EDIT 11/21/23: The subscription model is now gone, and not only have they reverted to the $100 fee, EVERY export except for consoles is now free for non-commercial use! With this in mind, you're doing yourself a disservice not at least giving GameMaker a shot.

I’m an early adopter for GMS2, so I have a permanent license for desktop exports. The subscription garbage is really crappy, yeah, but GameMaker is honestly at its best right now, and the fact that it’s completely free to use should be a good reason to jump in, especially for beginners who don’t really know where to start. They really should bring back one-time licenses as an alternative, though.

EDIT 11/21/23: The subscription model is now gone, and not only have they reverted to the $100 fee, EVERY export except for consoles is now free for non-commercial use! With this in mind, you're doing yourself a disservice not at least giving GameMaker a shot. I’m an early adopter for GMS2, so I have a permanent license for desktop exports. The subscription garbage is really crappy, yeah, but GameMaker is honestly at its best right now, and the fact that it’s completely free to use should be a good reason to jump in, especially for beginners who don’t really know where to start. They really should bring back one-time licenses as an alternative, though.