On average, users maintain 12 online subscriptions, including Netflix, Spotify and YouTube Premium – the most popular services worldwide. In some countries local services are leading the way; for instance, in Brazil, the top position is held by national streaming platform, Globoplay.

Streaming services are the most subscribed category, with 22% of users signing up for these platforms. However, multi-subscription services that combine TV and movies, games, Internet and telecom, are gaining popularity, attracting 16% of customers. The convenience of accessing a range of services in a bundle outweighs the “music” category with its 8% of subscribers worldwide.

Productivity tools, telecom and delivery services constitute a significant cluster of online subscriptions beyond entertainment. Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, LinkedIn Premium, Canva and Discord rank among the top 20 popular services in most countries. Additionally, local providers such as telecoms, marketplaces or delivery services make up the remainder of the top 20 in each country.

ChatGPT, which is used for both work and entertainment, has grown by 296% compared to 2023, becoming the fastest growing subscription-based service worldwide. Other online subscriptions that grew extensively are YouTube Premium (122%), Telegram Premium (73%), X Premium (64%) and Snapchat+ (59%).

As for the most frequently cancelled subscriptions, Netflix, YouTube Premium and Spotify are leading the way here; the flip side of being the most popular services in the world.

Financial insights

Monthly payment plans are the preferred option for 76% of users, while 17% choose yearly subscriptions and 7% favour other payment periods, such as weekly or two-year plans. However, the share of annual subscriptions is constantly growing, from 13% in 2022 to 17% in 2024.

The average cost of online subscriptions per year totals $938. Türkiye boasts the lowest average subscription price at $4 per month, $23 per year, as well as the cheapest Netflix Premium plan at $5 per month. In contrast, the UK has the highest average monthly subscription price at $13, while Germany has the highest average yearly subscription price of $64.

“With the growing variety of offers, the number of users' subscriptions tends to grow, as well as the budgets spent on them. A reliable subscription management tool can help users keep online subscriptions organised, remind them of the ones they’ve forgotten about and eliminate unnecessary payments. It also allows them to cancel unwanted services in a timely manner and helps them choose attractive new offers from thousands of options. It’s a mindful and savvy approach to managing these services that are becoming an integral part of our lives,” comments Kirill Yurkin, Head of SubsCrab.

To track online subscriptions and monitor costs, Kaspersky recommends SubsCrab – a subscription management tool launched as part of Kaspersky start-up support programme.

*Statistics is based on the anonymised, voluntary provided data from SubsCrab in 2023, and in January-August 2024.   

About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.co.za.