When it comes to subscriptions, we all know how quickly things can go from convenient to costly. Though app subscriptions seem like small purchases in the moment, they really mount up, and it can be hard to notice just how much you’re spending if each payment comes out on a different date.
Personally, I’ve hit a bit of an inflection point when it comes to subscriptions. I’ve tried loads of different apps during my time testing some of the best phones, from streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus to music streaming apps like Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify. Alas, my current subscription situation is getting expensive, so it's time to reel it in a bit.
With that said, there are some services that I’ll simply never get rid of. There’s been a lot said about subscription versus ownership, but when you use something enough, a subscription can be a very cost-effective way to experience, if not actually own, new media.
So, without further ado, here are the three app subscriptions I’ll never get rid of.
YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is the best subscription service I’ve ever used, and it’s not close. Every device I’ve ever owned has, to a substantial degree, been a YouTube machine – it’s the most used app on my Nintendo Switch and I suspect that’s also true for my iPad Pro and the various phones I test for TechRadar.
And unlike other social media, which feels a little too brain-rotting sometimes, I genuinely love YouTube; I’ve used it all my life for inspiration, to relax after a long day, and to find new perspectives on the world.
All this being true, I've somehow used the site for nearly twenty years – that’s tens of thousands of hours of watching – without ever picking up a YouTube Premium subscription. YouTube Premium removes all advertising from the site, and comes with other benefits like background playback on mobile and video downloads (in-app only, you can’t rip the files). Still, the monthly cost of $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$13.99 put me off.
That all changed last year, when the YouTube app offered me a free trial just as I was starting to feel sick of a surge in advertising across the site. From my first day with YouTube Premium, I knew I could never go back. As well as saving time and mental space by not watching ads, I’ve used the background playback feature constantly to listen to DJ sets and live performances, some of which are only uploaded to YouTube.
Without ads, YouTube feels like the best possible synthesis of TV and forum sites like Reddit. It’s a site with several lifetimes' worth of enjoyment and a dozen channels for every possible niche, which makes that slightly heftier monthly payment more than worth it.
Google One
Sticking with Google-owned platforms, my second must-have subscription is a bit less exciting but just as essential. As a daily Android user, I’ve used Google One for the last three years to expand my Google Drive storage and manage my mobile photo library. I’m signed up to the Basic tier, which gives me 100GB of cloud storage and costs $1.99 / £1.59 / AU$2.49 per month.
The basic premise of Google One isn’t much different than that of, say iCloud+ or third-party cloud storage services like Dropbox, but I like it for how well it integrates with Android and how accessible everything is on other platforms. Your Google One account is, effectively, the same as your Gmail account, which means everything’s super easy to get to on Chrome, whether that’s on a phone, desktop, or tablet.
Speaking of tablets, Google Photos (which uses Google Drive storage) is excellent on iPhone and iPad – I’ve never had an issue accessing or backing up my images on an Apple device, and the service can even back up live photos. Google One helps me keep all my photos and videos together, no matter which device I took them on. If you're all about Apple, then iCloud+ might be the better pick.
Admittedly, I first purchased Google One Basic out of necessity when my original 15GB Google Drive storage ran out during university. But since then, I’ve come to appreciate it as a simple and cost-effective solution to the cloud storage problem – it’s one I won’t be getting rid of any time soon.
Google One comes in Basic, Premium, AI Pro, and AI Ultra packages. You can compare all four Google One plans on Google's official web store.
Spotify Premium
I’m pretty sure I’ve used Spotify every single day of my life for at least the last decade. If you’re any sort of music fan, a solid music streaming service is likely to be an essential part of your day. For me, Spotify has been an instant install on any new phone for years, for a few key reasons.
The first is that while all modern streaming services have a broad catalog, Spotify offers a truly gargantuan selection of music. I’ve been able to track down rare vinyl rips, bootleg remixes, regional exclusives, and more through its search engine, which continues to perform well even as Google and others dissolve into wonky AI recommendations.
Spotify was also the first music streaming service to really understand social media. Spotify Wrapped is a cultural institution that draws music lovers to Instagram and TikTok every year to share their top artists and other bespoke listening statistics. It’s a good bit of fun that helps to make Spotify feel like a community, rather than just a big menu of music to choose from (the new direct messaging feature has the same aura).
Additionally, Spotify comes with a really good selection of non-music media. Its podcasts section is rich with exclusives and video pods, and the app also has a selection of audiobooks and meditation aids to choose from.
Now, it is true that Spotify and its founder Daniel Ek have come under fire (including from myself) for their treatment of artists, so I understand anyone who wants to pick another service, like Apple Music or Tidal – I’ve tried and loved both, especially for their lossless sound quality (which is finally around the corner for Spotify, too).
Still, for $11.99 / £11.99 / AU$15.99 a month for the Individual Plan, Spotify offers an unmatched breadth of listening options.
What are your go-to subscriptions? Which app memberships would you never give up? Let us know in the comments below.
And for more app recommendations, check out our roundups of the six best reading apps for Android phones and six best streaming apps on Android.
English (US) ·