# What is a software subscription?

> A subscription charges you on a repeating schedule, usually monthly or yearly, to keep using an app. Learn how it differs from paying once.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/subscription/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

A subscription is a payment that repeats, usually every month or year, in return for using an app. If you stop paying, access ends. Some apps keep what you made, some lock it.

## Why it matters

A subscription spreads cost over time and can fund ongoing development. It also adds up. Over several years it can cost much more than a [one time purchase](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/one-time-purchase/), and you must remember to cancel if you stop using the app. Some Mac apps are available only through a subscription service, so check how an app is sold before you install it.

## What to look for

Check three things before subscribing: what happens to your data when you stop paying, how to cancel, and whether the app works offline in the meantime. A [license key](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/license-key/) model asks different questions: how many devices, and whether it expires.

## NotchStar

NotchStar is not a subscription. It costs $4 once, covers up to three Macs and works without an account. Prices as of 4 November 2026.

## Related

Compare how notch apps charge in [the best one time purchase Mac notch apps](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-one-time-purchase-mac-notch-apps/). One competitor, MacNotch, is sold from a monthly price through a subscription service according to its own page on 7 October 2026. See [NotchStar vs MacNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/vs/macnotch/).

## Keep reading.

- [What is a one time purchase?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/one-time-purchase/): A one time purchase means you pay once and keep the app, with no monthly fee. Learn how it differs from a subscription and what NotchStar's $4 covers.
- [What is a license key?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/license-key/): A license key is a code that proves you bought an app. Learn how NotchStar's key works, how many Macs it covers and what happens offline.
- [Mac notch apps you can buy once, with no subscription, priced](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-one-time-purchase-mac-notch-apps/): Which Mac notch apps cost one payment instead of a subscription? Prices, Mac counts, trials and macOS versions from official pages, checked 4 November 2026.
- [NotchStar vs MacNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/vs/macnotch/): NotchStar compared with MacNotch, the widget based notch utility sold through Setapp: price per year, features, live activities and who each one suits.

## More in Buying and licenses.

- [What is a license key?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/license-key/): A license key is a code that proves you bought an app. Learn how NotchStar's key works, how many Macs it covers and what happens offline.
- [What is a free trial?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/free-trial/): A free trial lets you use an app in full for a set time before you pay. Learn how NotchStar's 7 day trial starts, what ends it and what happens to your data.
- [What is a one time purchase?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/one-time-purchase/): A one time purchase means you pay once and keep the app, with no monthly fee. Learn how it differs from a subscription and what NotchStar's $4 covers.
- [What is a refund window?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/refund-window/): A refund window is the number of days after buying when you can ask for your money back. Learn how NotchStar's 7 day window works and how to ask.
- [What is a merchant of record?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/merchant-of-record/): A merchant of record is the company that legally sells to you and takes responsibility for the sale, including tax. See why NotchStar uses Dodo Payments.