turning a one-day finance experiment into an app that exposes hidden costs and stops surprise charges

background

xtrackr is a subscription tracker that helps you track renewals, avoid surprise charges and manage all your subscriptions in one place. started in may 2024 by myself and Aremu Oluwagbamila and launched in September, 2024 amongst friends and family, the app has grown to a user base of 85+ users, 15+ paying users and over 185 subscriptions tracked. available on ios and android.

problem

a random spotify billing disrupted my day and forced me into a full finance experiment. i collated all active subscriptions i could remember from multiple sources and carefully input them into a spreadsheet, loaded with formulas and integrations. the goal was simple; to calculate all my spendings across several currencies (naira, euro, us dollar), along with billing/renewal dates so that i never get surprise billings ever again. this experiment evolved into what is now known as xtrackr.

solution

xtrackr removes the need for a spreadsheet or manual input. simply upload your bank account statement to extract subscriptions automatically. xtrackr gets names, start dates, frequencies and automatically computes renewal periods. you can also manually enter your subscriptions in the case of free trials so you're never caught unawares. you get reminders 7 day before your subscription expires (push notifications, emails), helping you structure your finances better and avoid unprecedented charges.