Spreadsheet (DIY) review
The free, flexible, zero-privacy-risk alternative to tracker apps.
Disclosure: SubTracker.io is operated by Innopulse Consulting GmbH, the same company that operates this website. Full disclosure.
Our Verdict
A subscription spreadsheet in Google Sheets or Excel is completely free, infinitely customisable and shares no data with any third party. It's also time-consuming to build, requires manual maintenance and offers none of the notification, reporting or cancellation-guide features of a dedicated app. Worth it as a one-time audit tool; impractical for ongoing management.
This number is computed, not assigned. It is the weighted average of the criteria below, using weights published in advance and applied identically to every product on this site.
| Criterion | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy & data handlingWhether the app can operate without harvesting your full banking history, and what its policy says about sharing or monetising data. | 15% | 10.0 |
| Bank-connection optionalityWhether you can use the product WITHOUT linking a bank account. Apps that require a bank link score lower here — not because bank sync is bad, but because it removes the user's choice. | 10% | 10.0 |
| Platform availabilityWeb, iOS and Android coverage. Single-platform products score lower because your data becomes device-bound. | 12% | 10.0 |
| EU/EEA suitabilityAvailability to European users, multi-currency handling, and whether the product is designed around European banking and consumer reality. | 13% | 10.0 |
| Core subscription trackingRecording subscriptions with amount, currency, billing interval, renewal date and category. | 15% | 10.0 |
| Renewal remindersWhether the product warns you before a renewal charge, and through which channel. | 10% | 0.0 |
| Reporting & data exportSpending breakdowns, annual projections, and the ability to get your own data back out. | 10% | 10.0 |
| Pricing & valueCost of the paid tier relative to what it unlocks, and whether a genuinely usable free tier exists. | 15% | 10.0 |
What we did not test
We have not run paid accounts on every product, so we do not score ease of use or support quality, and we do not claim hands-on testing anywhere on this site. This assessment is built from publicly checkable sources: vendor pricing pages, app-store listings and published documentation. We do not hold a primary pricing source on file for Spreadsheet tracker (Sheets/Excel), so treat the figures shown as indicative and check the vendor before paying.
Pros
- ✓Completely free
- ✓Full privacy — no third-party data sharing
- ✓Infinitely customisable
- ✓Works across all devices via Google Sheets
- ✓No subscription to manage
Cons
- ✗No renewal reminders or notifications
- ✗Manual setup and maintenance
- ✗No cancellation guide integration
- ✗No automatic currency conversion
- ✗Time-consuming to build and maintain
- ✗No mobile-optimised interface
The Case For a Spreadsheet
A Google Sheets subscription tracker costs nothing, shares nothing and works everywhere. For a one-time subscription audit — where you're trying to understand what you pay for — a spreadsheet is a perfectly good tool. Set up columns for service name, amount, currency, billing date and annual cost. Sort by cost. Cancel what you don't use. Done.
The Case Against a Spreadsheet
The problem with spreadsheets is ongoing use. Without reminders, you'll miss renewals. Without a mobile-first interface, you won't update it consistently. Without a dedicated tool, the spreadsheet will gradually become out of date. Most people who start with a spreadsheet either maintain it with significant effort or stop using it within a month.
The Better Alternative
A dedicated tracker like SubTracker.io solves all of a spreadsheet's weaknesses: renewal reminders, mobile interface, currency handling and cancellation guide integration — all for $5.90/month. For most users, the time saved and the reminders alone justify the cost within the first month.
Pricing in 2026
Who Is This For?
One-time subscription audits or users who want maximum customisation at zero cost
Ongoing management — lack of reminders means renewals will slip through
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a spreadsheet good enough for tracking subscriptions?
For a one-time audit, yes. For ongoing management, the lack of reminders and mobile experience makes a dedicated app like SubTracker.io significantly more practical.
Where can I get a free subscription tracker spreadsheet template?
We offer a free Google Sheets template at subscriptiontracker.eu/tools/free-subscription-tracker-template.