If there's one thing we all have in common here at MSA—besides a love for subscription boxes, that is—it's supporting local businesses. Not only do we fill our homes with the handiwork that the artists and artisans around us create, but many of us are also makers ourselves. We've rounded up a list of the best subscription box companies for shopping small. Some are lovingly curated boxes filled with everyday items from a variety of small business owners, some are brand new boxes with independent owners, and some are familiar subscriptions you may not have realized are small businesses—but all are filled with unique products in a variety of categories. With many local shops functioning with limited hours and at lower capacity, these subscription box businesses turn shopping small into an e-commerce experience that's safe and happy for everyone.
Our Gift Guide for Shopping Small
1. GlobeIn Artisan Box
Cost: $40 per month. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: If you really want to support artisans from around the world, GlobeIn is a curated box filled with goodies you’ll love. While this box has all the perks of a subscription, including tailoring your picks, it’s the impact and mission that make it really special for me.
Good to know: In 2020, according to GlobeIn's impact report, they sourced products from over 6,551 artisans, they recycled over 302,980 pounds of glass to use some of their popular glassware items, and through their different funds, helped thousands of artisans build a stable home for their families, expand their homes, pay tuition for children’s education, and so much more.
Ships to the US and Canada.
2. Fair Trade Friday
Cost: $32.99 per month. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: The Fair Trade Friday original box includes 2-4 fair trade items that help provide for and support women worldwide. The company’s idea is to provide dignified job opportunities to women, and 100% of proceeds go toward the artisans. You can expect goodies like jewelry, handbags, beauty items, candles, essential oils, linen sprays, and other toiletries.
Good to Know: Besides their original box, Fair Trade Friday also has their Earring of the Month subscription box and Bracelet of the Month box for those looking for specific subscriptions.
Ships worldwide.
3. NoCoBox
Cost: $49 every 3 months. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: This seasonal subscription box includes 4-6 artisan-crafted goods that support small businesses in Northern Colorado. Each seasonal box is a curated selection of products from small companies that can go from coffee mugs and pottery to candles and coffee, or even pasta and decorative items. More than the products themselves, NoCoBox is all about helping small businesses get discovered.
Good to Know: Sometimes, NoCo Box offers free local pickup in Fort Collins. They also have an $8 flat shipping rate per box.
Ships to the US.
4. Sitti
Cost: $143 quarterly. Subscribe here!
ACTIVE DEAL: GET $20 your first box!
CODE: MSA20
What’s Inside: Each box includes a curated selection of ethically-driven wellness brands. Products include anything from teas and snacks to beauty products and female toiletries. Each quarter you receive a box of surprise goodies with a beautiful cause to support.
Good to Know: Sitti has two boxes you can subscribe to, their women-owned box that supports women artisans worldwide, and their refugee-led box that supports refugees starting over in new countries.
Ships worldwide.
5. Sparkle Hustle Grow
Image via Sparkle Hustle Grow.
Cost: $67 per month. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: Curated with female entrepreneurs in mind, this box sends you 4-5 items every month. You can expect to receive products like stationery, office supplies, and office gadgets. In addition, the box also gives you access to masterclasses, an online community of entrepreneurs, and more.
Good to Know: Not only is this a subscription box with an educational component, but it’s open to new businesses to submit their products, become a partner, and reach a broad audience of female entrepreneurs.
Ships the US and Puerto Rico.
6. Each Peach Market
Image via Each Peach Market.
Cost: $200 for 3 months. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: They have two subscription boxes. Their “I Love Cheese” monthly subscription sends you 2-3 cheeses paired with condiments and nibbles to create your at-home charcuterie board. Each cheese comes with its recipe card and pairing suggestions to give you more tips on trying their cheese. They also have an “I Love Chocolate” box that sends you 2-3 bars of artisanal chocolate and a few surprises each month.
Good to Know: Each Peach Market is based in Washington DC, and they focus on sharing fresh, high-quality, local products with everyone.
Ships to the US.
7. Mom Things
Image via Mom Things
Cost: $39.99 bi-monthly. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: Mom Things is a subscription box made by moms for moms. Each box comes with items that help moms feel pampered and pretty. Each item is meant to serve as a tool to enhance mom’s life and feel excited about receiving a gift to their doorstep every month. This box is all about celebrating mom from self-care items, beauty picks, and everyday lifestyle items. For example, their latest box included a room spray, a scarf, a headband, stud earrings, and a cute dishwasher sign.
Ships to the US.
8. Makerfolk
Image via Makerfolk
Cost: $40 per month. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: Every month, you’ll get a collection of products that include one of the team’s favorite books of the season, a custom product designed to complement the box, a scented soy wax candle, and a custom gift from their favorite makers.
Good to Know: This subscription box was founded by two friends who wanted to highlight their community. Their box supports local businesses and provides an excellent place for artisans to highlight their handmade goods. Their goal is to help place Fort Collins in the minds of everyone.
Ships to the US.
9. Native Coffee Club
Image via Native Coffee Club
Cost: $15.99 per month. Subscribe here!
What’s Inside: The Colorado Coffee Clubs’ subscription by Native Coffee Club comes with its fair share of options. You can choose from their blends clubs, decaf club, and they even have an espresso club – all featuring coffee from Northern Colorado. Each month, you’ll get a 12oz bag of their specialty coffee, one free drink card to the roaster’s coffee shop, and merchandise from the roaster’s store. Talk about a way to support your local roasters!
Ships to the US.
10. Women's Collective Box
Image via Women's Collective Box Cratejoy.
Cost: $54.95 per quarter + shipping. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Women's Collective was founded in March 2020 by Rashelle Whiteharris and has started strong with a curation of beautiful items sourced from small businesses all owned by women. Each product is intentionally picked and sustainable—with the goal of being both practical and pretty. Committed to connecting subscribers to women making a name for themselves, this Grand Rapids, Michigan-based subscription box service is a great way to discover new independent brands and individual makers. What's more, 5% of all Women's Collective proceeds go toward empowering up-and-coming female entrepreneurs as they put their ideas into action.
Ships to the US. Cost calculated at checkout.
11. PostBox by Postmark’d Studio
Image from our review.
Cost: $25 per month + shipping. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Get free shipping on your first box (MSAFS) or save $10 off your first box with a 3-month subscription (MSA404ME)
CODE: MSAFS or MSA404ME
What's Inside: Postmark'd Studio founder, Anne Breck, is "on a mission to revive letter-writing as an avenue for meaningful human connection." A thread throughout her life has been taking the time to send a thank you, a day-brightening note, or other gesture through the mail. And, in her stationery subscription, she sets you up to do the same! Each monthly box comes from Oregon, containing greeting cards, postcards, postage, and a cute office supply such as a pen, pencil, or knick-knack gadget based on a theme.
Ships to the US ($5), Canada ($11), and 41 international countries ($17). Read our PostBox reviews for more info!
12. Trade Coffee
Image from our review.
Cost: Starts at $15 per week. Get “The Classics” for $25/shipment (two 12 oz bags per shipment, $12.50 per bag) or “The Hookup” for more adventurous varieties priced at $15-$22 for one 12 oz bag per shipment. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Trade is the ultimate coffee subscription for supporting independent roasters! Every single roaster on their roster is a small business, they pay their coffee growers quality wages, they are committed to sustainability, and they roast your beans to order. New customers start with a simple coffee quiz and Trade will suggest both a subscription plan for you and a coffee they think you'll love. Rate the coffee you receive to help Trade find the perfect brew for you, or handpick your own selection from available varieties each week.
Ships to the US for free. Read our Trade Coffee reviews for more info!
13. Beachly
Image from our review.
Cost: $99 per quarter + shipping. Save with an annual subscription. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Co-founded by Mark Tighe and professional surfer Mark Healey, Beachly started out with a men's focus, and has undergone a couple of name changes before becoming what it is today. We regularly review the women's subscription and are in love with the way its spread of seasonally appropriate apparel, accessories, and personal items keeps the proverbial salt in our hair all year-'round, but there is still a quarterly men's box that's just as chill. Each box features items from familiar brands, subscribers have access to a Member Market, and each Beachly box ordered helps to fund beach clean-ups in Southern California with their partner, Heal the Bay.
Ships to the US for $4.95 (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada for $11.95. Read our Beachly reviews for more info!
14. Box of Happies
Image from our review.
Cost: $29.99 per month. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Get a bonus handmade necklace in your first box!
CODE: HAPPIES
What's Inside: If you're a regular at crafts markets, arts festivals, or on Etsy, you'll love exploring the handcrafted goodies that come in each Box of Happies! You can expect 3-5 handmade items focused on the jewelry and accessory categories, but also including candles, soaps, home decor, bath & body, and more—all from indie designers, of course.
Ships to the US for free. Read our Box of Happies reviews for more info!
15. Mantry
Image via Mantry.
Cost: $75 every other month. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code CRATE10 to get 10% off your first box
CODE: CRATE10
What's Inside: Mantry began as a startup in 2012 and evolved into the successful subscription we know and love today! Owned by two guys with a knack for finding what's delicious—and the understanding that life is better when those tasty things can make their way straight to you—Mantry is a bi-monthly round-up of artisan foods to add to your pantry. (Or eat right away.) Inside each wooden crate comes 6 full-size, high-quality food items from craft makers around America. The crates are curated around a theme—past boxes have included Biergarten (think grainy mustard, pretzels, and other beer-friendly goods), Taco (with items like hot sauce, seasoning, chorizo snack jerky, and more), and Grilling (stuff like bourbon barbeque sauce, smoked caramels, and ingredients that can be used for BBQ Bloody Marys).
Ships to the US. Read our Mantry reviews for more info!
16. Boxwalla
Image from our review.
Cost: $49.95 every other month for the Beauty and Film Boxes. $29.95 every other month for the Book Box. Sign up here!
What's Inside: The team who started Boxwalla describes themselves as "a boy, a girl, and an imaginary cat, Patrick." They honor the slow living movement, all while nerding out over beauty products, art, literature, and films. What's in their bi-monthly boxes? Well, first of all, the box itself is a beautiful handmade work of art that you'll want to save to use for the long haul, but the contents are carefully chosen items that the Boxwalla editors feel must be experienced. We tend to agree!
Ships to the US for free, Canada for $11.95, Internationally for $18.95. Read our reviews of Boxwalla Beauty, Boxwalla Film, and Boxwalla Book for more info!
17. Vellabox
Image from our review of the Ignis tier.
Cost: The Lucerna Vellabox is $10 per month + $3 shipping, the Ignis Vellabox is $20 per month + $3 shipping, and the Vivere Vellabox is $30 per month + FREE shipping. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Vellabox is the subscription box version of visiting the best-smelling boutiques around the country! The hand-poured candles they include are all small-batch and toxin-free and sourced from small businesses across America. Choose what size candle you'd like to receive from three subscription options, and get ready to fill your home with fantastic aromas, courtesy of makers who you may not otherwise have had the opportunity to purchase from.
Ships to the US. Read our Vellabox reviews for more info!
18. Explore Local Box
Image from our review.
Cost: $39.99 per month + free shipping. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: MSA10
What's Inside: A different US city is highlighted every month by the Explore Local Box, featuring locally made items such as snacks, teas, and seasonings, personal care products, candles, and more. As you unbox your local goodies, you'll learn all about that area and the small businesses that made each item with love. This is an especially great gift idea for someone who is missing travel right now!
Ships to the US for free. Read our Explore Local Box reviews for more info!
19. Craft Beer Club
Image from our review.
Cost: $44.75 per month for 12 bottles + free shipping to the contiguous US. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Receive 3 bonus gifts with your first shipment! No coupon needed - just use this link.
What's Inside: Craft beer is a hyper-local movement by nature, so supporting independent breweries—or 4 at the same time with this monthly subscription box—is a great way to shop small. The Craft Beer Club 3 or 6 (depending on your subscription tier) bottles of 4 different styles of beer, each sourced from small-production, indie brewers. They all use exclusively traditional brewing ingredients and methods, and yet the result is a broad spectrum of flavors that beer-drinkers with the palate for it will love.
Ships to the contiguous US for free. Read our Craft Beer Club reviews for more info!
20. FlourishBox by Thread & Flourish
Image from our review.
Cost: $44.95 every other month + free shipping. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: MYSUB15
What's Inside: This socially conscious subscription sends a small bi-monthly box filled with your fix of fair-trade items that were ethically made. Each box contains a new, beautiful scarf made from a natural fiber like silk or wool, and is rounded out with other small collectibles or consumables that have been handmade and sourced from a small business or craftsperson located somewhere in this beautiful world!
Ships to the US for free. Read our FlourishBox by Thread & Flourish reviews for more info!
21. Cater to Mom
Image via Cater to Mom Cratejoy.
Cost: $43.99 per month. Save with longer subscriptions. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: 20% Off
CODE: MSA20OFF
What's Inside: Cater to Mom is a Black-owned subscription box that sends new moms 6-8 full-sized postpartum care essentials to support them through the early days of motherhood. Founder Marsha Stephanson got her business idea through her own personal experience of feeling like the hospital sent her home with everything her baby would need, but not much for her own healing and wellness. We're sure other mothers can relate! Through Cater to Mom, she provides mamas with organic, vegan, and cruelty-free products that will help guide them through the transition with information, nourishment, self-care, and support.
Ships worldwide.
22. Hopebroidery
Image via Hopebroidery Cratejoy.
Cost: $45 per month for the regular box, $12 per month for the digital subscription. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Maybe you're already into hand embroidery, or maybe you're about to be! The Hopebroidery subscription is a one-woman show, and fittingly, that woman's name is Hope. She sends subscribers a monthly box filled with everything they need to complete one small hand-stitched project, paired with a video tutorial teaching a new type of stitch. If you have all your own stuff on hand, you might be interested in the digital subscription, which simply sends a pattern and tutorial. And, how great is this? If you're struggling with a project or have questions, you can email Hope and she'll help you through it! Filed under: reasons why we heart a small business.
Ships worldwide.
23. Wolf & Thyme
Image via Wolf & Thyme Cratejoy.
Cost: $28 per month, or $68/month for the LunaLux box. Sign up here!
What's Inside: When salon owner Kat Grady had to close down her business due to COVID-19, she put her earth-focused energy into her own subscription box. Thus we are graced with Wolf & Thyme, a monthly subscription meant to foster self-care and spiritual growth. Grady curates each box to be an experience of connecting to oneself and nature, including items like aromatherapy, care items, jewelry, intentional and spiritual tools, and more. Subscribe to the tier that suits your needs, between the regular box (5+ items per month) or the LunaLux box (10-12 items in each delivery).
Ships worldwide.
24. love, Pittsburgh
Image via love, Pittsburgh.
Cost: $40 per quarter for the Standard box, $65 per quarter for the Deluxe box, and the Deluxe Pittsburgh box. Sign up here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Free shipping on orders over $75 with code SHIP75
CODE: SHIP75
What's Inside: The shelves of the love, Pittsburgh shop locations are stocked with local items made by Pittsburgh-based artists, and their seasonal subscription offers a sampling of the high-quality goods each artist has made. The standard subscription sends 3 or more surprise items, plus bonus extras such as samples and minis also made by local artists. Go for the Deluxe tier to receive even more awesome handmade goodies or the Deluxe Pittsburgh box for additional items that are yinzer-themed!
Ships to the US.
25. Three Rivers Made
Image via Three Rivers Made.
Cost: $100 per quarter. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Curated by three Pittsburgh women—two sewists and a writer—this quarterly subscription box sends themed curations of quality, artisan-made items! The products include things like T-shirts (choose your size from unisex XS-3XL when you sign up), candles, magnets, tea, small DIY projects, and more. And while local creatives are featured as part of this box, and Pittsburghers are notorious for our fierce hometown pride, the goodies are versatile enough that anyone can enjoy 'em!
Ships to the US.
26. City of Asylum Translated Literature Book Subscription
Image via City of Asylum.
Cost: $108 + shipping for 6 months, $216 + shipping for 12 months. Sign up here!
What's Inside: City of Asylum is a nonprofit organization I'm immensely proud to have in my city. They provide sanctuary to endangered literary writers, welcoming several exiled writers in residence at a time, welcoming them into our community, and amplifying their voices on their stage. They also offer free literary, arts, and humanities programs to the community. City of Asylum also has a bookstore that offers a monthly subscription sending recently released translated books! The titles sent are a mix of fiction and non-fiction and all paperback.
Good to Know: City of Asylum also offers a monthly Young Readers subscription, sending one book per month for ages 0-4, 5-8, and 9-13.
Ships to the US.
27. Steel City Tee Club
Image via Steel City Tee Club.
Cost: $32 per month + shipping. Sign up here!
What's Inside: Pittsburgh locals know and love the high-quality, super-relevant designs of Steel City graphic tees. The monthly T-shirt club sends one exclusive, limited-edition tee to you each month—plus bonus extras like die-cut stickers and other such stuff. While all the shirts feature Pittsburgh-themed designs, many are subtle and super-unique. You'll find nods to Pittsburgh food traditions, local celebs, legendary Steeler's plays, and more.
Ships worldwide start at $5.99 for standard US shipping.
Tell us your favorite small shops to support! Do they have a subscription we should all check out? Let us know in the comments.
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