Many people today unknowingly pay for subscriptions they no longer use. And this issue is more common than you might think:

A 2022 study by C+R Research found that 42% of Americans still pay for unused subscriptions. Interestingly, Gen Z is much more likely to forget than Boomers. Sometimes, they don't remember to cancel free trials that automatically renew into paid plans. In other cases, old services continue charging in the background without their knowledge. Over time, these small monthly fees can pile up and affect your budget.

Therefore, to tackle this problem, apps like Truebill and Billshark offer solutions—but with different approaches.

Truebill is built for users seeking long-term financial control, offering automation and budgeting tools to track and manage subscriptions. On the other hand, Billshark prioritizes quick savings by negotiating bills and canceling unwanted subscriptions on the user’s behalf.

This guide breaks down both tools across key features, pricing, and services, helping you decide which one aligns better with your financial management style.

Truebill Vs Billshark: At A Glance

Features  

Truebill 

Billshark 

Bill Negotiation 

Available as part of a broader finance app; negotiation fee is 35–60% of first-year savings 

Focused solely on negotiation; charges a flat 40% of total savings over 24 months 

Subscription Cancellation    

Auto-detects subscriptions; Premium users can cancel in-app at no extra cost 

Manual process; you upload the subscription, and they cancel it for $9/service 

Spending Timing And Analysis 

Offers spending breakdown, budgeting goals, alerts, and safe-to-spend estimates 

Currently not available 

Bill Monitoring 

Tracks all bills and subscriptions; provides alerts, due dates, and a full dashboard 

Only monitors bills it negotiates; re-negotiates automatically upon expiration 

Pricing 

Free basic plan; Premium $6–$12/month (user-chosen); 30–60% bill negotiation fee  

No subscription; charges 40% of bill savings and $9/subscription cancellation 

What Is Truebill?

Truebill software (now rebranded as Rocket Money) is a personal finance app designed to help users take control of their subscriptions, track spending, and save money. The software connects seamlessly with your bank accounts and credit cards allowing automatic recurring payments identification, like streaming services, gym memberships, or forgotten free trials, and send prompt alerts. 

The app’s effectiveness gained national recognition when it received the 2022 ‘Savings Champion Award’ for its outstanding impact during America Saves Week. This recognition is one of the reasons why over 5 million people trust the platform today. 

This system is useful for households with shared expenses, young adults managing their first budgets, and anyone who signs up for multiple free trials. 

Standout Features Of Truebill

  • Budgeting Tools: These tools enable users to set up and manage budgets for specific categories or financial goals. It tracks spending against these budgets and sends notifications if you’re at risk of overspending, helping you stay on track with your financial goals 
  • Smart Savings: Truebill’s ‘Financial Goals’ feature (formerly called Smart Savings) can help you save money. It automatically moves small amounts from your checking account into a safe savings account with an FDIC-insured bank 
  • Automated Subscription Cancellations: This system can automatically cancel unwanted subscriptions for you with a single click, saving you the hassle of contacting service providers yourself 

Pros And Cons Of Truebill

Pros 

  • Helps identify and cancel unwanted subscriptions, potentially saving users money 
  • Aggregates all accounts/cards in one place for easier budgeting 
  • Notifies users of charges, helping catch unauthorized or forgotten expenses 

Cons 

  • Some users find its customer support slow and unresponsive 
  • Frequent re-logins required for linked bank accounts, which can be annoying 

What Is Billshark?

Billshark is a financial software and service designed to help users save money by negotiating lower bills on their behalf. According to NBC Nightly News, one user claimed to have saved more than $2,000 through Billshark’s bill negotiation service. 

It primarily targets recurring expenses such as cable and internet services, mobile phone plans, insurance premiums, and other subscription-based services. Users provide Billshark with details about their current bills, and the company’s team of negotiators then contacts service providers to secure better rates or discounts. If successful, Billshark takes a percentage of the savings as a fee, meaning users only pay when the service delivers results.  

This can be especially useful for users who are too busy, dislike haggling, or aren’t confident in their negotiation skills. 

Standout Features Of Billshark

  • Rewards Program: This is a customer loyalty program that lets users earn ‘Reward Dollars’ every time they submit a bill for negotiation. These include practical discounts like 20% off car maintenance, small treats like a complimentary coffee, or even dining deals like buy-one-get-one-free meals at neighborhood restaurants 
  • Service Outage Assistance: When your internet, TV, or phone service goes down due to provider outages (like Xfinity, Verizon, or AT&T), Billshark's team—known as ‘Sharks’—can request service credits on your behalf and even negotiate better monthly rates once service is restored. They streamline the process, so you don't have to chase credits or talk to multiple departments 

Pros And Cons Of Billshark

Pros 

  • Alerts customers when it’s time to renegotiate 
  • Dedicated ‘Sharks’ assigned to customers for ongoing support 
  • Customers receive timely text/phone updates on negotiation progress 

Cons 

  • Sometimes the system charges users for savings they negotiated themselves 
  • Many users report that its savings promises are misleading or inaccurate 

Truebill Vs Billshark: Key Feature Comparison

Bill Negotiation

Truebill offers bill negotiation as part of a broader personal finance app. You can submit your internet, cable, or phone bill through the app, and their team will then call your provider to negotiate a lower rate for you. It’s convenient if you're already using Truebill for budgeting or subscription tracking. However, the negotiation feature isn’t the main focus—it’s one of many tools in the app.

You also have to accept that the negotiation fee can be as high as 60% of your first-year savings, depending on the percentage you choose when submitting the request.

Billshark, in contrast, is fully focused on bill negotiation—and that specialization shows. The process is simple: upload your bill, and their experts handle everything. They claim to have a higher reported success rate (about 90%), a fixed fee of 40% (so no sliding scale), and they also offer something Truebill doesn’t: automatic re-negotiation when your contract expires. This means you can continue saving without needing to start a new request.

Based on this comparison, it may seem like Billshark leads in bill negotiation. However, its claim of a 90% success rate is difficult to verify, as users have limited insight into what was negotiated. This lack of transparency can be misleading, as it doesn’t always reflect real, measurable savings for the user.

Winner: If we don’t consider the user’s perspective and focus only on the features and functionality, it’s a fair tie. Both Truebill and Billshark offer effective bill negotiation services.

Subscription Cancellation

Truebill stands out for its automation and control. It automatically detects all your subscriptions by scanning your bank transactions and organizes them in a clear dashboard. You can cancel some services yourself, or if you're a Premium user, let Truebill cancel them for you with just one tap on ‘Cancel This For Me’. There’s no additional fee for cancellation services, as they’re included with the Premium membership. It’s ideal for viewing all your recurring charges in one place and deciding what to cancel—offering flexibility and control with minimal effort.

Billshark, in comparison, is focused purely on cancellation—and it does everything for you. You upload a subscription manually, and their team contacts the provider and handles the cancellation. You don’t need a subscription, but you’ll pay $9/cancellation, even if it’s a low-cost service. It’s convenient, but it doesn’t automatically find or track subscriptions, so you need to know exactly what to cancel.

Winner: Truebill wins this round because it offers more convenience, automation, and visibility.

Spending Tracking And Analysis

If you want to track your spending and understand where your money goes each month, Truebill offers a complete set of tools to help. Once you connect it to your bank accounts, it automatically categorizes your transactions, like groceries, bills, and dining, and shows you a clear breakdown of your spending. You can set goals for different categories, get alerts if you overspend, and even see how much you can safely spend each month based on your income and past habits. These features are designed to give you control over your budget and help you make smarter financial choices.

Billshark, meanwhile, does not offer spending tracking or analysis tools. Its focus is purely on negotiating and canceling your recurring bills. You won’t find features like expense categorization, spending alerts, or monthly budgeting. If your main goal is to lower your bills without tracking your everyday expenses, Billshark works well. But if you want to actively monitor and manage your full financial picture, Rocket Money is the better fit.

Winner: Truebill clearly wins here because Billshark doesn’t offer any spending tracking or analysis at all.

Bill Monitoring

Truebill focuses on giving you a full picture of your recurring payments. Once you link your bank accounts, it automatically detects your subscriptions and bills, displays upcoming due dates, and even alerts you when charges are about to hit your account. You can also manually add any bill that wasn’t automatically picked up. Everything is organized in a central dashboard, so it’s easy to track what you’re paying for and when.

Billshark, on the other hand, doesn’t track all your bills in real time like Truebill does—but it shines when it comes to monitoring your negotiated savings. After they successfully lower a bill, they keep an eye on when that discount will expire and automatically renegotiate it for you—something Truebill does not offer. You also get updates through text or email, so you don’t have to track expiration dates or re-submit anything.

Winner: Billshark only monitors the bills it negotiates. Truebill monitors all your bills—with alerts, due dates, and a full dashboard. In short, this section is a tie because it depends on what you need more: broad visibility or automated savings.

How Much Does Truebill And Billshark Cost?

Truebill provides a free plan with basic budgeting and subscription tracking tools. If you want access to advanced features, you can upgrade to Truebill Premium.  

  • Premium Plan: Between $6 and $12/month 
  • Free Trial: 7 days 
  • Bill Negotiation Fee: 30%–60% of first year’s savings (you choose the percentage when submitting) 

Billshark takes a slightly different approach with a straightforward pricing model. That include: 

  • Negotiation Fee: 40% of total savings (over a 24-month period) 
  • Subscription Cancellation Fee: $9/cancellation 

Both Truebill and Billshark only collect payment if they successfully reduce your bills, meaning no savings equals no cost.  

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

Final Verdict: Which One Wins?

With 2 wins and 2 ties, Truebill emerges as the more versatile and automated personal finance app.

It gives you a complete financial overview, helps you track spending, and makes it easier to cancel subscriptions—all from one dashboard. It's a great pick if you’re looking for convenience, automation, and control over your money. Billshark, on the other hand, is best if you just want a no-hassle way to lower your bills. Its automatic re-negotiation feature can keep saving you money long after the first discount.