🔒 Privacy & Security Questions
Why should I trust SubKiller with my financial data?
You don't have to! Unlike other apps, SubKiller processes everything locally in your browser. Your bank statements never leave your device. We can't see your data because we never receive it. This is fundamentally different from apps that require you to connect your bank accounts.
How is this different from giving Emma or Monzo access to my accounts?
Those apps require ongoing access to your bank accounts through Open Banking APIs. They continuously monitor your transactions and store your financial data on their servers. SubKiller works with files you export yourself - you're in complete control of what data to analyze and when.
What if my bank doesn't support Open Banking?
Perfect use case for SubKiller! While Emma/Snoop are limited to banks with Open Banking APIs, SubKiller works with any bank that can export CSV or Excel files. This includes international banks, credit unions, and older banking systems.
Is my data really safe with client-side processing?
Yes. Client-side processing means all analysis happens in your browser using JavaScript. No network requests are made with your financial data. You can even disconnect from the internet after loading the page and it will still work. This is mathematically impossible to hack remotely.
🎯 Effectiveness & Accuracy
Will SubKiller find subscriptions that Emma missed?
Often, yes. SubKiller uses advanced pattern recognition specifically designed for subscription detection. It can find subscriptions from obscure merchants, international services, and services that use varying merchant names - patterns that generalist financial apps might miss.
What about subscriptions that don't show up on bank statements?
Both tools have this limitation. If you pay through intermediaries like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, you'll need to export those statements too. The advantage with SubKiller is you can easily combine multiple sources (bank + PayPal + credit cards) in one analysis.
How accurate is the detection compared to Emma's AI?
SubKiller's algorithms are specifically optimized for subscription detection with 95%+ accuracy. We focus on one thing and do it extremely well, rather than trying to categorize all spending. Our confidence scoring helps you prioritize which detections to investigate first.
💰 Cost & Value
Emma Plus costs £4.99/month - isn't that better value?
That's £60/year for ongoing monitoring you might not need. SubKiller's approach is different: do a thorough one-time cleanup, then repeat every few months. Our Pro version is £19 one-time and pays for itself by finding just one forgotten subscription.
What if I want ongoing monitoring?
Fair point - that's Emma's strength. But consider: once you've done a thorough cleanup with SubKiller, how many new subscriptions do you really sign up for monthly? Many users find quarterly or bi-annual checks sufficient, making the ongoing subscription unnecessary.
Why not just use the free version of Emma?
Emma's free version has limited features and you still need to grant bank access. If you're only doing occasional subscription audits, why give ongoing account access when you can get better subscription detection with zero privacy compromise?
🔄 Usage & Workflow
How often should I use SubKiller vs having Emma always monitoring?
Most users find quarterly or bi-annual deep scans sufficient. You're not signing up for subscriptions every week. A thorough 6-month analysis often catches more patterns than daily monitoring because you have more data to work with.
What if I have multiple bank accounts and credit cards?
SubKiller excels here. Export CSVs from all your accounts and upload them together. We'll merge and analyze everything in one go. Emma requires each account to be linked separately and may not give you a unified view of all subscription patterns.
Can I use both SubKiller and Emma?
Absolutely! Many users do. Use Emma for daily spending tracking and budgeting, then use SubKiller quarterly for deep subscription analysis. They complement each other - Emma for ongoing financial management, SubKiller for subscription deep-dives.
🚀 Technical Questions
What file formats does SubKiller support that others don't?
We support CSV, Excel (.xlsx/.xls), and PDF statements from any bank worldwide. Many subscription tracking apps only work with specific UK banks through Open Banking. SubKiller works with American Express, international banks, credit unions, and even older banks without modern APIs.
How does the algorithm compare to Emma's transaction categorization?
Emma categorizes all transactions broadly. SubKiller's algorithms are laser-focused on subscription patterns - recurring intervals, amount consistency, merchant name variations, and subscription-specific heuristics. It's the difference between a general-purpose tool and a specialized scalpel.
Can I verify the results before taking action?
Yes! SubKiller shows you the exact transactions it found, with dates and amounts, plus confidence scores. You can see the evidence and make informed decisions. We also provide cancellation checklists rather than automatically taking action on your behalf.
🎯 Bottom Line
SubKiller is for people who want:
- Maximum privacy - your data stays on your device
- Subscription-focused accuracy - specialized algorithms beat general-purpose tools
- No ongoing commitments - use when you need it, not daily monitoring
- Universal bank support - works with any bank that exports data
- One-time cost - no monthly subscriptions to track subscriptions
Emma/Snoop are better if you want: comprehensive financial management, automatic monitoring, budgeting tools, and don't mind sharing ongoing bank access.