Monitor price drops for digital products

Monitoring price drops for digital products can be crucial for saving money on software, subscriptions, games, and other digital content. Here’s how you can effectively keep an eye on price changes for these types of products:

1. Set Up Alerts with Price Tracking Tools

There are several price tracking tools that allow you to monitor price drops on digital products:

• Honey: A browser extension that automatically searches for coupon codes at checkout, but it also features a price tracker for various products, including digital goods like software and games.

• Keepa: Primarily for Amazon, Keepa tracks the historical price changes of products and can send alerts when the price drops below a specified threshold.

• CamelCamelCamel: Like Keepa, this tracks price changes on Amazon, and you can set price alerts for digital goods that are sold on the platform.

• Slickdeals: A community-driven website that lets you set deal alerts for specific products. Many digital goods, such as software and games, are posted on the site as soon as they drop in price.

2. Follow Official Newsletters and Social Media Accounts

Many digital product providers have official channels where they announce discounts and sales events:

• Newsletters: Sign up for email newsletters from the companies or platforms that offer digital products. For example, Microsoft, Adobe, and Steam frequently send out newsletters with discounts.

• Twitter: Follow the official accounts of your favorite digital product providers or deal aggregators that post information about price drops in real-time.

• Reddit: Subreddits like r/GameDeals, r/SoftwareDeals, and r/Deals often feature discussions and posts about discounts on digital products. You can subscribe to these subreddits and set notifications for new posts.

3. Use Discount Websites

Several websites specialize in providing real-time information about digital product deals:

• IsThereAnyDeal: A site that tracks game bundles and discounts across multiple platforms, including Steam, Humble Bundle, and more. You can track price drops on games and even set alerts for specific titles.

• CheapShark: This website compares prices on digital games from different retailers and allows you to track discounts.

4. Price Trackers for Subscription-Based Services

Subscription services like streaming platforms (Netflix, Spotify), cloud storage, or software suites may also have price fluctuations. Here’s how you can monitor them:

• MySubscriptions: This app allows you to track subscription prices and manage renewals. It’s helpful for keeping an eye on when certain subscriptions go on sale or offer discounts.

• TrackMySubs: Similar to MySubscriptions, this service lets you keep track of all your subscriptions, making it easier to spot when a service offers special deals or discounts.

5. Use Browser Extensions

In addition to tools like Honey, there are other browser extensions specifically designed to monitor price drops for digital products:

• Price Blink: This extension automatically compares prices from different retailers and lets you know if a product you’re looking at has dropped in price.

• The Camelizer: This extension from CamelCamelCamel tracks price drops on Amazon and can alert you when the digital product you’re looking at has a significant price reduction.

6. Check Deal Forums and Aggregators

Websites and forums where deals are shared by other users are often the quickest to spot price drops:

• Dealnews: Lists digital and physical product deals across multiple categories. You can filter for digital products and use their alert system to get notified when prices drop.

• Groupon: While traditionally for physical goods, Groupon also offers significant discounts on digital products such as e-learning courses, software subscriptions, and game downloads.

7. Monitor Popular Platforms

If you’re looking for digital products from specific platforms, such as Steam, Microsoft Store, or Adobe, it’s a good idea to regularly check for their promotions or sales events:

• Steam Sales: Steam runs regular sales events (e.g., Summer Sale, Winter Sale), where thousands of digital games are discounted. You can create a wish list on Steam to get notified when a product drops in price.

• Adobe: Adobe offers discounts during certain times of the year. Following their official social media or newsletter will help you keep track of major sales events.

8. Set Price Drop Alerts on App Stores

For mobile apps and digital goods related to apps, you can use the following techniques:

• AppSales (Android): This app tracks price drops on paid apps on the Google Play Store. It lets you filter the apps by categories and set alerts for specific products.

• Track My App (iOS): Similar to AppSales, this app allows you to monitor price changes for iOS apps and receive notifications when a price drops.

9. Leverage Cashback and Deal Websites

Many digital products can be found at a lower price if you use cashback websites or apps. Examples include:

• Rakuten (formerly Ebates): Offers cashback for purchases made through certain online retailers, including those selling digital products.

• TopCashback: Similar to Rakuten, this site provides cashback for purchases made through its affiliated digital product retailers.

10. Third-Party Marketplaces

Platforms like Humble Bundle and Fanatical regularly feature bundles that include digital products such as games, software, and eBooks. They often offer time-sensitive discounts and bundles:

• Humble Bundle: Besides offering bundles, they often run promotions where you can buy individual products at discounted prices.

• Fanatical: A site that offers game bundles and discounts on digital game keys, often including deep discounts and flash sales.

By combining multiple methods—using price trackers, setting up alerts, and following deal communities—you can stay updated on price drops for your favorite digital products without needing to manually check each day.