From Free Trial to Forever Paying: My Costly Love Affair with Premium Apps
It all started innocently enough.
The year was 2020 — the world was in lockdown, playing PUBG, downloading TikTok, and desperately trying to stay sane indoors. Meanwhile, I was just trying to watch a YouTube travel video without getting hit with 17 ads for a toilet cleaner (IYKYK).
One tempting banner later, I found myself accepting a two-month free trial of YouTube Premium. Life was beautiful. No ads, background play, picture-in-picture — I was living the digital dream.
Fast forward two years.
I realized I had unknowingly donated enough money to YouTube to fund at least three creators’ houses. That’s when I discovered the Brave Browser — no ads, background play, and peace of mind… for free. (Sorry, YouTube.). Goodbye YouTube Premium.
(Well, kind of — I still had to suffer through ads on YouTube TV, but that’s another battle.)
But wait, there’s more.
Spotify Premium came knocking next — thanks to a free three-month trial bundled with a new phone I bought on Flipkart.
Since I was travelling a lot back then, it made sense. Playlists for flights, road trips, random midnight walks — Spotify was my sidekick.
Except… I’m not travelling as much now.
Yet there it is, quietly debiting my card every month, like a loyal pet I forgot to feed.
And just when I thought I had learned my lesson, Apple Arcade happened.
In 2023, after buying a MacBook, Apple handed me a three-month free Arcade pass. I thought, “Why not?”
I fell head over heels for Mini Metro+ and Mini Motorways+ — two beautifully designed games that made me feel like an urban planner genius.
When I tried to buy them, I learned they were subscription-only.
At that moment, my brain said, “Eh, it’s just ₹99/month.“
Six months later:
Me, staring at my bank statement — “Well, there goes another ₹600.”
Funny thing is, a decade ago, I might have just pirated the game without blinking.
But now, as someone who’s been a software developer, I know the blood, sweat, and tears that go into building a product. I genuinely want to support indie devs…
…just not big software giants who seem to think my wallet is their monthly playground.
There are still more apps lurking in my subscriptions list — apps I loved once, apps I barely open now.
Each one a little reminder of how free trials aren’t free at all — they’re just sneaky little entry drugs into the land of Forever Paying.
Moral of the story?
If you start a free trial, set a reminder to cancel it before it owns you.
Or better yet, ask yourself:
“Do I really need another premium app? Or can I survive with a few Harpic ads and a slightly longer loading screen?”
(Chances are, you’ll survive just fine.)