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Subscription, or Buy It Once?

The month a monthly subscription becomes more expensive than the lifetime buy.

Compare a recurring subscription against a one-time "lifetime" price. The crossover month is when the subscription total overtakes the one-time price. Turn on Opportunity Cost to also count what the lump sum could have earned if invested.

Part of: Saving & Spending Calculators

Start below
Fields marked optional can be skipped; results update as you type
THE_CROSSOVER
Subscription vs lifetime — the month the sub becomes a loss
$
$
OPPORTUNITY COST
Model the lifetime sum as if invested at 5% annually.
%/yr
VERDICT
Buy if using > 2.1 years
Crossover at month 25 — subscription cost equals the lifetime purchase.
CUMULATIVE COST
SubscriptionLifetime
CROSSOVER1y2y$420$0
1 Year Sub
$144
5 Year Sub
$720
Lifetime Price
$299
▸ METHODOLOGY
Crossover = Lifetime ÷ Monthly — the month cumulative subscription cost overtakes the one-time purchase. Enable Opportunity Cost to compound the lifetime sum at your chosen annual return; the crossover then solves against the grown alternative.

Before you act on the result

Finance tools depend on assumptions about income, expenses, time, rates, and behavior. They are planning aids, not investment, tax, legal, or credit advice.

Run a conservative version and a stress version before relying on a single number.

More about this tool

How to use this tool
  1. Enter the Monthly Subscription fee and the one-time Lifetime Price.
  2. Crossover = Lifetime ÷ Monthly.
  3. Enable Opportunity Cost to model the lifetime sum invested at (default 5%) annually — the crossover shifts out.
  4. Read the Verdict: "Buy if using for more than X months."

Examples

$12/mo vs $299 lifetime
Crossover at ~25 months. Buy if you'll use it longer than ~2 years.
Same inputs + 5% opportunity cost
Crossover shifts to ~27 months — the uninvested $299 would have grown meanwhile.

Next up

Subscription loses? Find every other leak draining you.Subscription Purge · Leak Detection → Recurring cost too high? Check rent vs. buy next.Rent vs Buy Calculator →

Frequently asked questions

› Why include opportunity cost? Troubleshooting

A lifetime purchase ties up cash that could have been invested. Modeling the alternative return pushes the crossover out.

› When should I favor the subscription? How-to

If usage is uncertain, the software evolves quickly, or you'd use it for fewer months than the crossover.

Tips & related reading

See the Saving & Spending Calculators hub →

Tips & how-tos

Relevant links

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