Short answer: no, and no.
SubSorted doesn't require an account, a login, or an internet connection to work. You download the app, open it, and start using it. That's the whole process.
No account required
There's no sign-up screen, no email verification, and no "create your profile" step. You won't be asked for your name, email address, or phone number before you can start adding subscriptions.
This is a deliberate choice. SubSorted is a personal utility — it helps you keep track of what you're paying for. That doesn't require an identity, a password, or a relationship with our servers. The app works entirely on your device, so there's nothing to log into.
One less login to remember. One less password to reset. One less thing to worry about when you just want to check when something renews.
Works offline
Once SubSorted is installed, every core feature works without an internet connection:
- Adding subscriptions — manual entry works entirely offline.
- Viewing your list — your subscriptions are stored locally, so they're always available.
- Editing and deleting — all changes happen on your device.
- Reminders — notifications are scheduled locally and delivered by your phone's system, not through the internet.
- Receipt scanning — image processing happens on your device.
You could put your phone in aeroplane mode and SubSorted would carry on working exactly the same way. No loading spinners, no "check your connection" messages, no degraded experience.
When internet is used
There are a few optional features that do use an internet connection when it's available. None of them are required, and the app works perfectly well without them:
- App updates — like any app, SubSorted receives updates through your phone's app store. This happens in the background and requires a connection.
- Merchant directory lookups — when you search for a company name, SubSorted may check our directory for details like cancellation links or contact information. Results are cached locally, so repeat lookups work offline.
- Premium purchases — if you choose to upgrade, the purchase is processed through the app store, which requires a connection.
That's the complete list. If none of those apply at a given moment, SubSorted makes zero network requests. It's not phoning home, syncing in the background, or waiting for a server response.
SubSorted works just as well on holiday as it does at home. Your reminders will still arrive — they're scheduled on your device, not sent from a server. The only difference is the notification might arrive at a different local hour if you've changed timezone, since reminders are set to UK time.
Could accounts be added later?
It's possible. If we add optional accounts in the future, they would be for features like backup and sync across devices — never as a requirement to use the app. The core experience will always work without logging in.
If that changes, we'll be upfront about it. But the principle is simple: SubSorted should work the moment you open it, with nothing standing between you and your first subscription.