Comparison · 6 min read · Last updated 3 June 2026
dropsub vs. Bobby: When the Local Tracker Is the Right Answer
TL;DR. Bobby is a well-loved iOS-only subscription tracker that stores everything locally, has a beautiful UI, and is $2.99 one-time on the App Store. dropsub is its Android-first sibling in spirit - local-only, no account, no analytics, $4.99 one-time - but with a deeper cancel coach and a free-trial tracker built in. If you are on iOS, Bobby is excellent. If you are on Android, dropsub is the same architectural idea with a wider feature set.
1. The shared philosophy
Bobby and dropsub agree on the most important question: a subscription tracker should not be a data-collection business. Both apps:
- Store everything on-device
- Require no account
- Make no network calls in the core code path
- Are sold as a one-time purchase, never as a subscription
- Treat your subscription list as your private data, not a profiling input
That overlap is not a coincidence. The "local-only subscription tracker" is a small category with a small set of design decisions, and both apps arrived at the same answer for the same reason: it is the only architecture that does not create a future conflict of interest with the user.
2. Where they differ
| Question | Bobby | dropsub |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iOS only | Android first, iOS planned |
| Price | $2.99 one-time | $4.99 one-time (7-day free trial, then unlock) |
| Custom categories | Yes, with icons and colors | Yes, with icons and colors |
| Currency support | Yes, multi-currency | Yes, multi-currency, default USD |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes, with category-colored dots |
| Renewal warnings (local notifications) | Yes | Yes, 30/7/3-day default schedule, configurable |
| Cancel coach | No (you track only) | Yes, 77+ services with verified flows + retention scripts |
| Free-trial tracking | No | Yes, with auto-convert on trial end |
| Cancellation proof log | No | Yes, per-subscription record of confirmation #, email, screenshot |
| Subscription audit screen | No | Yes, surfaces price increases and forgotten subs |
| Custom task reminders | No | Yes |
| Price history with diffs | No | Yes (paid IAP feature) |
| Cancel-by date tracking | No | Yes, with dedicated reminders |
| Backups | iCloud (optional) | JSON export/import via system share sheet |
| Open source / reproducible | No | Public source, reproducible APK |
3. When Bobby is the right tool
- You are on iOS. dropsub is not on iOS yet, so this is the binding constraint for many readers.
- You want a beautiful, minimal, fast tracker and you do not need a cancel coach or a free-trial tracker.
- You want the cheapest possible option at $2.99.
4. When dropsub is the right tool
- You are on Android.
- You want a built-in cancel coach: step-by-step flows for Netflix, Spotify, Adobe, your gym, and 70+ other services, with the retention-script counter for each.
- You sign up for a lot of free trials and want a tracker that catches them before they auto-convert.
- You want a record of every cancellation (confirmation number, screenshot, statement check) so a charge that reappears is a 5-minute dispute, not a 90-minute argument.
5. The honest read
Bobby is a better iOS app than dropsub could be today, partly because of platform-specific work the Bobby team has done that takes years to replicate. If you are on iOS, use Bobby. The recommendation is real and the read is not "dropsub or nothing."
If you are on Android, or if you want a cancel coach and free-trial tracker bundled in with the local-only architecture, dropsub is the option that does both. The pricing is $2 more, the feature set is wider, and the architecture matches Bobby's on the parts that matter for privacy.