Cricut wants to start charging a subscription

Cricut dropped a major change into a feature update announcement last Friday: Any Cricut device owner who does not subscribe to the Cricut Access cloud platform will be limited to no more than 20 uploads/imports per month to Design Space. (Designs made using elements Cricut sells through Design Space do not count against the limit.) The change applies not only to new users but also to existing owners.

Source: Cricut backs off plan to add subscription fee to millions of devices [Updated] | Ars Technica

Since the announcement, a number of people have gotten a little upset. Cricut is now giving anyone who creates an account and pairs it with a machine before December 31, 2021 will be able to upload an unlimited number of designs. Somehow I doubt the unlimited feature will extend to replacement devices, so eventually, you’ll be paying them at least $95.88 a year.

If you were looking at getting a Cricut but don’t fancy subscriptions, there are other options. The comments on the article mention the Silhouette. The Silhouette Cameo 4 looks pretty nice, especially the built in roller feeder. Your designs can be 12 inches by 10 feet. It also doesn’t require an internet connection to use.

I’m not going to disparage subscriptions, especially since the Cricut could be worth it for the templates and fonts alone, but it’s always good to know what you’re getting yourself in to.