● Money & small business
What subscriptions really cost per year: weekly vs monthly vs quarterly vs annual plans
✓ TestedWorked example · same model as the tested subscription tracker2026-09-26
Subscriptions are easy to underestimate because they're billed on different cycles. To compare them, convert every price to a yearly cost: price × charges per year (weekly 52, monthly 12, quarterly 4, annual 1).
| Plan | Per month (yearly ÷ 12) | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| $9.99 monthly | $9.99 | $119.88 |
| $15.49 monthly | $15.49 | $185.88 |
| $79.96 weekly meal kit | $346.49 | $4,157.92 |
| $12.99 weekly | $56.29 | $675.48 |
| $29.97 quarterly | $9.99 | $119.88 |
| $119 annual | $9.92 | $119.00 |
What stands out
- Weekly plans hide the biggest numbers. A $79.96 weekly box is $4,157.92 a year, more than all the others in this table combined.
- A weekly price is not a quarter of a monthly one. 52 weeks is 4.33 "months" of weeks, so $12.99 a week is $56.29 a month, not $51.96.
- Annual plans are often only slightly cheaper. $119 a year versus $9.99 a month ($119.88) saves 88 cents, but locks you in for a year.
A five-minute check
- List every subscription with its price and billing cycle. Bank and card statements catch the ones you forgot.
- Convert each to a yearly cost and sort by it.
- Mark each Keep, Cancel or Unsure, and note the next renewal date, so you cancel before it renews.