Data from a Sparrow study highlights the apps and digital subscriptions users most actively seek to cancel or unsubscribe from.
The study utilised search volume analysis for keywords including "unsubscribe," "delete," "cancel," and "cancel subscription," to determine which platforms are the focus of the most cancellation-related activity.
Amazon Prime leads the ranking with 578,000 monthly cancellation-related searches. This is nearly 45% higher than that of its nearest competitor, Disney+, which has 397,700 monthly searches related to cancellation. The study notes that Amazon Prime alone accounts for 447,000 monthly searches using the term "cancel," indicating that recent price increases may influence users' decisions to exit the service.
Disney+ follows in second place with 397,700 monthly cancellation-linked searches, including 79,000 for "cancel subscription"—the highest among all platforms tracked. The research indicates that Disney's ongoing shift towards bundling and introducing tiered pricing might have prompted subscribers to reevaluate their subscriptions.
Hulu holds the third spot, recording 149,700 searches related to cancellation, of which 113,000 use the "cancel" keyword. This reflects possible dissatisfaction as Hulu becomes more integrated into what Sparrow describes as the "evolving—and increasingly costly—Disney streaming ecosystem."
Snapchat is the non-subscription app with the most deletion interest, accumulating 143,650 monthly cancellation-related searches. Notably, 143,000 of these are searches for "delete," suggesting users opt to completely remove the app rather than simply end a paid relationship, which differs from the behaviour commonly associated with paid subscription cancellations.
Paramount+ comes in fifth, drawing 139,400 queries on cancellation monthly. Of these, 106,000 are users searching for "cancel," as the platform continues its efforts to retain subscribers in a rapidly developing and competitive streaming market.
Amazon's audiobook platform is Audible, sixth, with 136,900 monthly cancellation-related searches. The data shows Audible is third for "cancel" searches at 114,000. As the only audio-focused service in the top ten, it faces pressure to communicate its value amidst expanding competition in the digital audio segment.
Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service, ranks seventh with 106,700 cancellation searches. There are 27,000 monthly "cancel subscription" searches for Peacock, which suggests a precise focus among its subscribers to terminate the service.
TikTok ranks eighth, seeing 101,760 monthly cancellation searches. Similar to Snapchat, 101,000 of these are for "delete," indicating a tendency for users to remove the app itself instead of cancelling a paid service, as would be more typical with traditional subscription platforms.
Spotify is ninth, with 95,100 cancellation-related searches per month. The music streaming service shows a more balanced distribution of "cancel" and "delete" keyword searches, suggesting varying user attitudes towards termination. Despite the proliferation of free alternatives, Spotify remains the subject of significant cancellation interest.
Netflix completes the top ten, registering 93,100 searches that are concerned with cancellation each month. Compared to newer competitors, Netflix has fewer "cancel subscription" searches, which some analysts interpret as indicating relatively stronger success in retaining its customer base.
The study finds seven out of the ten most-targeted apps for cancellation are entertainment platforms, underlining broader trends of user discontent related to subscription price hikes and efforts to clamp down on password sharing.
The findings give insight into changing consumer attitudes as users reevaluate their digital expenditures and seek greater value from online services.
