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Annual or monthly billing — which one to pick年払いと月払い、どちらを選ぶべきですか
For a service you are signing up to for the first time, monthly billing is the safer place to start. Shopify is the only exception.
Across the 5 vendors we checked, annual billing — discount included — has to run 8.92 to 10.80 months before it merely matches monthly. Cancel at 3 months and the amount you would not have paid on monthly billing is $274 for 3 Asana seats and $2,340 for 3 HubSpot seats.
“Annual billing” does not mean a monthly debit
Annual (or yearly) billing means committing to 12 months in one contract. A price shown as “$9 per month, billed annually” is not $9 leaving your account each month. monday.com, Semrush, Shopify and HubSpot all state on their own pages that the term is paid in full upfront at signup.
A seat (or user) is the slot for 1 person who can sign in. Seats cannot be reduced mid-term on monthly billing either. What differs is the length of the period you are locked into — 1 month or 12. monday.com starts at 3 seats and then sells in multiples of 5, so a team of 3 that loses 1 person cannot drop to 2 seats; on annual billing they keep paying for 3 seats for up to 11 more months.
Cancel at 3 months and you throw away 1.93 to 6.50 times the annual discount
Months to break even = 12 × (1 − discount rate). An 18% discount puts that at 9.84 months, and even Shopify at 25.64% needs 8.92 months. However large the discount, monthly billing costs less until somewhere between just under 9 and just under 11 months of use.
| Service / terms | Monthly (per month) | Annual (amount leaving the account at signup) | Advertised discount | Discount per year | Extra paid if you cancel at 3 months | Months to break even | How to read this number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Starter, 3 seats | $40.47 | $395.64 | “Save up to 18%” (18.53% on the actual amounts) | $90.00 | $274.23 | 9.78 months | 3.05×. Only 1 full year of use gets you to break-even |
| monday.com Basic, 3 seats (3-seat minimum) | We could not find this stated on the vendor's own pages. | $324.00 | “18% discount” | Cannot be calculated | Cannot be calculated | Cannot be calculated | The only one of the 5 whose monthly price is not published, so no comparison is possible |
| Semrush SEO, 1 user | $139.00 | $1,407.96 | “save up to 17%” is the figure for the higher plans. On the SEO plan the actual figure is 15.59% | $260.04 | $990.96 | 10.13 months | 3.81×. That is the exposure for 1 user, so decide before adding seats |
| Shopify Basic, 1 store | $39.00 | $348.00 | No advertised discount figure found (25.64% on the actual amounts) | $120.00 | $231.00 | 8.92 months | 1.93×. The smallest annual-billing risk of the 5 |
| HubSpot Sales Hub Professional, 3 seats (3 seats is this article's model case) | $300.00 | $3,240.00 | No advertised discount figure found (10.00% on the actual amounts) | $360.00 | $2,340.00 | 10.80 months | 6.50×. The heaviest annual commitment of the 5 |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
As of August 2026, excluding tax, in US dollars. Formulas: extra paid = annual lump sum − monthly price × 3 (Asana: $395.64 − $40.47×3 = $274.23); months to break even = annual lump sum ÷ monthly price (Shopify: $348.00 ÷ $39.00 = 8.92); multiple = extra paid ÷ discount per year (HubSpot: $2,340.00 ÷ $360.00 = 6.50). The loss runs from 1.93 times the annual discount (Shopify) to 6.50 times (HubSpot).
Buying from Japan, what actually leaves the account is yen after conversion. At $1 = ¥150, Asana's $395.64 for 3 seats is roughly ¥59,300 and HubSpot's $3,240.00 for 3 seats roughly ¥486,000. If Japanese consumption tax of 10% is added on top, those become roughly ¥65,300 and ¥534,600. The vendors' own pages do not state whether it is added.
We could not obtain monday.com's actual monthly price from the official pricing page. The official FAQ says “By choosing a yearly plan, you will receive an 18% discount.” — yet the same company's CRM pricing page lists Basic at $18 monthly and $12 annually and labels it “SAVE 33%”. The implied discount factors do not agree across the vendor's own pages, so we publish no estimate.
HubSpot's pricing page carries the line “Cost shown does not include the required, one-time Professional Onboarding for a fee of $1,500.” It is paid setup assistance, and because it is required on monthly billing too it has no bearing on the annual-or-monthly decision. What does have a bearing is the $1,500 of upfront cost that the other 4 vendors do not charge.
Asana Starter, 3 seats — cumulative spend (excluding tax, US dollars)
The lines cross at 9.78 months (395.64 ÷ 40.47 = 9.78). Stop before that point and annual billing has cost you more. Source: https://asana.com/pricing (checked August 2026)
The contract terms change one thing: how long seats stay locked
| Service | How annual billing is charged | Refund on cancelling mid-term | Can seats be reduced mid-term | Downgrade mid-term (moving to a cheaper, lower plan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | Stated as a single upfront payment: “Payment is made in one upfront installment.” | Pro-rated refund only within 30 days of the first purchase. Existing customers are out of scope once they have renewed | No (applied at renewal). Deactivating users does not reduce the count: “monday.com does not automatically reduce your seat count when users are deactivated.” | No (only at renewal) |
| Asana | The wording assumes payment in advance, but we could not find it stated whether that is one payment or instalments | Amounts that have fallen due are non-cancelable and non-refundable unless the agreement says otherwise: “Amounts due are payable in the currency set forth in the applicable invoice and are non-cancelable and non-refundable unless otherwise provided in this Agreement.” | No. Written notice at least 30 days before renewal (in-app notice or email is accepted) → applied on the renewal date | No (conditional on the same 30-day notice as a seat reduction) |
| Semrush | Stated as paid in full upfront: “you pay for the entire year upfront. It is not a monthly payment plan spread over 12 months.” | Only within 7 calendar days of a first subscription of 12 months or longer, and only when bought by card directly from Semrush.com. Monthly plans are out of scope | We could not find this stated on the vendor's own pages. | Annual → monthly is possible mid-term. If the new monthly price exceeds the unused annual balance, the difference is applied automatically as a discount (if it falls below, contact support) |
| Shopify | Stated as paid in full upfront: “Annual billing charges the full year upfront” | The terms state “Shopify does not provide refunds.” The help pages, on the other hand, accept a request within 30 days of the invoice date and review it case by case | Not applicable — pricing is not per seat | No (applied at the end of the cycle; credited against future invoices rather than refunded) |
| HubSpot | Stated as paid in full upfront: “Annually: you'll be charged once per year.” The full amount is invoiced on the order effective date | Payment obligations are non-cancelable and amounts paid are non-refundable: “All payment obligations are non-cancelable and all amounts paid are non-refundable, except as specifically provided for in this Agreement.” Cancelling mid-term and refunding prepaid fees are ruled out as well: “Except as specifically provided for in this Agreement, you may not cancel your subscription prior to the end of your Current Term, and we will not provide any refunds of prepaid fees or unused Subscription Fees through the end of your Current Term.” | No: “Once seats are purchased, the total count can't be reduced until your next renewal date.” | No: “You are not permitted to downgrade your Subscription Service during your Current Term.” It becomes possible by signing a new Order Form on the renewal date |
All of the above was checked on the vendors' own pages in August 2026.
3 of the vendors lock seats for the whole term. What differs is what you must do, and by when, to reduce them at the next renewal. Asana alone requires written notice at least 30 days before renewal; forget it and the same seat count renews for 1 more year. Deactivating a user (putting that person in a state where they cannot sign in) and reducing seats are separate operations. Only 3 vendors have a channel for requesting a refund at all — Asana and HubSpot have none.
Who should not choose annual billing
- You are less than 1 month in. Whether a tool sticks only becomes clear after 1 busy season has passed
- You are the only user. At 2 people or fewer, Asana Personal covers 2 users and monday.com Free covers 2 seats at $0, and monday.com's paid plans start at 3 seats, so there is no reason to move up
- Your seat count could move during the 1-year term (hiring, swapping contractors, seasonal swings). None of the 3 vendors allow a mid-term seat reduction, and if 1 person leaves you pay for 3 seats until the next renewal date
- Your reason for signing is “the free trial went well.” What you gain is the annual discount (Asana $90, Shopify $120); what you pay for getting it wrong is 1.93 to 6.50 times that
In the internal approval request, write “first-year spend $3,240 (plus $1,500 in setup fees), no refunds” rather than “$90 per month × 3 seats.”
Pay monthly in the first year, switch to annual from year 2
US dollars, excluding tax. Annual lump sums: Asana 3 seats $395.64 / monday.com 3 seats $324.00 / Semrush SEO $1,407.96 / Shopify Basic $348.00 / HubSpot Sales Hub Professional 3 seats $3,240.00 (August 2026, vendors' own pages)
Shopify is the one vendor where annual billing also wins on the numbers. Its 25.64% discount is the largest of the 5, break-even arrives at 8.92 months, and the loss stops at 1.93 times. HubSpot, at 10.80 months and 6.50 times, is the heaviest, and these 2 should not be judged by the same standard.
Even if you run 10 months on monthly billing before switching to annual, all you give up is 10 months of the discount ($2.50×3×10 = $75.00 for 3 Asana seats). When in doubt, sign monthly and put a marker in the calendar 40 days before the renewal date. Asana requires notice at least 30 days before renewal both to cut seats and to move down a plan, so realising it on the renewal date itself leaves that year fixed. If you do choose annual billing, add the refund request deadlines as well (monday.com 30 days / Semrush 7 days / Shopify 30 days).
Sources (checked August 2026)
- monday.com: Pricing (Basic $9 annual, Free 2 seats) / FAQ (18% discount, single upfront payment) / CRM pricing ($18 monthly, $12 annual, SAVE 33%) / Plans and pricing (3-seat minimum, multiples of 5) / Refund eligibility (30 days from the first purchase) / Changing plans and seats (applied at renewal, deactivation vs seat reduction)
- Asana: Pricing ($13.49 / $10.99, Save up to 18%, Personal 2 users) / Subscriber Terms (the qualified non-refundable clause, 30-day renewal notice)
- HubSpot: Sales Hub pricing ($100 / $90, onboarding $1,500) / Billing FAQ (annual is 1 charge per year, in full on the order effective date) / Terms of Service (non-refundable, no mid-term cancellation, no mid-term downgrade) / Seat billing (cannot be reduced until the renewal date)
- Semrush: Pricing ($139 / $117.33, save up to 17%) / Refund policy (7 calendar days, direct card purchase, monthly out of scope) / Billing FAQ (paid in full upfront, annual → monthly difference applied as a discount)
- Shopify: Pricing ($39 / $29) / Terms of Service 5.10 (Shopify does not provide refunds.) / Plan refund policy (request within 30 days, case-by-case review, credited to future invoices) / Plan changes (annual → monthly, contact support) / Pricing and billing overview (annual is paid in full upfront)
All amounts are in US dollars, excluding tax. HubSpot Starter is shown on the pricing page at promotional rates of $20 monthly and $7 annually, and we could not separate out the standard price, so it is not covered here. Squarespace is not part of this survey. Terms change, so check each vendor's own pages before you sign.
初めて契約するサービスは、月払いから始めたほうがよさそうです。例外はShopifyだけです。
5社を調べたところ、年払いは割引を引いても8.92〜10.80か月使って、ようやく月払いと同額になる設計でした。3か月でやめた場合、月払いを選んでいれば払わずに済んだ差額は、Asana 3席で$274、HubSpot 3席で$2,340です。
「年払い」は毎月引き落とされる意味ではありません
年払い（annual / yearly billing）は12か月分をまとめて契約する方式で、「月額$9（年払い）」は毎月$9が引き落とされる意味ではありません。monday.com・Semrush・Shopify・HubSpotは契約時の一括前払いだと公式に明記しています。
席（seat / user）はログインできる人1人分の枠です。席は月払いでも年払いでも期中には減らせません。違うのは、減らせない期間が1か月か12か月かです。monday.comは最低3席・以降5の倍数なので、3人で契約して1人が抜けても2席には落とせず、年払いなら残り最大11か月ぶん3席分を払い続けます。
3か月でやめると、年間割引額の1.93〜6.50倍を捨てます
元が取れる月数 ＝ 12 ×（1 − 割引率）。18%引きなら9.84か月、25.64%引きのShopifyでも8.92か月です。割引率がどれだけ高くても、9か月弱から11か月弱は使わないと月払いを下回りません。
| サービス／条件 | 月払い（月額） | 年払い（契約時に一括で出ていく額） | 公称割引 | 年間の割引額 | 3か月でやめた場合の差額 | 元が取れる月数 | この数字の読み方 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Starter・3席 | $40.47 | $395.64 | 「Save up to 18%」（実額18.53%） | $90.00 | $274.23 | 9.78か月 | 3.05倍。1年使い切って初めて元が取れる |
| monday.com Basic・3席（最低3席） | 公式に記載を確認できませんでした | $324.00 | 「18% discount」 | 算出不能 | 算出不能 | 算出不能 | 5社で唯一、月払い額が公式に取れず比較できない |
| Semrush SEO・1ユーザー | $139.00 | $1,407.96 | 「save up to 17%」は上位プランの数値。SEOプランの実額は15.59% | $260.04 | $990.96 | 10.13か月 | 3.81倍。1ユーザーでこの額なので、席を増やす前に判断する |
| Shopify Basic・1店舗 | $39.00 | $348.00 | 公称の割引表記は確認できず（実額25.64%） | $120.00 | $231.00 | 8.92か月 | 1.93倍。5社で最も年払いのリスクが小さい |
| HubSpot Sales Hub Professional・3席（3席は本記事のモデルケース） | $300.00 | $3,240.00 | 公称の割引表記は確認できず（実額10.00%） | $360.00 | $2,340.00 | 10.80か月 | 6.50倍。5社で最も年払いが重い |
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2026年8月時点・税別・米ドル。計算式：差額 ＝ 年払い一括額 − 月払い月額×3（Asana：$395.64 − $40.47×3 ＝ $274.23）、元が取れる月数 ＝ 年払い一括額 ÷ 月払い月額（Shopify：$348.00 ÷ $39.00 ＝ 8.92）、倍率 ＝ 差額 ÷ 年間の割引額（HubSpot：$2,340.00 ÷ $360.00 ＝ 6.50）。損失は年間割引額の1.93倍（Shopify）から6.50倍（HubSpot）にのぼります。
日本から契約すると、実際に出ていくのは為替換算後の円です。1ドル150円なら、Asana 3席の$395.64は約59,300円、HubSpot 3席の$3,240.00は約486,000円。日本の消費税10%が加算される場合は約65,300円・約534,600円です（加算の有無は各社公式ページで確認できませんでした）。
monday.comは月払いの実額を公式料金ページから取得できませんでした。公式FAQは「年間プランを選ぶと18%の割引を受けられます（原文：By choosing a yearly plan, you will receive an 18% discount.）」としますが、同社のCRM料金ページはBasicを月払い$18／年払い$12として「SAVE 33%」と表示しています。割戻しの係数が公式内で一致しないため、推定額は載せません。
HubSpotの料金ページには「表示価格には、必須の初回Professional Onboarding費用$1,500が含まれていません（原文：Cost shown does not include the required, one-time Professional Onboarding for a fee of $1,500.）」とあります。有償の初期設定支援で、月払いでも必須なので年払いかどうかの判断には効きません。効くのは、他4社にない$1,500の初期費用のほうです。
Asana Starter 3席・支払総額の推移（税別・米ドル）
9.78か月で逆転（395.64 ÷ 40.47 = 9.78）。それ以前にやめると年払いのほうが高くつきます 出典：https://asana.com/pricing（2026年8月確認）
契約条件で差が出るのは、席を減らせない期間です
| サービス | 年払いの請求方法 | 途中解約の返金 | 期中に席を減らせるか | 期中のダウングレード（下位の安いプランへの変更） |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| monday.com | 一括前払いと明記（原文：Payment is made in one upfront installment.） | 初回購入から30日以内のみ日割り返金。既存顧客の更新後は対象外 | 不可（更新時に反映）。ユーザーを無効化しても席数は自動では減りません（原文：monday.com does not automatically reduce your seat count when users are deactivated.） | 不可（更新時のみ） |
| Asana | 前払いを前提にした文言はあるが、一括か分割かの明記は確認できませんでした | 本契約に別段の定めがある場合を除き、支払期日の到来した金額は解約不可・返金不可（原文：Amounts due are payable in the currency set forth in the applicable invoice and are non-cancelable and non-refundable unless otherwise provided in this Agreement.） | 不可。更新30日前までに書面通知（アプリ内通知かメールで可）→更新日に反映 | 不可（席削減と同じ30日前通知が条件） |
| Semrush | 一括前払いと明記（原文：you pay for the entire year upfront. It is not a monthly payment plan spread over 12 months.） | 初回の12か月以上契約の7暦日以内のみ。Semrush.comから直接カード購入した場合に限り、月払いは対象外 | 公式に記載を確認できませんでした | 年→月は期中に可能。新しい月額が未使用の年額残高を上回る場合は差額が自動で割引適用（下回る場合はサポートへ連絡） |
| Shopify | 一括前払いと明記（原文：Annual billing charges the full year upfront） | 規約は「Shopifyは返金を行いません（原文：Shopify does not provide refunds.）」。一方でヘルプは請求書発行日から30日以内の申請を受け付け、個別に審査 | 席単価課金ではないため該当なし | 不可（サイクル末に反映。返金ではなく将来請求への充当） |
| HubSpot | 一括前払いと明記（原文：Annually: you'll be charged once per year.）。注文発効日に全額請求 | 支払義務は解約不可・既払額は返金不可（原文：All payment obligations are non-cancelable and all amounts paid are non-refundable, except as specifically provided for in this Agreement.）。期中の解約と前払費用の返金も不可（原文：Except as specifically provided for in this Agreement, you may not cancel your subscription prior to the end of your Current Term, and we will not provide any refunds of prepaid fees or unused Subscription Fees through the end of your Current Term.） | 不可（原文：Once seats are purchased, the total count can't be reduced until your next renewal date.） | 不可（原文：You are not permitted to downgrade your Subscription Service during your Current Term.）。更新日に新しいOrder Formを結べば可能 |
いずれも2026年8月に各社公式ページで確認。
席を減らせないのは3社共通で、差が出るのは次の更新で減らすために何をいつまでにするかです。Asanaだけは更新30日前までの書面通知が条件で、忘れると同じ席数のまま次の1年が更新されます。無効化（そのユーザーがログインできない状態にすること）と減席は別の操作です。返金の申請窓口があるのは3社だけで、AsanaとHubSpotには窓口自体がありません。
年払いを選ぶべきでない読者像
- 使い始めて1か月未満。定着するかは繁忙期を1回越えて初めて分かります
- 使うのが自分だけ。2人以下ならAsana Personalは2ユーザー、monday.com Freeは2席まで$0で、monday.comの有料は最低3席なので上がる理由がありません
- この1年で席数が変わりうる（採用、委託先の入れ替え、繁閑差）。3社とも期中の席削減は不可で、1人抜けても次の更新日まで3席分を払います
- 契約理由が「無料トライアルが良かったので」。得るのは年間割引額（Asana $90、Shopify $120）、外したときに払うのはその1.93〜6.50倍です
稟議には「月額$90×3席」ではなく「初年度支出$3,240（＋初期費用$1,500）、返金なし」と書いてください。
初年度は月払い、2年目から年払いに切り替えてください
単位は米ドル・税別。年払い一括額は Asana 3席$395.64／monday.com 3席$324.00／Semrush SEO $1,407.96／Shopify Basic $348.00／HubSpot Sales Hub Professional 3席$3,240.00（2026年8月・各社公式）
Shopifyだけは数字の上でも年払いが有利です。割引率25.64%は5社で最大、元が取れるのは8.92か月、損失も1.93倍にとどまります。HubSpotは10.80か月・6.50倍で最も重く、この2社を同じ基準で判断してはいけません。
月払いで10か月使ってから年払いに切り替えても、失うのは10か月分の割引額（Asana 3席なら $2.50×3×10 ＝ $75.00）だけです。迷ったら月払いで契約し、更新日の40日前をカレンダーに入れてください。Asanaは席を減らすにもプランを下げるにも更新30日前までの通知が必要で、当日に気づいてもその年は変えられません。年払いを選んだ場合は、あわせて返金申請の期限（monday.com 30日／Semrush 7日／Shopify 30日）も入れてください。
出典（2026年8月確認）
- monday.com：料金（Basic 年払い$9・Free 2席）／FAQ（18%割引・一括前払い）／CRM料金（月払い$18・年払い$12・SAVE 33%）／プランと料金（最低3席・5の倍数）／返金条件（初回購入から30日）／プラン変更・席数（更新時反映・無効化と減席）
- Asana：料金（$13.49／$10.99・Save up to 18%・Personal 2ユーザー）／Subscriber Terms（返金不可の限定句・更新30日前通知）
- HubSpot：Sales Hub料金（$100／$90・オンボーディング$1,500）／請求FAQ（年払いは年1回請求・注文発効日に全額）／利用規約（返金不可・期中解約不可・期中ダウングレード不可）／席の請求（更新日まで減らせない）
- Semrush：料金（$139／$117.33・save up to 17%）／返金ポリシー（7暦日・直接カード購入・月払い対象外）／請求FAQ（全額前払い・年→月の差額割引）
- Shopify：料金（$39／$29）／利用規約 5.10（Shopify does not provide refunds.）／プラン返金ポリシー（30日以内の申請・個別審査・将来請求への充当）／プラン変更（年→月はサポートへ連絡）／料金と請求の概要（年払いは全額前払い）
金額はすべて米ドル・税別です。HubSpot Starterは料金ページに月払い$20／年払い$7の販促価格が表示されており、通常価格を切り分けられなかったため本記事では扱っていません。Squarespaceは今回の調査対象に含めていません。提供条件は変更されるため、契約前に各公式ページでご確認ください。