UPDATE: After backlash from the community, Cricut backtracked on its plans to start charging existing users. In the end, Cricut backtracked completely, and announced unlimited design uploads for free forever.
Original Story Follows...
Cricut is well-known in the crafting industry, providing compact cutting machines for creative users, as well as the software to go along with it.
Some huge changes are coming to Cricut, and most users aren't happy about it. Cricut plans on charging a subscription fee for unlimited design uploads on its previously-free software.
Cricut Puts a Price on Printing
Many creatives rely on Cricut's lineup of versatile cutters to help them make and sell stickers, vinyl decals, and engravings. Previously, users could cut out as many designs as they pleased—but now, Cricut wants to put a cap on that.
Cricut outlined a slew of changes coming to the company in a post on the Cricut blog, one of them being a new subscription fee that will affect nearly every user.
Cricut already has subscription plans available, but it was never a requirement to be able to use the machines. Of course, the Standard and Premium tiers each come with additional perks, like a discount when shopping with Cricut, as well as a larger library of premade designs to choose from.
But what Cricut is doing now is making it basically impossible to use the machine without paying a monthly rate.
Anyone who uses a Cricut machine must use the cloud-based Design Space software with it. Design Space lets users import and cut out designs, as well as choose from a large library of preexisting graphics and fonts. Before the design information is sent to the cutter, the designs are optimized and processed in the cloud.
Once Cricut's new plans go into place, users will be forced to pay a monthly or yearly subscription if they want to upload more than 20 designs in a month. A cap of only 20 designs is pretty restrictive for small business owners, as well as avid hobbyists who just love the craft.
To make matters worse, Cricut machines may be small, but they're not inexpensive. Users also have to pay for the materials for the cutouts, which typically consist of vinyl, sticker paper, or wood. A subscription fee on top of all that is overkill.
Currently, the Standard Cricut Access plan sits at $9.99/month or $95.88/year. There's no word on when the 20 upload limit is set to roll out, or if there will be a price adjustment.
Why Is Cricut Making Such Drastic Changes?
Circut didn't really explain why it has decided to implement a printing cap, but we can speculate. The company is set to go public soon, and it's likely that it wants to bolster its stock price.