7 Envato Alternatives for Elements Subscribers and Market Buyers
By Manob Editorial ·
The best Envato alternative depends on which Envato you use. Elements subscribers who mostly download photos, video and music should compare Adobe Stock, Magnific (formerly Freepik), Motion Array and Artlist. Market buyers who prefer paying per item can look at Creative Market or, for website templates, Manob (ours). Before switching, check what each license lets you keep after you cancel.
What Envato is today
"Envato" now means two different products, so start by working out which one you're replacing. Everything below is from Envato's own pages as of October 2026.
- Envato Market is seven per-item marketplaces: ThemeForest, CodeCanyon, VideoHive, AudioJungle, GraphicRiver, PhotoDune and 3DOcean. Authors set each price, and most items come with a Regular or Extended License (About Envato Market).
- Envato Elements, now sold as "Envato subscription", gives unlimited downloads from 29+ million assets. The pricing page lists Core from $16.50 a month (20 AI credits), Plus from $39 (200 credits) and Ultimate from $168 (500 to 2,000 credits). Every plan gets the same stock library. Only the AI allowance changes.
- Ownership: Envato's plans guide says that since July 2024 it has operated as part of Shutterstock, Inc. So Shutterstock isn't an outside alternative.
- Authors: open applications are paused. Elements isn't accepting new author sign-ups, and new Market author accounts can't be created (Envato author help).
The Elements license is the detail most people miss. Each download licenses one project, and the Elements License says that license "is only valid if you complete the End Product while your subscription is active." Finished projects stay covered after you cancel. You can't start new ones with items you downloaded earlier. Most of the alternatives below work the same way, with one or two useful exceptions.
Envato alternatives at a glance
As of October 2026, from each company's own pricing, license or help pages. "Not verified" means the pricing page blocked our check.
| Platform | How you pay | Starting price | Strongest for | After you cancel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envato Elements (baseline) | Subscription | $16.50/month | Everything, incl. web templates | Finished projects stay licensed |
| Adobe Stock | Subscription or credit packs | $29.99/month for up to 10 assets | Photos, vectors, templates | Perpetual license per licensed asset |
| Magnific (formerly Freepik) | Subscription | €10.50/month, billed annually | Vectors, PSDs, mockups, AI images | Terms don't say |
| Motion Array | Subscription | Not verified | Video templates and plugins | Finished work stays covered |
| Artlist | Subscription | Not verified | Music, SFX and footage | Published projects stay covered |
| Creative Market | Per item, or membership credits | Per item, plus a fee per order | Fonts, graphics, design templates | Licenses you bought are yours |
| Creative Fabrica | Subscription or per item | Not verified | Fonts, crafts, print-on-demand | Varies by asset type |
| Manob (ours) | Per item | $9 to $93 per Regular License | Website templates and themes | No subscription to cancel |
The 7 alternatives, one by one
1. Adobe Stock: best for photos, vectors and templates with a perpetual license
Adobe Stock meters downloads instead of offering unlimited ones on most plans. Its plans page lists $29.99 a month for up to 10 standard assets (images, vectors, music and templates) plus 1 video, and $129.99 a month for unlimited stock with an Enhanced License. Credit packs run from 5 to 150 credits and last a year, so occasional buyers don't need a subscription. Cancelling an annual plan after 14 days can cost up to half of the remaining commitment, so check the billing terms before you sign up.
The license is the main reason to switch. Adobe's license terms describe "a perpetual, worldwide license," so a licensed asset doesn't depend on staying subscribed. The Standard License allows up to 500,000 copies and doesn't cover merchandise where the asset is the main value. That needs an Extended License, a word Adobe uses differently from Envato. Our Regular vs Extended License guide explains the difference.
2. Magnific (formerly Freepik): best for vectors, PSDs and AI images
Freepik's pricing page now redirects to Magnific, which titles it "Magnific (formerly Freepik)." The pricing page lists Premium from €10.50 a month billed annually and Premium+ from €25.50, before VAT. Plans include "250M+ photos, videos, vectors & PSDs", plus icons, mockups, fonts and templates, and a yearly pool of AI credits. If you used Elements mainly for graphics and mockups, this is the closest match.
Read the license before you rely on it. The terms of use require free users to credit the site, which a paid plan removes. Selling physical merchandise is limited to the Pro plan, capped at 100,000 units per asset. The terms also say subscription benefits end with the subscription, without spelling out what happens to past downloads.
3. Motion Array: best for video templates and editing plugins
Motion Array's plans page describes an Everything plan with video templates, motion graphics, music, sound effects, footage, images, plugins and AI voiceover, billed monthly or yearly. There's also a Video Templates plan and team plans for 2 to 7 seats. Its pricing page blocked our check, so compare current prices there.
The license matches Elements on the basics. Per its license page, after you cancel you "must stop using Motion Array products in new work" but can keep using them in finished work. One feature Envato doesn't have: a $9.99-a-month Continuity plan lets you keep using assets you already downloaded in new work, without downloading anything new. Companies with more than 50 employees need a business license.
4. Artlist: best for music and sound effects
Artlist covers music, sound effects, footage and templates. Its plans include a Footage and Templates plan billed yearly and Artlist Max, which adds music, sound effects, plugins, AI voiceover and generative tools (plan guide). Artlist's pricing page also blocked our check.
Artlist's license page says a project completed and published while you're subscribed stays covered after you cancel, but the assets "cannot be used in new projects." The Social license covers one channel per platform for personal creators. Client work, websites and TV need the Pro license. AI-generated output is yours to keep even after your subscription ends.
5. Creative Market: best for buying design assets one at a time
Creative Market is the closest match to Envato Market for design files: fonts, graphics, templates and themes from independent shops, each priced by the shop owner, with separate prices for Personal, Commercial and Extended Commercial licenses (licensing overview). Every order adds a flat platform fee.
It also has a membership, but it isn't unlimited. Members get credits each month that roll over while the membership is active, and Creative Market says "you will still own the license to any design assets redeemed with your credits" after you unsubscribe (membership FAQ). Along with Adobe Stock's perpetual license, that's the clearest after-cancellation term on this list. We compare it with other design marketplaces in Creative Market alternatives.
6. Creative Fabrica: best for fonts, crafts and print-on-demand
Creative Fabrica sells fonts, graphics, SVG crafts and print-on-demand designs, by subscription or one item at a time. Marketplace downloads need the All Access subscription. Its AI Studio is a separate plan (subscription page). We couldn't check prices because its subscription page blocked us.
What survives cancellation depends on the asset type, according to its cancellation article. You can keep selling products you made while subscribed, but you can't make new designs to sell with fonts and graphics. Crafts and stock photos come with a lifetime license. For sellers, Creative Fabrica pays a 50% default commission, 75% on sales you refer, and doesn't require exclusivity (seller page).
7. Manob (our own marketplace): best for website templates you pay for once
Manob is our own marketplace, so read this entry with that in mind. It covers only one slice of Envato: website templates. The catalog has 641 products as of October 2026 (260 WordPress themes, 325 HTML templates, 24 Figma, PSD or XD design files, 18 React or Next.js templates and 6 Shopify themes), with Regular License prices from $9 to $93 and a median of $29. There's no video, music or photo library.
What it does differently:
- You buy each item once, with a Regular or Extended License, so there's no subscription to keep paying (Manob licenses).
- Every item can be previewed before purchase and is manually reviewed before approval.
- Products include 6 months of seller support through a built-in ticket system, extendable at 30% before expiry or 75% after.
- Manob-compatible themes can be edited with the AI in Manob's workspace, and freelance services are available if you'd rather hire someone.
For sellers shut out of Envato, Manob takes 35% commission on products, with non-exclusive licensing. Browse all products.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Envato Elements?
Only if you download less. Elements' Core plan starts at $16.50 a month with unlimited downloads, while Adobe Stock's $29.99 plan covers up to 10 assets. The others win in narrower cases:
- A few assets a month: Adobe Stock's credit packs, with no subscription.
- Mostly graphics and mockups: Magnific's Premium plan, from €10.50 a month billed annually.
- One website: a single template at Manob's $29 median costs less than two months of Elements Core. Compare totals in how much a WordPress theme costs.
- Free: WordPress.org's theme and plugin directories. See our ThemeForest alternatives for themes and CodeCanyon alternatives for plugins and scripts.
When to stay with Envato
- You use many asset types. No single alternative here covers photos, video templates, music, fonts, 3D, WordPress themes and plugins under one plan.
- You build websites as well as videos. Elements includes web templates, CMS themes and WordPress plugins. Adobe Stock, Motion Array and Artlist don't focus on those.
- You want single purchases with a support policy. Supported ThemeForest and CodeCanyon items include 6 months of author support, extendable to 12 months at checkout (item support).
- You're an existing author. Envato's pause affects new authors. Existing authors keep selling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Envato Elements?
It depends on what you download most. Adobe Stock suits photos and templates, Magnific (formerly Freepik) suits vectors and mockups, Motion Array suits video templates, and Artlist suits music. None matches Elements' full range on one plan.
Can I keep using Envato Elements items after I cancel?
Only in projects you finished while subscribed. Envato's license says a license is valid only if you complete the end product during an active subscription, and you can't use items in new projects after cancelling.
Who owns Envato?
Envato says it has operated as part of Shutterstock, Inc. since July 2024.
Is Freepik the same as Magnific?
Yes. As of October 2026, Freepik's pricing page redirects to Magnific, which calls itself "Magnific (formerly Freepik)" and is run by Freepik Company S.L.U.
Can I still sell on Envato?
Existing authors can. New author applications are paused: Elements isn't accepting new author sign-ups, and new Market author accounts can't be created except by invitation.