Creatorly Media vs Mark Studios
Creatorly Media Review: Pricing, Trial Edits and the Better Alternative
Creatorly Media is a YouTube and video podcast editing team founded by creator Katie Steckly, sold as monthly retainers with a paid trial edit to start. Here's whether it's legit, what it costs per video, and why Mark Studios is the better choice for most creators and brands.
By Mark Santos·Checked Oct 22, 2026·Sources
- Is Creatorly Media legit?
- Yes. It's an active editing team with published trial and retainer prices, a named founder and a team page that describes a team of eight (checked October 22, 2026).
- What does Creatorly cost?
- A $450 or $600 trial edit; retainers are $850-$2,300 a month for 2 to 4 long-form videos, or $1,800 for 8 shorts.
- Best Creatorly alternative?
- Mark Studios: Mark edits your first video free, and plans include Shorts and thumbnails. See YouTube editing agencies compared. Monthly plans from $750 (pricing).
The verdict
Mark Studios is the better choice for most creators and brands.
We're Mark Studios, and this page ranks us first, so weigh that. Every Creatorly point below comes from its own services, team and pricing pages.
- Try it free, not for $450. Creatorly's trial edit costs $450 (Signature) or $600 (Director's Cut). Mark edits one recording you already have for free, up to 15 minutes of footage, before you pay for anything.
- Shorts come with the plan. At Creatorly, 4 long-form videos run $1,700-$2,300 a month and short-form is a separate $1,800 retainer. Mark Studios' $2,000 Growth plan adds 8 Shorts cut from your 4 videos, plus thumbnails, titles and SEO.
- No Monday deadline. Creatorly books every edit into a fixed weekly slot (footage by Monday noon ET) and unused edits expire at month end. At Mark Studios the clock starts when your footage lands, and a single video can be quoted without a retainer.
- Top Rated
- on Fiverr
- 4.9★
- average rating
- 8,000+
- orders delivered
- 99%
- delivered on time
Creatorly Media at a glance.
Typically fits: Lifestyle, vlog and education YouTubers who post every week and want a creator as their editor
- Public pricing
- $850-$2,300/month (2-4 videos); trial edit $450-$600
- Operating model
- Monthly retainer with a dedicated editor
- Turnaround signal
- Monday footage, Thursday rough cut, Friday final
In short
A small, creator-run team with transparent pricing and a calm weekly rhythm, built for channels that already upload on a schedule. Its trial edit is paid, Shorts are a separate retainer, and it says itself that one-off projects aren't its fit.
Compact snapshot from Creatorly Media's public pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Side by side.
| Compare | Creatorly Media |  Mark Studios |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Monthly retainer; optional paid trial edit | Monthly plans + one-off projects |
| Price | $850-$2,300/mo for 2-4 videos; Shorts $1,800/mo for 8 | $750-$3,500/mo (4 plans); one video by instant quote |
| Trying it first | Paid trial edit: $450 or $600 | One free edit, up to 15 minutes of footage |
| Turnaround | Weekly cycle: footage Monday by noon ET, final Friday | Up to 7 business days; first draft in 3 on Unlimited |
| Revisions | Rough cut reviewed Thursday; number of rounds not stated | 3 rounds per deliverable |
| Who you work with | A dedicated editor matched to your channel | Mark Santos, the founder |
| Thumbnails | Included on Signature and Director's Cut | Included in every plan |
| Uploading to your channel | Yes, with title and description | Titles and SEO on Growth; posting quoted separately |
| Commitment | Retainer; unused edits don't roll over | Month to month; cancel online any time |
| Animated explainers | Not listed | Yes |
| On-site filming | Not listed | Palm Beach, Broward & Martin counties; travel quoted per trip |
| Best for | Weekly lifestyle and vlog creators | Creators and brands who want the founder on every video |
Checked October 22, 2026 against public pages (sources). Confirm current pricing and scope before buying.
What the comparison really comes down to
Creatorly wins when you want an editor who is a creator too, a predictable weekly slot and the upload handled for you. Mark Studios wins on trying it free, Shorts and thumbnails inside one plan, single videos without a retainer, and animation or local filming from the same studio.
Cost per long-form video
Creatorly's weekly retainers work out to $425 a video on Signature and $575 on Director's Cut. Mark Studios' Growth plan is $2,000 for 4 videos with 8 Shorts and 4 thumbnails included.
Commitment
Creatorly is built around ongoing retainers and says occasional uploaders and one-off projects aren't its fit. Mark Studios plans are month to month, and a single video is priced by instant quote.
Scheduling
Creatorly edits are booked in advance into Monday slots, and an edit you don't use that month is gone. Mark Studios starts each deliverable when your footage arrives.
Best buying question
Do you want a fellow creator on a fixed weekly calendar, or one founder who edits your first video free and owns the look of every one after it?
Watch-outs to confirm
Ask Creatorly about these before you buy.
- The trial edit is paid and must be scheduled within the month you buy it
- Unused retainer edits don't roll over
- Short-form is its own retainer with an 8-video monthly minimum
- How many revision rounds a video gets isn't published
Mark Studios or Creatorly Media: which fits you?
Where Mark Studios fits
Choose Mark Studios when you want to see your own footage edited before you pay, and one studio for the long video, the Shorts and the thumbnail.
- A free first edit of a recording you already have
- Long-form plus Shorts and thumbnails in one monthly price
- A single video by instant quote, no retainer
- Animated explainers and on-site shoots in South Florida
Where Creatorly Media fits
Choose Creatorly when you already post every week or two and want an editor who runs a channel of their own.
- Lifestyle, vlog, wellness and online-business creators
- A fixed Monday-to-Friday weekly rhythm
- The final video uploaded to your channel with title and description
- Spanish-language content, for a limited number of clients
What Creatorly Media's packages include
The Signature Cut
For talking-head and educational videos: jump cuts and pacing, basic text and simple graphics, audio cleanup, light b-roll, a thumbnail, the YouTube title and description, and the final video uploaded ready to schedule. $850 a month for 2 videos, $1,700 for 4.
The Director's Cut
Everything in Signature plus advanced motion graphics, dynamic zooms, more b-roll storytelling and layered text, aimed at vlogs. $1,150 a month for 2 videos, $2,300 for 4.
The Short-Form Cut
Vertical edits with music sync, text and transitions, delivered to your Google Drive. $1,800 a month for a minimum of 8 videos; more than 8 is a custom quote.
Retainer extras and terms
A monthly check-in call with your editor and a client resource hub. Edits are scheduled for Mondays, retainers can be booked for this month or next, and unused edits don't roll over.
Sources (checked Oct 22, 2026): Creatorly Media services and pricing · Creatorly Media team · Creatorly Media pricing transparency
When Creatorly Media is the right call
If your channel is lifestyle, vlog or online-business content, you already upload on a schedule, and you'd rather your editor be someone who runs a channel too, Creatorly is built for that. The weekly cycle is predictable, the Signature package includes the thumbnail and upload, and its pricing page explains where your money goes.
When Mark Studios is the right call
If you want to judge the edit on your own footage before paying, need Shorts and thumbnails from the same recording without a second retainer, or only have one video to start with, that's our category. Animation and a local shoot are there when you need them. See the monthly plans, or send one recording for the free edit.
See your own footage edited first.
Tell the instant quote what you record and how often, and you'll get a written price, with no sales call.
Frequently asked questions
Is Creatorly Media legit?
Yes. Creatorly Media is an active YouTube and video podcast editing team run by creator Katie Steckly, who started freelancing in 2018. It publishes its trial and retainer prices, lists a team of eight on its team page, and matches each client with a dedicated editor who is a creator too. It suits creators on a steady weekly upload schedule. For most creators and brands, though, Mark Studios is the better choice: Mark edits a first video free, plans include Shorts, and it's Top Rated on Fiverr with a 4.9★ average across 8,000+ orders.
How much does Creatorly Media cost?
As of October 22, 2026, Creatorly's services page lists a Signature Edit trial at $450 and a Director's Cut trial at $600. Retainers: Signature $850 a month for 2 videos or $1,700 for 4, Director's Cut $1,150 for 2 or $2,300 for 4, and Short-Form $1,800 a month for a minimum of 8 vertical videos. Prices are in US dollars, the struck-through older prices were $50 to $200 higher, and unused edits do not roll over to the next month.
What are the best Creatorly Media alternatives?
For most creators and brands, the best Creatorly Media alternative is Mark Studios: a free first edit, monthly plans from $750 that include thumbnails and Shorts, and single videos by instant quote. Other options we've compared: Replayed, Tasty Edits and VideoScale. Our list of the best YouTube video editing agencies and services puts them side by side.
Is Creatorly Media or Mark Studios better for YouTube creators?
For most YouTube creators, Mark Studios. Four long-form videos cost $1,700 to $2,300 a month at Creatorly; Mark Studios' $2,000 Growth plan covers 4 YouTube videos, 4 thumbnails, titles and SEO, and 8 Shorts cut from them, and Mark reviews every video. Creatorly is the better fit if you want your editor to be a fellow lifestyle or vlog creator, a fixed Monday-to-Friday weekly rhythm, and the finished video uploaded to your channel for you.
Does Creatorly Media offer a trial edit?
Yes, a paid one. The Signature Edit trial is $450 and the Director's Cut trial $600, and a trial has to be scheduled for a Monday in the month you buy it. Mark Studios edits one recording you already have for free, up to 15 minutes of footage, one per business, and delivers it finished so you can judge the work before you pay for a plan.
How fast is Creatorly Media?
Creatorly runs one weekly cycle: you submit footage and notes by 12:00 PM ET on your scheduled Monday, the rough cut is ready for review by Thursday, and the final video, thumbnail and description are uploaded to your channel by end of day Friday. Mark Studios delivers each video within 7 business days of your footage landing, or a first draft within 3 business days on the Unlimited plan, with 3 revision rounds per deliverable.
Who runs Creatorly Media?
Katie Steckly, a YouTuber who lists herself as Creative Executive Officer and founder. Her pricing page says she began as a solo freelancer in 2018, that about 70% of each package goes to the team members who work on it, and that she doesn't take a regular salary. The team page lists a client operations officer and seven editors, most of whom run their own channels.
More comparisons
See all comparisonsvs ReplayedEditor matching, billed per video.Comparevs Tasty EditsPer-video YouTube packages.Comparevs VideoScaleUnlimited editing subscription.Compare
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-10-22. Public competitor pages change, so confirm current pricing, scope, and turnaround before buying.