I've borrowed a bit from Shakespeare's Hamlet for the title from the famous soliloquy “to be or not to be“. But that is indeed the question I've received from many, many readers regarding the new Craftsy Unlimited subscription product.
Craftsy is by far the favorite video tutorial site for the majority of our readers. In past articles, we've compared Craftsy to other providers like Creativebug and the consensus amongst our readers was always a strong preference for Craftsy. The videos are extremely high quality and readers really liked the buy-it-once, own-it-forever model that Craftsy has stuck with longer than most of its competitors.
A few weeks ago, however, Craftsy launched a new, all-you-can-eat or I guess better said, all-you-can-view, subscription package where for one monthly price, you can get unlimited access to their entire video tutorial catalog. This includes not only sewing and quilting but also all the other topics like knitting, crochet, painting, cooking, baking, etc.
Love them or hate them, subscriptions are here to stay. Whether it's traditional products like mobile phones and cable TV or recently revived services like diaper delivery. Subscriptions are only going to become more and more common.
Still, I struggled to provide readers with a specific and definitive recommendation on this important question. There are arguments for both why you may want to subscribe as well as why you may not want to subscribe. Here's my thinking:
Why Not To Subscribe To Craftsy Unlimited
You may have already purchased the key classes you’re interested in and according to Craftsy's policy, you’ll be able to keep and use them forever. You can still purchase new, individual classes specifically on the topics you like.
And perhaps you’re not interested in learning other creative skills and only have time for what you've bought already. Afterall, you don’t have all the time in the world to spend on hobbies.
If you do actually subscribe, you won’t really own any of the individual videos that you don't own already, so when you stop subscribing, you’ll lose access to everything. You can of course still buy those later to keep access to your favorites forever. Some subscriptions like Creativebug mentioned above let you keep one class forever for each month you maintain your subscription, but not Craftsy Unlimited, unfortunately.
Why Subscribe To Craftsy Unlimited
Subscribing to Craftsy Unlimited will give you 24/7 unlimited access to thousands of hours of high-quality video tutorials in crafting categories including sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, baking, cooking and more. The Craftsy Unlimited library includes over 1,300 video tutorials, which is quite a lot.
You'll have the chance to explore all kinds of new crafting subjects like jewelry making or photography in addition to all those listed above. You may find that some of these creative topics really click with you and you'll discover something new about your creative side. Without a subscription, you're unlikely to pay the $20-60+ to explore these new topics, are you?
Craftsy charges $14.99/month or only $120/year for this subscription. If you bought only two or three of the more expensive classes per year, like Startup Library: Sewing which retails for $69.99 or Full Bust Adjustment for any Pattern which sells for $40.00, you’d easily pay for the annual subscription. And you have access to hundreds of more videos to boot.
Conclusion, at Least Try the FREE Trial
On balance, I think it’s definitely worth considering Craftsy Unlimited, especially because you can start with a 7 Day FREE trial. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends and you can even cancel within 24 hours of the first time they charge you and they’ll give you a free refund.
If you go with the month-to-month subscription option, you can cancel at any time in the future and pay only the current month. At $14.99, if you only view one class per month, it is still cheaper than buying any one class outright.
If you want to give it a try, please follow the link below to start your FREE trial.
So what do you think? Is it worth giving Craftsy Unlimited a try? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
I have been a member of Craftsy almost since day one! I own a lot of the Craftsy classes and with the exchange rate I’m In Canada and a senior fixed income I can’t justify that amount every month. If for me it was $10.00 Canadian, I would think more seriously about it.
Thanks for your pros and cons and all the opinions expressed here.
Great that there is now two different ways to take in Craftsy classes.
It really is a great platform for learning and my life has been enriched by the instructors and material they present.
Thank you for the information. I really enjoy Craftsy and I own about 70 classes. It sounds tempting but I’m still going through the ones I have. Perhaps later on I will try their unlimited version.
I still have a question.
Would you have access to the printable materials and other resources?
In December Craftsy had 24 hours to view any video for free, but you couldn’t access the class materials.
Thanks for writing this. It definitely answered some questions, like, what happens to the classes you watch after you stop subscribing.
That’s an excellent question. This is different than the 24-hour free trial. All the printed materials are accessible with Unlimited, but you would have to purchase any of the kits separately.
I will not subscribe, I do have some classes saved and find I do not go to Craftsy unless as a last resort. I don’t like having to worry about deducting subscriptions from my accounts. I did have a bad experience and don’t want to have another.
I subscribed as soon as I found out it was available. And I have been extremely happy with it. I feel like it is a small price to pay to be able to access basically any class I need on demand without having to pay full price. One small monthly charge is much easier to budget for than $60 on a whim. Since I am working on building my business up as a seamstress, I do have times when a class is essential but I don’t have the cash in my account.
I have been a member for I think 3 months now and have watched three classes all the way through.
No, I’m sorry. I would love to subscribe, but I am on a very small fixed income and can not afford any PAID subscription. I only have internet service at all due to the fact that I have a school-age granddaughter living with me and she needs it for school because all their work is online now. For that, I had to sign up for the special needs program ran through my provider. Will there still be some free stuff on your site? Will the newsletter be effected? I wish I could, but, sorry, no.
I went back and forth about subscribing, but I always have enjoyed the unlimited Craftsy weekends so much (talk about binge watching!), so I went ahead and subscribed. I truly have enjoyed being able to browse the catalog, watch any class that interests me at the moment and preview the classes I might want to own forever before purchase. A magazine can cost $14.99 these days, so I don’t think the cost of subscription is outrageous (and trust me, I’m a cheapskate…LOL) For me it is a good value.
I tried the Craftsy unlimited to see what classes were there. Yes there were some good classes but with my schedule I just did not have time to look at the classes. So I felt like I was spending money on something that I would never use. One thing I wanted to make sure of, was the classes that they offered under the unlimited were also free classes or one that you could purchase. I found out from research that they were classes that you could purchase to keep to look at later. It is okay but not for me.
I really like Crafsy Unlimited. I went for the annual subscription. They got me when they had their free preview in November and I found so many gardening, cooking, and photography courses I had never considered. I have been home from several years recovering from surgeries, so this is a fun way to pass the time and learn from home for me, and $120 is a steal to learn so many skills! At the end of the year I will either have watched all the classes I wanted and buy the precious ones or go again I guess.
If they charged $10 a month and let you own one every two months, then I would subscribe. I also like to download for use when I don’t have internet access. Also, now that internet is deregulated, I don’t want to be disappointed by my provider for slow streaming speeds. Could you imagine paying for a subscription that stalls a lot? Frustration!
I had heard about the new Craftsy subscription and even though I had not given it much thought, I really enjoyed your article. You covered everything fairly and in a really informative manner. I do love Craftsy, but I also consider your site a go-to site. Thanks for the information.
I have bought a lot of Craftsy classes and when I find one I don’t like, the Craftsy folks have been awesome. I bought the yearly subscription because some of the classes I have bought I watched once and then never used it again. I do a lot of different types of crafts, so the subscription will actually save me money!
Does unlimited give you access to every class Craftsy offers? I thought I read an instructor saying she opted out of having her class available on unlimited but now I can’t find it. Thanks.
The only ones I’m aware that are not included are the Great Courses, which are very large and normally quite expensive courses. I wasn’t aware that individual instructors could opt out. I wonder if anyone else can confirm that?
Thank you for adding clarity to the choices. I own quite a few classes across categories and did enjoy the few unlimited days offered last year to stroll free through the classes. I did burn out quickly though. Although tempting, I am a “binger” and can go many months without a class urge – then want to see everything. I have limited discretionary income and I feel I will end up paying for many months in which I will not utilize it. I am not sure this service at this price point is right for me now.
That’s my reason for being hesitant.
Subscribe for a month and then cancel. I’m not 100% sure, but with most subscription sites once you’ve paid for the month, even if you cancel, you keep access for the whole month.
I’ve subscribed to the classes and have been very happy with them. The subscription allows me, a new sewer, to go to any class when I’m confused and see how to fix a problem. An example would be that I’m now taking the Beginning serging class and was having trouble with the zipper on the bag….they had a class for that! I just hopped over to that class and the problem was solved. I love the subscription option!
I have spent a fortune on Craftsy classes over the last few years. So when I saw it, initially I was really annoyed!
Then I thought about it, and realised I had bought a few classes just recently that were in their get your money back stage – and they were ones I didn’t particularly enjoy. So for the first time ever with Craftsy – I had them refunded – which went much more smoothly than I’d realised! That paid for my first year’s subscription.
And yes, I’m finding a lot of classes I love, and also that I don’t love, that I might have wasted my money on. So to me it’s a saving. And at the end of the year, I’ll either continue, or just buy the ones I really like. But then they do bring new ones out, and there are extra videos you don’t get with the normal Craftsy. I’m looking at all the new ones as they release them…
The only other point, is on the unlimited, you can’t get to see other’s projects – but if you keep 2 Craftsy links open/bookmarked – one for your bought classes, and one for your continuing subscription – you can still see all the projects of any class, as well as any new classes as they come out.
So for anyone that buys too many courses with them – it’s a good deal – just don’t buy any more! lol!
Craftsy have given me brilliant classes and inspirational videos of my choosing. If I were younger I might appreciate the ‘unlimited’ offer, but as it is and in my 70s, I barely have time in the day to utilise all the classes I have bought! I agree it is useful to see before you buy, but the Craftsy refund policy is always there if you find a class is not for you.
I love it. Even if it let my subscription go. The classes I have taken have downloadable resources that are mine forever. Yesterday I watched a class that had a whole book that you could download. I’ve been off and able to watch quite a few. If I bought those classes I would have already spent hundreds of dollars.
If I only had that much time or money! I have purchased classes from Craftsy and one I unfortunately haven’t used yet! The classes are excellent. I have also used many of the free classes. I do not think I will do the monthly subscription. I like owning the classes I have.
I gave the trial subscription a go. Since I have quite a large library of Craftsy classes already, I decided not to subscribe to Craftsy Unlimited. In addition we travel a great deal and many times do not have access to the Internet or time to work on projects. I might consider subscribing if we are home for months without major trips and if I can subscribe and unsubscribe at will.
Please clarify something for me. I am confused about the “lose access to everything”. When you say: “If you do actually subscribe, you won’t really own any of the individual videos that you don’t own already, so when you stop subscribing, you’ll lose access to everything. ”
To me everything means everything — specifically the classes we previously bought with lifetime access. Do those mystically go away because we tried Unlimited and some switch was flipped to put us now in subscription mode? I don’t think this is what you mean, but I am a literal reader and everything means everything to me.
Hi Brenda, sorry for any confusion with that. I meant that you would lose access to what you received with the Unlimited subscription. My expectation is that you will still have access to any course that you have previously bought outright or that you buy in the future. I can’t imagine that they suddenly clean out your library. That’s certainly not what it says in their product description. Hope that helps.
I have already subscribed and have chosen the yearly fee because that breaks down to $10 a month with the added bonus of no monthly charge. These days $120 is a quick run to the grocery store or a night out with dinner and a movie. The option of checking out other crafts is attractive and the in depth material for my personal interest, $10 is a no brainer.
I toyed with subscribing for a while. I’m retired now and have downloaded several classes that I seemed interested in, especially when they run sales, but alas, haven’t got to a lot of them yet. I have varied interests from sewing, quilting, embroidery, painting, drawing and cooking. I decided for the money I was putting out on classes, I would try the monthly subscription for a while. I will still have the classes I purchased but at least I won’t pay out more than $15 a month for additional classes. Oh, I’ve loved most of the classes I’ve downloaded from Craftsy and have return to several for tackling a new skill. I’m definitely hooked!
Unlimited & ongoing access to a broad variety of classes is a far more financially viable & enticing offer, from my POV than pseudo-ownership of a single class of unknown quality (prior to purchase), which costs a big chunk of my sadly limited budget. On the downside though, it is a little worrying that those who have bought classes in the past, to ‘keep forever’ & who then become subscribers (if I am reading what you say correctly), stand to lose their ‘forever’ access to those lessons if they change their minds about continuing to subscribe. I hope that’s not the case.
Are all the classes available on subscription?
I believe all but the Great Courses are available.
No I won’t subscribe. A few subscription services could wind up being too costly for my fixed income. I have yet to buy a class that really taught me anything I couldn’t find for free.
I have bought classes and have the subscription. I enjoy the access to all the different classes at my fingertips especially in other subjects I’m unfamiliar with but would want to explore. I may cancel my subscription from time to time if my job workload is too demanding for any particular month so that I don’t waste money.
I am disappointed with the new Craftsy Unlimited. I own 175 classes and feel penalized that I bought these classes and now Craftsy wants me to pay again every month. I have been a faithful Craftsy customer but they have not reciprocated the same faithfulness.
Hi Bev, I don’t think you will be affected at all. My understanding is that you can keep all these classes forever. I doesn’t sound like the Unlimited plan would be very good for you since you own most of them already.
I love crafty and with wanting to learn more on sewing I will invest in it and buy the videos especially for pattern making.
Thanks for the pros and cons of taking a Craftsy subscription. Will be trying the seven day trial as you suggested.
It’s not available in my country, so it’s moot.
When comparing costs, keep in mind that Craftsy almost always has a sale going so that $40 class can be had for $19.99 and sometimes below if you wait for the sale price. I have never in recent years paid more than $19.99 for a class. And if you don’t see a sale, check out the website of the instructor. Often she has the 50 percent off offering posted on her site.
I believe the annual subscription is the best deal at only $10/month. Definitely worth it if you are interested in a lot of classes but don’t want to commit to buying them.
I own over 30 Craftsy classes, almost all purchased on sale. I haven’t even watched all of every part of them, but they’re there for me, anytime, all the time, to refer to. One or two are no longer promoted, but I still have access to them. I don’t have to belong or pay monthly fees when I’m unable to use classes, but. even so, when I want, my classes are waiting for me. If I were just starting out in crafts, I think a subscription might be the way to go, but I’m experienced and specialized, so am happy owning my classes.
When I signed up for the Craftsy Unlimited I was thinking I was going to pay $14.99 per month but have been being charged $15.89 per month. Has anyone else had this happen? I am going to contact Craftsy and see if I can get an answer. P.S. call me crazy but I own 200 Craftsy Classes. How I wish they had the Unlimited years ago. Although most of my classes I purchased 3 and 4 at a time when they had $14.99 sales.
I own quite a few Craftsy classes and did subscribe to Craftsy Unlimited. So far I learned how to knit using the magic loop method and am wearing the wrist warmers I made from the class. Ya hoo! What will I learn next?
I have read most of what you said and I am a subscriber to the old craftsy. I have purchased many different how to videos. I am wondering if I cancel my script if I will loose my videos?
Hi Charleen, no, my understanding is that once you’ve bought a course outright, you will have access to that course forever. Presumably you could subscribe and cancel and it shouldn’t have any impact on the courses you already own.
Thank you for the information and break down of the subscription service. I’m thinking it is a wonderful opportunity to view a video before purchasing. I have purchased a few classes only to be disappointed in them. By subscribing to the monthly I could purchase only the videos I know I will like and use.
Kathy, I own a LOT of Craftsy classes (love this platform). Like you, there have been a few that I really did not like, learn from, or just plain could not tolerate the instructors style. Craftsy has been very good to refund my purchase price on those classes when I have contacted them. Just a thought to keep in mind for future purchases. I also offer my input to Craftsy fro time to time on things I feel would help us make informed choices about classes. One of those is to stop using the “canned” voice for the previews and have the actual instructor do them. This gives me FAR more insight into wether I am going to be able to follow that instructor.
I Love Craftsy!!! I own classes and now I belong to the monthly subscription!! I’m not about to miss any oppurtunity of Craftsy classes, no way no how!! It’s an opportunity I’m not willing to loose!