Leads & bookings
Find free alternatives to paid apps
You will have a list of your subscriptions, the ones worth replacing, and a safe way to try each replacement.
Before you start
- Your last two bank or card statements
- A notes app or spreadsheet
Step 1: List what you pay for
- Go through two months of statements and write down every recurring charge for software.
- Next to each, note the monthly cost and the last time you used it.
- Mark anything you have not used in the past month.
Cancel anything unused first. This is the quickest saving and needs no replacement.
Step 2: Pick candidates to replace
Choose the two most expensive tools you use lightly. Write the one job each does for you, in a sentence. A tool you use for one simple job is the easiest to replace.
Step 3: Look for alternatives
I use [tool] only to [one job]. Suggest three free or open-source alternatives that do that job. For each, say what is missing compared with [tool], where my data is stored, and one risk. Say if you are unsure about anything, and tell me what to check on the official site.
Visit each alternative’s own site to confirm it exists, is still maintained and is actually free. Assistants sometimes suggest tools that have closed or changed their pricing.
Step 4: Try it safely
- Use a copy of your data, not the original.
- Do not give a new tool access to your email or files unless you understand what it can do.
- Keep the paid plan until the replacement has worked for two weeks.
- Check how to export your work from the new tool before you rely on it.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Cancelling before the replacement has been tested
- Trusting a suggested tool without visiting its official site
- Giving a new tool broad access to your accounts
- Replacing a tool you only use once a year
Final checklist
- I listed every recurring software charge
- I cancelled what I do not use
- I tested one replacement with copied data
- I know how to export my work