A $120 purchase asks for a decision today. A $10 monthly subscription asks for a decision that seems almost too small to notice. The service may cost the same over a year, but the payment schedule changes how it feels.
For customers, recurring charges make a service easy to start and easy to forget. It may remain useful every month, or continue after the original need has passed. Compare the annual cost with how often you use it, then check cancellation terms and the next billing date.
For a company, subscriptions can make revenue more predictable. Instead of hoping customers return for another one-off purchase, the firm collects payments over time. That can help with planning. But predictable revenue is not guaranteed revenue: customers cancel, payment costs add up and acquiring subscribers may be expensive.
The company takes on the work of continuing to provide the service; the customer takes on a stream of smaller payments that may be less visible than one large bill. A monthly price is not a discount by itself. It divides a price across time. The question is whether the service keeps earning its place in the budget after sign-up.