Amazon Prime tops list as most-cancelled subscription app

A new study has highlighted which apps and subscriptions people are most eager to cancel or unsubscribe from, revealing changing consumer attitudes towards digital services.

The analysis, conducted by Sparrow, tracked monthly search behaviour for keywords such as "unsubscribe," "delete," "cancel," and "cancel subscription" to rank the services users are most actively trying to leave. The researchers used data from Ahrefs to create a dataset that reflects current levels of user intent to cancel or delete top digital platforms.

Amazon Prime emerged as the app people most want to unsubscribe from, with an average of 578,000 cancellation-related searches each month. This figure is nearly 45% higher than the next most-cancelled app, Disney+, which logged 397,700 monthly searches involving cancellation.

Streaming services occupied seven out of the top ten positions in the ranking, indicating a broader trend of potential subscription fatigue among digital consumers. Alongside Amazon Prime and Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix, and Audible were among the platforms seeing the highest levels of cancellation interest.

Amazon Prime, at the top of the list, recorded 447,000 searches for the specific term "cancel" each month. The study notes that price increases have been a factor prompting users to reconsider their subscriptions.

Disney Plus ranked in second place with 397,700 cancellation-related searches per month and had the highest volume of "cancel subscription" searches among all platforms at 79,000. This comes as Disney implements changes such as bundling and tiered pricing for its streaming offerings.

Hulu was the third most-cancelled app, with 149,700 search queries about cancellation. Of these, 113,000 searches were for the term "cancel," a figure the report says could be attributed to increasing costs as Hulu becomes further integrated into Disney's subscription ecosystem.

In fourth place, Snapchat was notable for the type of exit users sought. The app received 143,650 searches related to cancellation. However, unlike the other top apps, nearly all of these—143,000—were for "delete," indicating users were more interested in removing the platform from their devices than ending a payment relationship.

Paramount+ followed in fifth place, with 139,400 cancellation-related queries per month. The study recorded 106,000 "cancel" searches, highlighting Paramount+'s challenge in retaining subscribers in an increasingly crowded market for streaming content.

Audible was sixth in the rankings, attracting 136,900 searches associated with cancellation. The audio-content service, owned by Amazon, received 114,000 "cancel" searches per month. As the only audio-focused product in the top ten, Audible's appearance in the list underscores the competition it faces from both new and established audio platforms.

Seventh position went to Peacock, with 106,700 monthly cancellation searches. The streaming platform registered 27,000 searches specifically for "cancel subscription," pointing to a targeted effort by some users to end their service.

TikTok ranked eighth, securing 101,760 cancellation-related searches each month. Similar to Snapchat, almost all interest was for "delete" at 101,000 searches, suggesting a different type of user behaviour compared to traditional subscription-based services.

Spotify, the ninth most-cancelled app, saw 95,100 cancellation queries. The data showed a balanced mix of "cancel" and "delete" searches for the music streaming service, which continues to see strong user engagement despite increasing competition from alternative options.

Netflix rounded out the top ten with 93,100 searches related to subscription cancellations. Despite being one of the most established streaming services, the relatively low "cancel subscription" search numbers suggest Netflix may currently employ more effective customer retention strategies than some of its competitors.

The findings from Sparrow demonstrate how subscription fatigue and changing user priorities are shaping the digital landscape. A spokesperson from Sparrow commented on the study: "The subscription economy is reaching saturation point as consumers become more selective about digital commitments. This widespread cancellation interest signals a shift toward subscription rationalisation rather than rejection of the model. Services must now deliver clear value rather than rely on customer inertia. The contrast between subscription cancellations and app deletions reveals different psychological relationships with paid services versus free platforms."

The methodology involved analysing separate keyword variations and tracking their associated volumes to distinguish between different intent levels, providing insight into which digital platforms are experiencing the most significant retention challenges.