Apps Users Regret Paying For (2026): Trial Traps & Refund Fights
Data updated October 2026
Key findings
- 43 of 263 apps and tools (16%) we track have a recurring pattern of users saying they regret paying for them.
- 70% of that regret is about billing, not the product — charges after a free trial, surprise renewals, and refunds that were denied or cancellations that were made hard.
- 233 tools also have “hidden cost” complaints — see the SaaS price increases report.
- Most affected categories: Video Editing (6), CRM (5), Note Taking (5).
Why users regret paying
| Reason | Apps |
|---|---|
| Charged after a free trial | 7 |
| Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge | 14 |
| Refund denied or hard to cancel | 9 |
| Subscription instead of ownership | 3 |
| Paid, but didn't get the value | 10 |
How to avoid paying for an app you'll regret
- Set a reminder one day before a free trial ends — many “charged after trial” complaints are trials that converted to a paid (often annual) plan automatically.
- Check whether the price shown is monthly or “per month, billed annually” before you pay.
- Read the refund policy first: several apps below offer no refunds after renewal, or only within a few days.
- On mobile, subscriptions bought through the App Store or Google Play must be cancelled there, not in the app — and refunds are requested from Apple or Google.
Every app, most severe first
1. LastPass: Is LastPass safe after the 2022 breach?
Paid, but didn't get the value
In 2022 attackers got in through a developer laptop, then a senior engineer's home computer, and copied encrypted customer vault backups plus unencrypted metadata such as names, emails, phone numbers and saved site URLs. Vaults protected by weak master passwords can be brute-forced offline, and researchers have linked later cryptocurrency thefts to cracked LastPass vaults. This is the number-one reason people leave.
How to Cancel LastPass and Get a Refund · LastPass pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
2. Adobe Photoshop: Subscription model eliminates software ownership
Subscription instead of ownership
Users cannot purchase Photoshop outright and must pay monthly forever. After 3+ years of subscriptions, users pay more than the old perpetual license cost ($700+) but never own the software. If payments stop, all access is lost immediately with no way to open files without an active subscription.
3. Adobe Premiere Pro: Crashes frequently, especially after updates
Paid, but didn't get the value
Users describe Premiere Pro as 'a truly horrible, buggy, unstable, unreliable program.' The 2025 version crashes much more frequently than previous versions, with some users reporting crashes every time they open projects. Many professionals have lost hours of work due to unexpected crashes.
4. Salesforce: Companies spend hundreds of thousands on barely-used systems
Paid, but didn't get the value
Many companies express frustration spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Salesforce only to have it barely used. Users call it an 'overpriced Rolodex until you add customizations that steal even more budget' and a 'money pit'.
5. Jasper: Charged full year upfront without billing options
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Multiple Capterra reviewers report being charged for an entire year upfront without being given the option to choose their billing preferences. When requesting refunds, users report the company refused, resulting in significant financial loss for those who wanted monthly billing.
6. Notion: Account lockouts when trying to downgrade
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Users report being completely locked out of their accounts when not renewing annual subscriptions or trying to downgrade to free plans. Even users who paid for a year of service couldn't view their workspaces. Guest-to-member auto-conversions trigger surprise charges, and removing members mid-cycle provides no refund. Multiple BBB complaints document this billing dispute pattern.
7. Oyster HR: PTO payout disputes upon offboarding
Refund denied or hard to cancel
Former employees report deeply disappointing offboarding experiences. Despite legally accrued PTO, Oyster refused to pay the full amount owed, citing limitations with subcontractors. Users argue Oyster was the sole facilitator and should have resolved matters internally.
8. Dropbox: Dropbox lost my files - reports of missing or corrupted files
Paid, but didn't get the value
A recurring theme in recent reviews is files that disappeared or became corrupted after sync errors or moves. Version history (30 days on Plus, 180 days on Standard, 1 year on Advanced) usually recovers them, but users who notice late are out of luck.
9. Picsart: Picsart charged me after the free trial
Charged after a free trial
The most repeated complaint on Trustpilot and the App Store in Sept-Oct 2026: users start a free trial and are billed for a full year ($78.99-$90+ reported) without noticing a reminder. Apple Community threads show refund requests through Apple being denied when the cancellation window was missed.
Picsart Charged After Free Trial: Cancel and Refund · Can't Cancel Picsart Subscription · Picsart pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
10. Zoom: Automatic subscription renewal with no refunds
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Zoom renews subscriptions without advance notice and refuses refunds 'per their policy' even when users cancel immediately after discovering the charge. Trustpilot is full of complaints about unexpected annual charges and the inability to get money back.
11. Ulysses: Controversial switch to subscription angered existing users
Subscription instead of ownership
Users who bought Ulysses at full price ($45-70) lost their perpetual license when developers switched to subscription. The backlash was significant - long-time users felt betrayed paying again for software they already owned.
Ulysses Doesn't Recognize My Subscription · How to Cancel Ulysses Subscription and Get a Refund · Ulysses pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
12. VSCO: Free trial charges immediately despite 7-day claim
Charged after a free trial
Multiple users report that VSCO falsely advertises a 7-day free trial but charges immediately upon signup. When users contact support about these unauthorized charges, they receive dismissive responses or no response at all.
Can't Cancel VSCO Membership · VSCO pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
13. HubSpot: Annual contract lock-in with no early termination
Refund denied or hard to cancel
When subscribing to paid plans, you're contractually obligated to commit for one full year and must pay the entire year even if you want to leave mid-year. There's no monthly option for most plans and no refunds for cancellation.
14. Grammarly: Automatic renewal charges without clear notice
Charged after a free trial
Users report being charged on automatic renewal without clear notification emails or reminders. Some say they were charged after a free trial without clear consent. The combination of auto-renewal and no-refund policy creates unexpected charges users can't recover.
Grammarly Cancel Subscription and Refund · Grammarly pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
15. Dashlane: Dashlane charged me after I cancelled - refund refused
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Many Trustpilot reviews (June-September 2026) describe auto-renewal charges they did not expect, cancellations that did not stop billing, and refunds refused after the 30-day window. Dashlane only guarantees a full refund within 30 days of purchase; app-store purchases must be cancelled with Apple or Google.
How to Cancel Dashlane and Get a Refund · Dashlane pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
16. Roam Research: Annual billing trap after trial ends
Charged after a free trial
Users complain about being charged for a 12-month subscription after a 1-month trial, describing it as a 'try and forget' strategy profiting from forgetful people. The trial auto-converts to annual billing, catching users off guard with a $180 charge.
Roam Research Charged After Free Trial · Roam Research pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
17. Copy.ai: Only 5 days to request a refund
Refund denied or hard to cancel
Copy.ai's refund policy only allows refund requests within 5 calendar days of initial purchase. After that, you're stuck with your subscription regardless of how much time remains on annual contracts. Users describe this as 'crazy' compared to industry standards of 30-day money-back guarantees.
18. Evernote: Unauthorized charges and billing issues
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Users report being charged without authorization and facing difficulties canceling subscriptions. One long-time user had their 13-year subscription cancelled due to a credit card glitch, then was charged twice ($62 and $309.99) before access was restored. Account deletion requests are ignored.
How to Cancel Evernote Subscription · Evernote Refund Request · Evernote pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
19. BigCommerce: No refund policy and difficult cancellation
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Trustpilot reviews reveal there's no cancellation or refund policy for any plans, and BigCommerce doesn't tell you this when signing up. When customers close their stores, BigCommerce immediately removes access to all sales records and financials with no warning. Some report being charged months after cancellation.
20. Writesonic: Unused credits don't roll over
Paid, but didn't get the value
Monthly credits expire at the end of each billing cycle regardless of usage. Users waste money every month they don't fully utilize their word allowance. There's no option to accumulate credits for busy periods. This use-it-or-lose-it model frustrates users with variable content needs.
21. Maya: Companies shifting to Blender due to cost
Paid, but didn't get the value
Some companies that initially bought Maya felt it was expensive and shifted toward Blender, which offers nearly all needed features for free. The value proposition increasingly favors free alternatives.
22. 3ds Max: Studios switching to free alternatives
Refund denied or hard to cancel
Studios are increasingly switching to Blender to eliminate thousands in annual licensing costs. For most workflows, Blender offers comparable features for free, making 3ds Max's price hard to justify.
23. Box: Charged after cancelling Box and refunds denied
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
A recurring Trustpilot theme in 2025-2026: charges after cancellation, annual renewals users didn't expect, duplicate billing, and refund requests denied or needing repeated escalation. Box cancels at the end of the paid term and points refund requests to its cancellation team rather than issuing automatic pro-rata refunds.
How to Cancel Box Subscription (and Avoid Renewal Charges) · Box pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
24. Zapier: Free trial auto-upgrades without clear warning
Charged after a free trial
Adding credit card during trial auto-upgrades to paid plan when trial ends. Users report being charged without explicit opt-in. Cannot downgrade during 14-day forced pro trial. No easy way to cancel before charges.
25. Freshsales: Difficult to cancel subscription and get refunds
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Users complain that Freshsales won't cancel subscriptions even when account cancellation is requested, and will continue charging monthly. The company claims they 'need to get approval and the process is long.' Users report Freshsales won't refund feature add-ons used for less than 7 days and keeps money if customers cancel one day after renewal.
26. Monday.com: Monday.com refunds only within 30 days of an annual payment
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Per monday.com's refund policy, only yearly plans paid in the last 30 days get a prorated refund; monthly plans and annual plans past 30 days get nothing. Seat and plan downgrades are only scheduled for the next renewal, and Trustpilot reviewers complain about forced seat upgrades and refused tax refunds.
Monday.com Charged for Extra Seats (Auto-Upgrade) · How to Cancel Monday.com and Get a Refund · Monday.com pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
27. PowerDirector: PowerDirector refund and billing complaints
Refund denied or hard to cancel
2026 Trustpilot reviews describe refunds refused after a credit was used, charges after cancelling, and paid upgrades that would not install. CyberLink's policy confirms that using any credit in an order makes the whole order non-refundable, and App Store purchases can only be refunded by Apple.
How to Cancel PowerDirector Subscription · PowerDirector Refund Request · PowerDirector pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
28. Rytr: Annual subscription charged without clear notice
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Users report being charged annual subscription fees with hefty price increases without clear auto-renewal notices. When they request refunds, customer service refuses citing the no-refund policy. This creates surprise charges for users expecting monthly billing.
29. Wix: Cancellation and refund difficulties
Refund denied or hard to cancel
Users report having to 'jump through hoops' to cancel accounts instead of easy cancellation. Some claim Wix wouldn't issue refunds even with years remaining on multi-year plans. The 14-day money-back guarantee exists, but processing refunds beyond that is problematic.
30. Workable: No refunds for early cancellation
Refund denied or hard to cancel
Workable's policy states fees are non-refundable and non-cancelable. Users who realize the platform doesn't meet their needs cannot get prorated refunds for unused time, leading to frustration and feeling locked in despite dissatisfaction.
31. Hotjar: No refunds if you cancel on renewal day
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Older complaints describe being refused refunds when cancelling on the renewal day. Contentsquare's pricing page now offers a full refund within 30 days for new Growth accounts; after that, billing runs to the end of the cycle, so annual renewals are still a trap if missed.
32. Filmora: Filmora perpetual license doesn't include the next version
Subscription instead of ownership
The one-time 'Perpetual' license only covers updates within the current major version (Filmora 16) and is tied to Windows or Mac, not both. When a new major version ships, perpetual buyers have to pay again to upgrade, which surprises people who assumed 'lifetime' meant all future versions.
How to Cancel Filmora Subscription and Get a Refund · Filmora pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
33. Splice: Splice refund: charges are non-refundable, Apple handles App Store refunds
Charged after a free trial
Splice's terms say valid charges are non-refundable except as its refund policy allows, and it cannot cancel or refund App Store subscriptions because Apple manages them. Cancelling only stops auto-renewal; the current period is not refunded and unused trial time is forfeited.
How to Cancel Splice Subscription and Get a Refund · Splice Restore Purchase Not Working · Splice pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
34. Keeper: Keeper auto-renewal charges after users thought they cancelled
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Several Trustpilot reviewers describe renewals they didn't expect, unclear opt-out from subscriptions and having to dispute charges with their card issuer. Business plans are cancelled by email rather than a self-service button, according to cancellation guides.
How to Cancel Keeper Subscription · Keeper pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
35. Loom: Rigid refund policy with no flexibility on renewals
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Users report a rigid refund policy with zero flexibility on renewals. Some mention unexpected charges or difficulties canceling subscriptions. This has led to frustration among users who expected better customer experience.
36. VN Video Editor: VN Pro not showing after purchase
Paid, but didn't get the value
A few users paid for VN Pro or premium effects and then saw no subscription on their account, or the paid effects didn't appear in the exported video. Purchases are tied to the store account and VN account, and the only support path is in-app feedback or email.
37. Krisp: Krisp Hard to Uninstall and Keeps Starting With the Computer
Paid, but didn't get the value
Reviewers in 2025-2026 call Krisp intrusive: it relaunches at login, a bundled calendar component loaded at Windows startup with no off switch, and removing it fully needs the separate Krisp Uninstaller because it installs virtual audio drivers.
Krisp Charged Me After Cancelling - How to Cancel and Get a Refund · Krisp pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
38. Zoho CRM: Aggressive sales outreach after demo request
Paid, but didn't get the value
After requesting a demo, users report being relentlessly bombarded with calls—up to 10 times a day, starting as early as 7 a.m. This level of aggressive sales outreach is described as intrusive and exhausting, leading to negative first impressions even before using the product.
39. Coda: Is Coda dead after the Superhuman acquisition?
Paid, but didn't get the value
Coda is not shut down: docs, tables, Packs, automations and formulas keep working under the Superhuman Docs name, and no export deadline was announced. Users and analysts still question the long-term product direction inside a larger suite, and forum users earlier complained that Coda's release pace slowed while Notion's accelerated.
40. KineMaster: KineMaster has no one-time purchase, subscription only
Surprise auto-renewal or upfront charge
Premium is only sold as an auto-renewing monthly or annual plan. App Store reviewers, including hobby musicians and small creators, ask for a one-time unlock; the developer says it has noted the request but none exists.
How to Cancel KineMaster Subscription and Get a Refund · KineMaster pricing & hidden costs · alternatives
41. InVision: Subscription lock-in made leaving difficult
Refund denied or hard to cancel
InVision's billing structure made it hard to leave if you decided to use other tools. The removal of a 'pause subscription' option forced loyal customers to either spend at least $264 annually or lose all their prototypes and work.
42. Doodle: Annual payment requirement is inflexible
Refund denied or hard to cancel
Pro and Team plans require annual payment, which is not cost-effective for project-based or occasional users. There's no monthly option, forcing users to commit to a full year even if they only need the tool temporarily.
43. Close: Cannot cancel trial without contacting support
Charged after a free trial
It's impossible to cancel a trial within the first 14 days without connecting with support. Users describe this as 'very shady dark UX.' This forces engagement with sales/support even for users who decide the product isn't right for them.
Methodology & citing this report
Each entry is a purchase-regret pattern reported independently by multiple users across review sites, community forums, and app stores — not a single angry review. Reasons are grouped from the complaint text. See our methodology. Free to cite with a link: “Try or Bye, Apps Users Regret Paying For 2026, https://www.tryorbye.com/reports/apps-users-regret-paying-for”.