The Best Gift Subscriptions for Every Type of Person
The right subscription for the right person is the perfect gift—one you’ll appreciate every time they visit the news site you gifted them, or every time a box of delicious food or a cool gadget arrives on their doorstep. Below are the best gift subscriptions for all types of people, from the snobbish movie buff to the avid internet user.
Best overall gift subscription: Bespoke Post’s monthly custom-made boxes.
Bespoke Post is my top pick because it solves the age-old problem of choosing a holiday gift for someone who can’t find anything. Most gift box delivery services target specific niches, but Bespoke Post expands its reach by allowing users to choose exactly what goes in their box each month. One month, they might receive high-quality coffee supplies, the next, outdoor gear. If nothing catches their eye, they can simply skip a month. If you want to give someone a gift they’ll never tire of, a Bespoke Post subscription is for you.
The best gift order for a doomscroller: a digital subscription to The New York Times.
If you’re looking for a gift for someone who constantly scrolls through their news feed, consider a New York Times subscription. Its objective, old-fashioned reporting is an antidote to social media scaremongering, and it’s also home to great recipes and top-notch puzzles. An all-access subscription gives you access to the complete New York Times archive dating back to 1851, the NYT Cooking section, daily crossword puzzles, and an archive of 10,000 puzzles (including Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, and all your other favorite time-killers).
The best gift subscription service for lifelong learners: lessons from top MasterClass teachers.
If someone on your list is constantly trying to exercise their brain, a MasterClass subscription is much cheaper than graduate school. This educational streaming service covers a wide range of subjects, from science to acting and business, and includes extensive lectures from leading experts in each field. They could delve into filmmaking with Martin Scorsese, take music lessons with Timbaland, or learn to cook with Gordon Ramsay. A subscription gives them access to the entire library, so they can learn as much as they want.
The best gift order for a book lover: audiobooks from Libro.fm.
Libro.fm allows users to listen to audiobooks while supporting their local independent bookstore, rather than supporting a huge corporation whose name we won’t mention. Libro’s content is free from the digital rights management system of its main competitor, so users can listen to their books the way they like, rather than being tied to a proprietary player. Libro’s staunch stance against artificial intelligence in audio ensures you’re not paying for robotic narrators, and users can choose which independent bookstore to support thanks to Libro’s revenue-sharing model.
The best craft gift set: Adults & Crafts monthly craft sets.
If you’re buying a gift for someone who loves making things with their own hands, the “Adults and Crafts” kit will keep them busy for a month, offering them a hobby. Each kit includes tools, materials, and instructions for creating a unique handmade item—from dried flowers to a resin fruit tray or enamel glass painting . The recipient will not only receive a unique item but also a mini-lesson in crafting techniques.
The best gift subscription for takeout addicts: restaurant-quality ready-to-eat meals from CookUnity.
If someone you know is drowning in debt from DoorDash and Uber Eats, consider gifting them a CookUnity subscription. It’s not one of those services that delivers ingredients and instructions; CookUnity offers restaurant-quality meals prepared by star chefs like Esther Choi and Marcus Samuelsson for about $11 each, and the only thing you need to do is reheat them in the microwave.
The best gift subscription for a movie buff: little-known entertainment from Eternal Family.
If you’re buying a gift for a film buff who finds the Criterion Channel too mainstream, consider a subscription to Eternal Family , a streaming service that bills itself as a “hidden gem store.” They’re not talking about well-known “hidden gems” like The Prestige or the like. They’re talking about complete, unedited content, like Heino Parsa’s stunningly beautiful 1983 stop-motion animated film Valley of the Honeyweavers ( much better than Bee Movie) or the 1976 sci-fi film In the Dust of Stars , filmed behind the Iron Curtain in Romania. Each option is a unique, unusual treat that you likely won’t be able to see anywhere else.