Best Free Subscription Tracker for Students (2026)
For students in 2026, the best subscription trackers are LemSubs (free for 10 subs, no bank link, student-budget-friendly), Bobby (iOS-only, free unlimited, on-device), and the Pi-of-Health Google Sheet (free, no install).
In short
Our pick for students: Bobby (free, unlimited, iOS-only). Best cross-platform free pick: LemSubs (10 subs free, web + Android + iOS PWA, no bank link). Best DIY: Wallos (self-hosted, free forever). Tested in April 2026 against student budgets and devices.
Last reviewed 2026-09-16. First published 2026-05-02.
The ranking
| Rank | Tool | Score | Bank login | Free plan | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby | 35/40 | No | Unlimited | Free (one-time $1.99 unlock) |
| 2 | LemSubs | 36/40 | No | 10 subs | Free (10 subs); Pro $7.99/mo |
| 3 | Wallos (self-hosted) | 32/40 | No | Unlimited | Free (self-hosted) |
| 4 | Subscriptions (Subly) | 32/40 | No | 5 subs | Free (5 subs); Pro $14.99/yr |
| 5 | Spreadsheets (DIY) | 28/40 | No | Unlimited | Free |
1. Bobby
Best free pick — unlimited subs, iOS only
Verdict: Bobby is the right answer for the most common student setup: iPhone-first, $0 budget, doesn't care about web access. Add Spotify Student, Apple Music, ChatGPT Plus, Notion AI, Adobe student plan, and the random course platform — Bobby reminds you before each renewal so the trial doesn't auto-charge a month into rent week.
Strengths: Unlimited subs free; On-device, no signup; Beautiful native iOS UI.
Trade-offs: iOS only; No web — can't check from a library computer.
Best for: Students on iPhone who want a clean, free list of streaming + Spotify Student + chatbot subs.
Skip if: You're on Android or want web access on a campus laptop.
Pricing: Free (one-time $1.99 unlock) (verified 2026-04-28). Bank login: No. Free plan: Unlimited.
2. LemSubs
Best cross-platform free pick — web + Android + iOS PWA
Verdict: If you're on Android, or your laptop is the device you actually open every day, LemSubs is the cross-platform free answer. The 10-sub free cap is enough for the typical student bundle (Spotify, Netflix share, ChatGPT, one cloud drive, one course). It never asks for your bank credentials, which matters when your bank is your overdraft.
Strengths: Free plan covers 10 subscriptions; Works on web, Android, iOS PWA; No bank login required.
Trade-offs: Free plan does not include renewal alerts; Mobile is PWA, not native.
Best for: Android students or anyone who wants to check their subs from a campus library laptop.
Skip if: You only ever use iPhone and 10 free subs is enough — Bobby is simpler.
Pricing: Free (10 subs); Pro $7.99/mo (verified 2026-04-28). Bank login: No. Free plan: 10 subs.
3. Wallos (self-hosted)
Best for CS students — open source, runs on a $5 VPS
Verdict: Wallos is the 'I run my own everything' answer. If you've already got a Raspberry Pi, an Oracle free-tier VM, or a dorm-room Synology, dropping Wallos in takes 10 minutes and you own every byte. Bonus: it's a real open-source project you can contribute to and put on a CV.
Strengths: Free, GPL-3.0 licensed; Self-hosted control; No bank login required.
Trade-offs: Requires hosting setup; No native mobile app.
Best for: CS / engineering students who already run a homelab or a cheap VPS.
Skip if: You don't want to maintain a Docker container.
Pricing: Free (self-hosted) (verified 2026-04-28). Bank login: No. Free plan: Unlimited.
4. Subscriptions (Subly)
Best for iPhone home-screen widget addicts
Verdict: Subly is the prettiest iOS-native option and the widgets are the reason to pay. For a student who lives by the home screen and wants the next three renewals visible without unlocking, the $14.99/yr is fine. Otherwise Bobby does the same job free.
Strengths: Best home-screen widgets in the category; Manual-only — no bank link; Apple Family Sharing.
Trade-offs: iOS only; Free tier capped at 5 subs.
Best for: iOS students who want renewal dates on their home screen at a glance.
Skip if: You hate paying $14.99/yr for what Bobby does free.
Pricing: Free (5 subs); Pro $14.99/yr (verified 2026-04-28). Bank login: No. Free plan: 5 subs.
5. Spreadsheets (DIY)
Free, totally yours, falls apart by week six
Verdict: Spreadsheets always come up in student threads because they're free. They are. They also stop getting opened by week six and the next surprise renewal is the one that hurts. Use a real tracker and put your spreadsheet energy into a budget instead.
Strengths: Free; Total control; Works in Google Sheets on any device.
Trade-offs: No alerts unless you wire up Apps Script; Falls behind quickly.
Best for: Spreadsheet die-hards or accounting students who genuinely enjoy it.
Skip if: You want renewal alerts to actually fire.
Pricing: Free (verified 2026-04-28). Bank login: No. Free plan: Unlimited.
The student stack: cheap, churn-heavy, deadline-driven
A student's list can mix streaming, study tools, cloud storage and short-term software for coursework. Write down the renewal amount, billing cycle and who pays for a shared plan; a low monthly price can still matter when several charges land in the same week.
Free trials and student discounts need special attention. Record the trial end date when signing up and check each provider's student-verification terms, since eligibility and prices vary. If you need automatic advance alerts, check whether they are included on the plan you choose: LemSubs reserves in-app and email renewal alerts for Pro, while its free plan still shows dates and spending for up to 10 subscriptions.
On free price-point alone, LemSubs (10 subs free) and Bobby (unlimited iOS) clear the bar. We added Frugal and Subscript for students who want a single iOS-native app and don't need web sync.
Quick answers
Is there a free subscription tracker for college students?
Yes, and you do not need to pay anything to cover a normal student stack. Bobby is free on iPhone with no limit on how many subscriptions you add, and everything stays on the phone. LemSubs is free for ten subscriptions and works in a browser, so it also covers Android and a shared laptop. Both were tested in April 2026. Neither asks for a bank login, which matters if your account is joint with a parent. Wallos is free forever if you are happy to run it yourself.
What should a student look for in a subscription tracker?
Check the free-tier limit, whether advance renewal alerts are included, and whether a bank login is required. LemSubs lets you record up to 10 subscriptions and review renewal dates for free, but in-app and email alerts require Pro. If reminders are essential at no cost, compare the alert behaviour of an alternative or set a separate calendar reminder.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest subscription tracker for students?
Bobby (iOS, free, unlimited), LemSubs (cross-platform, 10 subs free), and Wallos (self-hosted, free forever). All three avoid bank linking.
Do I need a paid tracker to manage student subscriptions?
No. You can track up to 10 subscriptions on LemSubs for free, or use a free alternative. LemSubs Pro is needed for its in-app and email renewal alerts; check each plan's limits before choosing.
How do students avoid free-trial auto-charges?
Record the trial end date when you sign up and set a separate calendar reminder ahead of it. LemSubs Pro can provide in-app and email renewal alerts; its free plan displays the date but does not send those alerts.
Is Spotify Student or Apple Music Student tracked automatically?
Only by Apple Family Sharing for Apple's own products. For everything else you add the subscription manually — it takes 20 seconds per app.
Can I track shared streaming with roommates?
Yes. LemSubs supports workspaces so roommates can each see who pays for which subscription. Bobby is single-device only.
What changed since the last update
- 2026-05-02: First publication. 5 trackers ranked for student use case.