Software costs · practical model

Budget the switch.
Include the overlap.

A lower monthly price does not settle the first-year cost. Model the old service, new service and setup work before you cancel anything.

Edited by Clinton Feyisitan · Review scope: selected official documentation read 14 October 2026. No native account migration, comparative benchmark or paid provider run was performed. Source receipts.

Published 14 October 2026

A cheaper plan can still cost more in the first year

The new monthly price is only part of a migration budget. The old subscription may continue during export checks, a pilot and the rollback period. Annual commitments may leave a payment due after the team stops using the product.

The Slack-to-Discord guide makes this visible: Slack export scope varies, attachments may remain links, and the original archive needs an owner. Removing the old service immediately can undermine the plan to retain access.

Slack export scope · Archive and file-link limits

Local arithmetic · your assumptions

Budget the overlap

Enter the total monthly equivalent for each service in one currency, including all seats. This models monthly recurring costs; annual cash-payment timing, cancellation charges and refunds need separate checks. Blank is unknown: enter zero explicitly if a cost is free.

Your calculation will appear here. Inputs stay on this page and are not saved.

Read the fictional example

Suppose the old service is GBP 20 per month and the new one GBP 15, with two months of overlap and GBP 60 of setup work. These are invented amounts, not vendor prices.

Keeping both for two months costs GBP 70 in recurring fees. Adding setup makes that GBP 130. Across twelve months from starting the new service, the model is GBP 180 for the new service, GBP 40 for the remaining old service, and GBP 60 setup: GBP 280 total. Keeping only the old service for those twelve months would cost GBP 240.

The new steady annual cost is lower, but this model’s first year costs GBP 40 more. Taxes, overages, annual invoices, lost credits and staff time can change the answer.

Before cancelling the old service

  • Check its real renewal date, billing interval and cancellation terms.
  • Confirm the archive includes the permitted date range and accessible attachments.
  • Name who owns archive access after cutover.
  • Allow time to test permissions and required integrations.
  • Record rollback criteria and any period of double payment.

This is a planning model, not a promise of savings or a timed migration. No provider migration, invoice or payment was executed for this article.

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