Most subscription trackers work the same way: connect your bank account, let the app scan your transactions, and it'll find your subscriptions automatically. It sounds convenient. But it comes with a cost — your complete financial history, handed to a third party.
SubSorted takes a different approach. We don't connect to your bank. We don't scan your transactions. We don't even require an account. Here's how it actually works, and why we think this is a better way to stay on top of your subscriptions.
The short version
SubSorted is a subscription reminder app. You add your subscriptions — manually, by scanning a receipt, or with a voice note — and the app reminds you before each one renews. That's it.
There's no bank login. No account creation. No data leaving your phone. Your subscription information stays on your device, and you stay in control.
Why we don't connect to your bank
This is the question we get asked most, so let's address it directly.
Open banking is genuinely useful for some things — budgeting apps, mortgage applications, credit checks. But for subscription tracking, we believe it creates more risk than it solves:
- You share everything, not just subscriptions — Bank access means every transaction is visible. Coffee purchases, salary deposits, transfers to friends. A subscription tracker doesn't need to know any of that.
- It creates a data liability — Every company that stores your financial data is a potential target. We decided the simplest way to protect your data is to never have it in the first place.
- It solves the wrong problem — Most people don't need help discovering their subscriptions. They need help remembering when things renew and deciding whether to keep them. That's a reminder problem, not a data problem.
We can't lose what we don't have. SubSorted stores your subscription data on your device only. We never see it, we never store it, and we never share it. If our servers disappeared tomorrow, your data would be completely unaffected.
How you add subscriptions
"Manual" might sound tedious, but we've worked hard to make adding subscriptions quick and flexible. You have several options:
Type it in
Start typing a name and SubSorted will suggest known services with pre-filled details. Add the price, set the renewal date, and you're done. Takes about 20 seconds.
Scan a receipt or screenshot
Take a photo of a receipt or share a screenshot of a confirmation email. SubSorted extracts the details — service name, amount, date — and creates a draft for you to review.
Record a voice note
Say something like "Netflix, nine ninety-nine a month, renews on the fifteenth." SubSorted creates a draft from what you said. You check it, edit anything that's off, and save.
Every method creates a draft first. Nothing is saved until you've reviewed it and confirmed. We think that's important — no tool should make assumptions about your financial commitments without your explicit approval.
What happens after you add a subscription
Once a subscription is saved, SubSorted does two things:
- Shows you what's coming up — Your home screen displays upcoming renewals in a clear, chronological list. No charts, no dashboards. Just what's renewing and when.
- Sends you reminders — Before each renewal, you'll get a notification. Enough time to decide: keep it or cancel it. The decision is always yours.
That's the core of SubSorted. It's not trying to be a budgeting app, a financial advisor, or an automated cancellation service. It's a reminder tool that respects your privacy and helps you make conscious decisions about your subscriptions.
Where your data lives
Everything is stored locally on your device. Your subscription names, amounts, renewal dates, and any notes you add — all of it stays on your phone.
There's no cloud sync required to use SubSorted. You don't need to create an account. You don't need an internet connection to view your subscriptions or check when something renews.
If you choose to use optional features like backup, that's always your decision and clearly explained before anything happens.
Who SubSorted is for
SubSorted is for people who:
- Want to stay aware of their subscriptions without sharing bank details
- Have been caught out by a renewal they forgot about
- Prefer a simple reminder over a complex financial dashboard
- Value privacy and don't want their financial data stored remotely
- Want something that works offline, with no account required
Who SubSorted isn't for
We believe in being honest about limitations. SubSorted probably isn't the right fit if you:
- Want fully automatic subscription detection — We don't scan your bank, so you'll need to add subscriptions yourself. We've made this quick, but it's not zero-effort.
- Need a complete budgeting tool — SubSorted focuses on subscriptions and renewals. It's not designed to categorise all your spending or create budgets.
- Want the app to cancel subscriptions for you — We'll remind you and can help you draft a cancellation message, but the actual cancellation is always something you do yourself.
These are deliberate choices, not missing features. We'd rather do one thing well — help you avoid unwanted renewals — than try to do everything.
The philosophy behind the design
SubSorted was built on a few core beliefs:
- Your data is yours — We shouldn't need to see it, store it, or profit from it.
- Reminders beat automation — A timely notification that lets you decide is more respectful than a system that acts on your behalf.
- Simple tools earn trust — We'd rather be obviously useful than impressively complex.
- Calm over urgent — We'll never use fear-based language or aggressive notifications. A renewal approaching is information, not an emergency.
If that sounds like the kind of app you'd use, we'd love for you to try it.