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| Decision field | Free + paidCommon ObjectiveGlobalRemove | Open accessYarn Database EU Dyers and MakersEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Quote-basedMaterial ExchangeGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Source production | Choose materials | Choose materials | Choose materials |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Production | Yarn | Yarn | Materials |
| Best for | Finding sustainability-focused suppliers and guidance | Finding independent EU yarn or fibre dyers with off-Ravelry purchase routes | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Evaluating an enterprise material-sourcing workflow after requirements are defined |
| Know before using | A profile, match, uploaded credential, training credit, award, or platform ranking is not independent certification of a supplier or proof of current capability, performance, impact, capacity, or project fit. The platform's own ranking inputs and paid visibility affect discovery. Verify credentials with the issuer and check the legal entity, production site, claims, samples, references, terms, and compliance directly. | It is one curator's intentionally selective, off-Ravelry-oriented database, inventories change, and paid supporters can receive rotating priority placement; verify availability, fibre claims, shipping, and terms directly. | A suggested match is a data-based shortlist, not proof that the yarn suits the pattern or maker. Records can be incomplete or wrong, price bands are approximate, availability varies by country and seller, and shade-level matching is unavailable. YarnSub says affiliate status does not change suggestions, but equally rated matches are ordered by brand popularity. Confirm required gauge, total length, fibre behavior, construction, care, colour, dye lot, accessibility, price, availability, and seller terms, then make and assess a representative swatch before committing. | The public site’s workflow, security, validation, and outcome statements are operator claims rather than independent performance evidence. The Sourcing Hub, Marketplace, and Digital Sourcing Platform have separate terms and must not be treated as one identical product. Supplier content, uploaded certificates, and AI suggestions are leads, not independent verification. Verify the exact product and Order, material identity and performance, certificate issuer and validity, supplier capability, samples, price, availability, commercial terms, data permissions, and any AI output before a sourcing decision. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Apparel brands | Makers | Makers | Apparel brands |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | European Union | Global | Global |
| Access | Free + paid | Open access | Open access | Quote-based |
| Format | Marketplace | Directory | Reference | Software |
| Source type | Commercial marketplace | Community database | First-party platform | First-party platform |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Fashion professional or supplier using content, profiles, connections, or a sourcing workflow. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Business brand, supplier, manufacturer, or sourcing team considering Material Exchange’s current invite-only Sourcing Hub powered by Frank for early-stage material and supplier work. |
| Before an account | Public content and explanation pages are visible while signed out; profiles, personalized matches, saved items, and connections require signup. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Search a named yarn, inspect suggested substitutes, and filter by fibre and approximate price band without creating an account. | Read the public workflow, security, and legal explanations and request a demo. The checked signed-out pages do not expose the live Sourcing Hub, supplier or material catalogue, configured feature scope, trial entitlement, or price. |
| Free-account boundary | A free account provides a personal or business profile, limited monthly connections, free content, and up to three portfolio items. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | The checked core substitution route does not require an account, and the FAQ does not offer user-entered yarn records. | Sourcing Hub registration is invite only and managed by the Material Exchange team. An Order defines each organisation’s authorized service scope and term; the terms say some services may be free and trials may be offered, but the public pages do not promise either. Individualised logins may not be shared. |
| Payment boundary | PRO adds unlimited connections, paid content and training, more profile capacity, and business sourcing workflows. Monthly and annual routes use provider-set terms. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | No subscription is presented for the core route. Affiliate retailer links and optional donations help fund the site; equal-rated matches are ordered by brand popularity. | No public fee amount is disclosed. Orders or separate agreements define subscription and service charges; paid services may combine a one-time charge with automatically renewing monthly, quarterly, or annual charges. Orders are described as non-cancellable and non-refundable. Supplier transaction fees, sample shipping, scanning, customs, taxes, and separately negotiated services can be additional costs. |
| Cancellation or exit | Cancel in the account by selecting downgrade. A business profile returns to the free version and only its first three portfolio items remain visible. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | There is no account or recurring plan to cancel for the core route. The newsletter has a separate unsubscribe link. | Users terminate through support, while paid-service exit can also depend on a separate agreement. The public terms say access can continue through the current term, there is no prorated refund, and renewal stops after termination; they also warn that account termination may destroy associated content. Confirm the required notice, receipt, final access date, and content-return terms in the Order before paying. |
| Saved work and data | Profiles can contain files, work history, product galleries, and sustainability evidence. The current access and pricing pages do not establish full export or deletion; retain originals. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | YarnSub does not expose an API and does not accept user-entered yarn details. Use the data-issue link on a yarn page for corrections. | The Sourcing Hub can hold company and user details, sourcing briefs, supplier and material records, files, certificates, prices, compliance data, messages, samples, and detailed transaction records. Users retain ownership of submitted content, but termination may destroy it. The data notice covers personal-data access and portability and says residual copies may remain in active servers or backups; it does not document a self-service complete business-content export, format, or timing. Keep source files outside the platform and negotiate business-data return or export terms. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | Common Objective currently offers free individual and business profiles, personalised matches, supplier and content search, and limited monthly connection requests. Paid tiers unlock unlimited connections, additional content, training credits, and the CO Create sourcing workflow. Businesses enter their own profile information and upload certification or membership evidence; profile completeness, sustainability material, training credits, awards, and paid capabilities can influence visibility or ranking. | The individually researched database offers free listings and sortable yarn, fibre, designer, editor, accessory, and location views; the EU page spans multiple countries and direct seller profiles. | YarnSub's official FAQ says its matching software compares gauge, texture, yarn weight and density, fibre content, and fibre qualities such as drape and softness. Discontinued yarns remain searchable as starting points but are excluded from suggestions. Result filters can exclude animal, animal-derived, synthetic, or plant fibre groups and use a subjective $ to $$$$$ price indicator. The site does not accept user-entered yarn details, individual shade cards, or expose an API. Each yarn page provides a data-issue route. | Material Exchange’s current site presents an enterprise early-stage sourcing workflow and routes prospective customers to a demo. Its Sourcing Hub terms, last modified October 24, 2025, define invite-only registration, AI-assisted material discovery, sample requests, bulk inquiries, negotiation, order-defined service access, subscriptions, and supplier transaction fees. The same terms say Material Exchange cannot verify uploaded certificate statements. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 11, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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