What is the subscription purge?

The subscription purge refers to the growing trend in 2026 where millions of Americans are actively canceling unused or overpriced subscriptions. Studies show 44% of cancellations happen within the first 90 days of subscribing.

How much does the average American spend on subscriptions?

The average American spends $219 per month on subscriptions but estimates only $86. That means most people are unknowingly wasting over $130/month on subscriptions they barely use.

Which subscriptions are people canceling the most in 2026?

According to recent surveys, Apple TV+ (42%), Starz (41%), and Paramount+ (30%) top the list of subscriptions people plan to cancel. Streaming services in general are seeing the highest churn as prices rise.

How do I find all my active subscriptions?

The fastest way is to upload a bank statement to JustCancel.io. It scans your transactions and identifies every recurring charge in seconds — no app to install, no account to create.

February 14, 2026

The 2026 Subscription Purge: Why Millions Are Canceling Everything

The subscription era is over. The purge has begun. Here's why — and how to join it.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Something shifted in 2025. After a decade of "subscribe to everything," Americans hit a wall. The average household now pays $219/month in subscriptions — but thinks they're paying $86. That $133/month gap? It's the subscription tax nobody agreed to.

And people are finally fighting back. A CNET study found the average adult wastes $17/month on subscriptions they don't even use. Self Financial puts it at $10.57/month. Either way, that's $125-$200/year literally thrown away.

The result? A mass cancellation event unlike anything we've seen.

The Most Vulnerable Subscriptions

Comscore's 2025 State of Streaming report reveals which services are most at risk:

Apple TV+ — 42% of subscribers plan to cancel
Starz — 40.8% plan to cancel
Paramount+ — 29.6% plan to cancel
Netflix — Premium tier exodus as prices hit $22.99/month
Hulu — Ad-free tier up 30% in 2 years

But it's not just streaming. Gym memberships, meal kits, cloud storage, news sites, productivity apps — everything with a recurring charge is under scrutiny.

Why Now?

Three forces colliding at once:

1. Subscription Fatigue Is Real

The average American has 12 active subscriptions. Many have 20+. When every product became a subscription — from Adobe Creative Suite to yourBMW's heated seats — people reached a breaking point. The backlash was inevitable.

2. Price Hikes Everywhere

Netflix raised prices 4 times since 2021.Spotify broke its decade-long $9.99 streak.YouTube Premium jumped 40%. Each hike triggers a wave of "wait, how much am I paying for all of this?"

3. "Subscription Hopping" Goes Mainstream

The smartest consumers figured out you don't need 6 streaming services simultaneously. Subscribe, binge, cancel, rotate. A growing segment subscribes for exactly 30 days to watch a specific show, then immediately cancels. Loyalty in 2026? A relic.

The Dark Patterns Fighting Back

Companies know the purge is coming — and they're making it harder to leave. Our analysis of 440+ cancellation flows found:

73% require more steps to cancel than to sign up
42% require a phone call (looking at you, SiriusXM)
31% use "save offers" that reset your cancellation progress
18% hide the cancel button behind 4+ clicks

The FTC's "click-to-cancel" rule was supposed to fix this. It hasn't. Most companies found creative ways to comply on paper while still making cancellation frustrating.

How to Join the Purge (5-Minute Plan)

You don't need an app or a system. You need 5 minutes and a bank statement.

Step 1: Find Every Recurring Charge

Upload your bank statement to JustCancel — it scans every transaction and surfaces every subscription in seconds. No signup, no ongoing subscription (ironic, right?). One-time $5 scan.

Step 2: Sort Into Three Buckets

🟢 Keep — You'd notice and re-subscribe within a week
🟡 Pause — Nice-to-have, but you could live without it for a month
🔴 Cancel — You forgot you had it, or you barely use it

Step 3: Cancel the Red Ones Today

Not tomorrow. Not "this weekend." Right now. We have step-by-step cancel guides for 440+ services with direct cancel links, difficulty ratings, and tips to avoid retention traps.

Step 4: Set Calendar Reminders for the Yellow Ones

Give yourself 30 days. If you don't miss it, cancel it. Most people don't miss 80% of what they pause.

The Subscription Purge Checklist

Start with the categories where waste is highest:

Streaming: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock
Music: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium, Tidal
Fitness: Planet Fitness, Peloton, Orangetheory
News & Media: NYT, WSJ, Washington Post
Software: Adobe, Microsoft 365, Dropbox
Meal Kits & Delivery: HelloFresh, DoorDash Pass, Uber One

What the Data Says About Re-subscribing

Here's the most surprising stat: the average reactivation rate is only 11%. That means 89% of people who cancel a subscription never come back. They don't miss it. They don't need it. They were paying out of inertia.

And 44% of all cancellations happen within the first 90 days — meaning nearly half of people realize within 3 months that they signed up for something they didn't need.

The takeaway: you almost certainly have subscriptions right now that you wouldn't re-subscribe to if they disappeared tomorrow. The purge isn't about deprivation — it's about honesty.

The Bottom Line

The subscription model worked because it was invisible. Small charges, auto-renew, forget-and-pay. But 2026 is the year people started looking at their bank statements. And they didn't like what they saw.

Ready to join the purge? Upload your bank statement and see exactly what you're paying for — in under 60 seconds.