Regular vs Extended License: What Each Covers, With Examples
By Manob Editorial ·
Buy a Regular License when the people using your finished site or app don't pay to access it, and an Extended License when they do. Both cover one end product, so a second website needs a second license, and neither lets you resell the template itself. On Envato, a client paying you to build the site doesn't change that.
Regular vs Extended License at a glance
ThemeForest, CodeCanyon and the rest of Envato Market use this two-tier model, and so does Manob. The rules below are from Envato's license guide, checked in October 2026.
| Regular License | Extended License | |
|---|---|---|
| Use in an end product that's free to access | Yes | Yes |
| Use in an end product people pay for, or subscribe to | No | Yes |
| Number of end products | 1 | 1 |
| Build it for a client who pays you | Yes | Yes |
| Use in stock items or templates for resale | No | No |
The question to ask, in Envato's words: "Will end users be able to access your finished project for free, or will they have to pay?" Who paid you, how commercial the business is, and whether the site makes money in other ways don't decide it.
What counts as end users paying?
Envato's Regular License defines "Free" as "No fee is paid by the end user to access the End Product." Its guide gives examples on both sides.
A Regular License is enough when:
- You're a freelancer paid by a client to build a business website that anyone can view for free.
- The site sells products or earns ad revenue, as long as visitors can use the site itself without paying. An online store is a Regular License case.
- A business uses it. Envato's license FAQ says "If the end product is free, even if you are a commercial enterprise, you only need a Regular License."
- It's a theme from ThemeForest's blogging category. Envato makes an exception here: a Regular License covers a blogging theme even when part or all of the site sits behind a paid subscription.
You need an Extended License when:
- The site or app sits behind a paywall or paid membership.
- Only part of an otherwise free site is for paying members.
- It's a SaaS product with a paid tier. Envato's SaaS article says a free SaaS needs a Regular License, but "If users can or must pay to access any part of it (e.g., a Pro or Premium tier)," you need the Extended one.
- You sell the end product itself, such as a game, an app or a printed product made from a template.
Common situations and the license each needs
Under Envato Market's terms, as of October 2026:
| Situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| A business site for a paying client | One Regular License. The license transfers to your client. |
| A WooCommerce store | One Regular License. Shoppers buy products, not access to the site. |
| A paid membership or course site | One Extended License |
| A web app with free and Pro plans | One Extended License |
| The same theme on three client sites | Three licenses, one per site |
| A plugin on two of your own websites | Two licenses |
| A French version at yoursite.com/french | The same license, because it's the same domain |
| A French version on a separate domain | A second license |
| A staging copy of the site | It needs a license. A subdomain of your live site may avoid buying another, so ask the author. |
| Selling your customized version as a template | Not allowed under either license |
| A "build your own site" tool where customers customize the item | Not covered by one license. Each customized product needs its own. |
The multi-site, translation and staging rows come from Envato's articles on multiple end products and test sites. The client row is clause 4 of the Regular License: "You can create one End Product for a client, and you can transfer that single End Product to your client for any fee."
Can one license cover several websites?
No, under either license. Envato's FAQ is direct about it: "The Extended License is still limited to a single end product, but you can re-sell that product." There's no developer or multi-site license for themes and code, so an agency building ten sites from one theme buys ten licenses.
Two things do stretch a single license. Extra landing pages on the same domain are fine ("As long as it's all on the same domain, a single license is fine"). The same app released on iOS and Android also counts as one end product. If you build many sites a year, compare per-item licenses with a subscription. Our Envato alternatives guide explains how Envato Elements licenses each project instead.
What about GPL WordPress themes?
WordPress is licensed under the GPL, and that changes part of the picture for themes and plugins. Envato sells them under a split license. The PHP code and integrated HTML are under the GPL. The CSS, images, design and other assets the author created are under Envato's license. Some WordPress items are offered as 100% GPL. The license file in the download tells you which applies.
Creative Market handles it differently. Its themes page says "All of our Wordpress content comes with the GNU General Public License 2.0," and that although the GPL technically allows reselling, Creative Market doesn't allow it on its marketplace. Either way, the Regular-or-Extended question still matters on Envato for the parts outside the GPL.
How Creative Market's licenses differ
Creative Market doesn't use Regular and Extended. Its general licenses for fonts, graphics and templates have three tiers, from its licenses page:
| License | End products for sale | Apps, web apps, games |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | None. Non-commercial projects only. | Not allowed |
| Commercial | Up to 5,000 | Not allowed |
| Extended Commercial | Up to 250,000 | One, downloaded or sold up to 250,000 times |
The test is also different. Creative Market's licensing FAQ says you need a Commercial or Extended Commercial License if your use "promotes a business entity" or involves money changing hands, which is broader than Envato's end-user test. A few rules from its help pages:
- You can't charge a subscription fee to access end products made with licensed assets.
- Each person at a company who uses a template needs their own license, and assets can't sit on a shared company server.
- Customizing a template and selling it as a template, or converting a website template into a theme to sell, counts as redistribution (template use cases).
- Creative Market doesn't track your end products. Counting them is your job.
Manob's Regular and Extended Licenses
Manob, our own marketplace, uses the same two tiers and the same end-user test. From its license page:
- Regular License: a single end product whose end users aren't charged.
- Extended License: a single end product whose end users are charged.
- Both: no redistribution of the source files as-is.
Every product on Manob lists both prices, and every item can be previewed before you buy, so you can check the license cost before you commit to a design. Across the catalog, the Extended price is about 1.45 times the Regular price at the median. That ratio isn't the same for every item type, though. Our WordPress theme price study found WordPress and HTML templates close to that median, while some React, Figma and Shopify sellers price the Extended License many times higher. Read the product page before you build anything paid.
How much more does an Extended License cost?
There's no fixed markup. On Envato Market, "Pricing is set individually by each author, so it varies by item and by license tier" (About Envato Market). Creative Market shop owners also set a separate price for each license. On Manob, the catalog median is about 1.45 times the Regular price. In every case, the only reliable number is the one on the item's page.
Bought the wrong license? How upgrades work
- Envato: you can't pay the difference. Buy the Extended License in full on the same account, then contact Envato support with both purchases (upgrade guide).
- Creative Market: buy the correct license, then contact support within its 3-day exchange window to refund the wrong one (exchange policy). After that, you buy a second license.
- Manob: both prices are on every product page, so compare them and pick the license you'll need before you buy.
The cheapest fix is choosing correctly at checkout. If you might add a paid tier, membership or course later, plan for the Extended License from the start.
"Extended" doesn't mean the same thing everywhere
Stock sites use the word differently. At Adobe Stock, the Standard License is "perpetual, worldwide" and allows up to 500,000 copies. An Extended License there covers merchandise and products where the asset is the main value, like a mug or T-shirt (Adobe Stock licenses). It has nothing to do with whether your website's visitors pay. Subscriptions work differently again: Envato Elements creates a license per project, and that project has to be finished while you're subscribed (Elements License). Read the license on the site you're buying from, not the one you used last.
Comparing marketplaces as well as licenses? See ThemeForest alternatives and Creative Market alternatives, or browse Manob's products.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an Extended License for a client website?
Not on Envato Market, if the site's visitors don't pay to access it. Envato says you can charge your client for creating the end product under either license. You need Extended only if the client's own users will pay.
Is an e-commerce site a paid end product?
No, under Envato's terms. Shoppers pay for products, not for access to the site, so a Regular License is enough as long as anyone can browse the store for free.
Can I use a Regular License on multiple websites?
No. Regular and Extended Licenses each cover one end product, so every additional website needs its own license. Pages and translations on the same domain count as the same site.
Can I upgrade a ThemeForest Regular License to Extended?
Not by paying the difference. Buy the Extended License in full on the same Envato account, then contact Envato support with both purchases.
Does an Extended License let me resell a template?
No. Neither license allows you to redistribute the item as stock, in a tool or template, or with its source files. The Extended License lets you sell the end product you built, not the template.
What is the difference between Creative Market's Commercial and Extended Commercial licenses?
Commercial covers up to 5,000 end products for sale and excludes apps. Extended Commercial covers up to 250,000 and one native app, web app or game downloaded or sold up to 250,000 times.