The Problem (Pain Score: 8/10)
Have you ever signed up for a free trial, forgot to cancel, and got charged for a full year?
- Auto-payments for subscription services you no longer use
- Subscriptions spread across multiple cards making them hard to track
- Annual payments you set up and completely forgot about
- Family members with unknown subscriptions
According to Bango research, 44% of people have trouble tracking their subscriptions, and 49% want to manage them all in one place.
Target Market
- Primary Market: GLOBAL
- Target Segment: Heavy subscription users, people interested in financial management
- Estimated TAM: Average American household spends $1,000+ annually on subscriptions
The average American household spends over $1,000 annually on various subscription services, with a significant portion being charged without awareness.
What is Subscription Leak Detector?
Subscription Leak Detector is an app that tracks all your subscriptions and auto-payments in one place and alerts you about unnecessary spending.
Core Features
- Auto Detection: Automatically identify subscription patterns from payment history
- Unified Dashboard: View all subscriptions at a glance
- Renewal Alerts: Get notified before payments are charged
- Cost Analysis: Monthly/yearly subscription spending reports
- Cancellation Helper: One-click cancellation guides
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Price | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Rocket Money | Free-$14/mo | 35-60% fee on negotiations |
| PocketGuard | Free-$12.99/mo | Not subscription-focused, general budget app |
| Hiatus | Free-$9.99/mo | US only |
| Bobby | $1-3 (one-time) | Manual entry only, no auto-detection |
| Origin | $12.99/mo | Expensive |
Differentiator: Existing apps are US-centric or require manual entry. Differentiate with local bank integrations and automatic detection.
MVP Development
- Timeline: 4-6 weeks
- Complexity: MEDIUM
- Technical Fit: 8/10
Recommended Stack
Frontend: React Native or Flutter (cross-platform)
Backend: Node.js + Express
Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
Integration: Email parsing or bank APIs
Infra: Vercel + Supabase
MVP Scope
- Email-based payment history parsing (Gmail integration)
- Automatic subscription detection and categorization
- Renewal notifications (push + email)
- Simple dashboard
Revenue Model
- Model: SUBSCRIPTION
- Pricing:
- Free: Basic tracking (5 subscriptions)
- Pro: $3.99/mo (unlimited, alerts, analytics)
- Family: $6.99/mo (family sharing)
- 6-month MRR estimate: $300
- 12-month MRR estimate: $2,000
Risk Analysis
| Risk | Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | MEDIUM | Payment data parsing accuracy needed, start with email |
| Market | HIGH | Competitive market (RED), differentiate via niche or localization |
| Execution | MEDIUM | Financial data sensitivity, privacy-first design |
Recommended For
- People who use 5+ subscription services
- Those who find mystery charges in their statements every month
- People who want to manage family subscriptions in one place
- Developers interested in fintech/personal finance apps
If you’ve started a side project with this idea or have different opinions, please share in the comments!