Is there a monthly fee for Cricut?

The basic software to operate a Cricut machine is free, but many useful features are available with a paid subscription

Cricut Design Space, the software required to run Cricut Explore, Maker and Joy machines is free to download (here) and operate. Within Design Space, you can create or upload your own images and fonts for free, and you will also find a range of pre-made projects, fonts, and images available for one-time purchase.

Cricut Access is Cricut’s subscription service which provides free or discounted access to a library of projects, images, and fonts through Design Space, plus discounts on machines, tools and materials in the Cricut Store. In addition, some special Design Space features are only available to Access members.

Cricut Access is not necessary but it can be very useful

I have been a paid Access member since I got my first machine, and it makes the entire Cricut experience a lot easier. I just have the regular membership, not Premium. My favorite things:

• I have saved hundreds in discounts on machines, mats, tools, and materials through the Cricut store – I especially like to buy bulk blades
• no time to design? I can make any Cricut ready-to-make project, or edit a copy of a project made by a Cricut Community member – you can even make my shared projects that I created using Cricut images and fonts!
• there are thousands of ready-to-use images in the image library, I don’t have to spend hours designing my own or cleaning up vector images from elsewhere

With your purchase of a new machine, you will get a free trial to Cricut Access. After your trial, you can choose from three plans:

• Monthly: $9.99
• Yearly: $7.99/month (billed at $95.88 per year)
• Premium: $9.99/month (billed at $119.88 per year)

What does an Access membership include?

Free or discounted access to images, fonts, and projects which fall into 2 categories:

• non-licensed. Cricut Access includes unlimited use of 500,000 images, over 7500 projects and more than 700 fonts in this category
• licensed. Cricut offers licensed images and fonts from brands like Disney (Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc.), Warner Bros, Sanrio and Marvel for a 10% discount for all subscribers

Design Space features only available to Access members:

• text and image Warp
• Background Remover tool
• Sticker Maker
• Monogram Maker

Discounts in the Cricut store:

• 10% discount on purchases
• Premium members get 20% off materials + free shipping on all orders over $50
• $10 off + free shipping coupon code 4 times a year for all Access members

In addition, all members get Priority Member Care (and jump to the head of the wait line) when they need help.

If you buy a pre-owned machine from somewhere, don’t despair. You can still get a month of Cricut Access as a free trial. Just sign up through Design Space after a new download of the software. Like Netflix, you’ll get a free month and then get billed $9.99 a month afterwards.