditional-formatting rule for anything due in the next seven days.

Then be honest about upkeep. If you'll open the sheet every week and roll dates forward after each renewal, a spreadsheet is all you need. If you won't, a tracker with phone reminders will catch the charges the sheet can't.