TemplateMonster Alternatives for Buyers and Sellers (October 2026)

By Manob Editorial · October 27, 2026

TemplateMonster alternatives depend on your side. Buyers who want another per-item catalog can compare ThemeForest, Envato Elements or manob.ai (our own marketplace, much smaller). Sellers can compare payout share: as of October 2026 TemplateMonster pays authors 20%, and the per-item marketplaces named here are all non-exclusive. TemplateMonster's catalog is still far larger than ours.

TemplateMonster today: the baseline

Here is what TemplateMonster's own pages say as of October 2026, so the comparison starts from sources rather than memory.

• Author commission: a flat 20% on every product type from July 1, 2026. TemplateMonster's commission page says the rate is "fixed and does not depend on sales volume or account status."
• Customer fee: added on top of the author's price. In the page's own example, a $50 price plus an $8 fee is $58 at checkout, and the author earns $10.
• Exclusivity: ended. The same page says that as of January 1, 2026, TemplateMonster "no longer supports exclusive products."
• Catalog: the site footer lists 21,416 products.
• Support: 6 months of free support, extendable for 50%, 75% or 100% of the product price depending on timing (support policy).
• Refunds: for exceptional cases only (refund policy).

What changed for authors in 2026

Three changes landed in the same year, and they explain why more authors are asking about alternatives. We can say what changed. We can't say how many authors acted on it, because TemplateMonster doesn't publish that.

1. Non-exclusive from January 1, 2026. The author agreement says the author "retains the full right to sell, license, and distribute" items through any other platform.
2. A flat 20% from July 1, 2026, replacing earlier terms we can't verify and so won't quote.
3. Tighter intake. Since January 1, 2026, TemplateMonster's accepted-items page says it no longer takes bulk new submissions of WordPress themes, HTML templates, landing pages or graphics, and reviews each new author application individually.

The agreement also sets a minimum withdrawal of $50 by PayPal or Payoneer and $500 by wire transfer, which matters if you only sell a few items a month. For the full set of terms, see our TemplateMonster commission guide.

Envato changed on the same date. Its announcement says that from July 1, 2026 Envato Market moved to a single non-exclusive model, with a 50% author fee for all authors. We cover that in ThemeForest alternatives.

Alternatives for buyers

As of October 2026, from each platform's own pages. "Not listed" means we couldn't find the term there.

Three practical differences stand out.

• Ownership. Envato's plans guide says access to downloaded Elements items requires an active plan. A per-item purchase on any of the other three is a one-time buy.
• Support price. TemplateMonster and ThemeForest both include 6 months. Extending costs 50% to 100% of the price on TemplateMonster and 37.5% to 87.5% on ThemeForest. On manob.ai it is 30% before expiry and 75% after.
• Seeing it first. On manob.ai every item can be previewed before purchase, and every product is manually reviewed before it goes live. Our guide to previewing a template before buying lists what to check on any marketplace.

If the template is for WordPress and you only need a simple site, start with the free themes at WordPress.org before paying anyone.

Alternatives for sellers

Rates are from Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and UI8. For how direct-selling tools differ, see Gumroad alternatives. For a checklist on listing the same item in several places, see selling themes on multiple marketplaces.

Already have items on TemplateMonster? The free manob.ai migrator imports your ThemeForest, CodeCanyon and TemplateMonster items, with files, images, demo, description, tags and the price they have today. It never asks for your password, imported items go through review before they go live, and manob.ai takes its commission only when an item sells. Our guide to moving TemplateMonster products walks through it.

How to compare fees: a worked example

Percentages mislead unless you apply them to the same price. Take a product priced under $60: TemplateMonster's own $50 example. This is what the author keeps from one sale at the published rates, before taxes and payment fees, as of October 2026:

• Lemon Squeezy: $47.00 (5% plus 50 cents)
• Gumroad, direct sale: $44.50 (10% plus $0.50)
• UI8: $35.00 (70%), plus the per-download share
• manob.ai: $32.50 (65%)
• ThemeForest: $25.00 (50% of the item price)
• TemplateMonster: $10.00 (20%)

Read the list as arithmetic, not advice. A lower share on a marketplace with steady buyers can out-earn a higher share on a store nobody visits, and we have no sales data comparing these places. The direct tools keep the most but leave marketing to you. What the numbers do let you do is price per platform: to earn $10 from a sale, you would need to list at $50 on TemplateMonster and about $15.40 on manob.ai.

Fees are one line of the bill. Count the time it takes to upload and update each listing, and the support you will owe buyers after a sale.

A few listings to preview on manob.ai

Because manob.ai is part of this comparison, here are six listings to open and judge for yourself. We are showing their cards only, not ranking them.

Browse the rest on the products page, and read the license terms before you buy: Regular covers one end product where end users aren't charged, Extended covers products where they are.

When to stay on TemplateMonster

• You need range. Its 21,416 listed products are several times our catalog. Niche designs are likelier to be there.
• Your sales there are steady. Twenty percent of many sales can beat 65% of a few. Adding a second marketplace is cheap to test now that nothing is exclusive.
• You don't have time for more listings. Each extra marketplace means one more upload every time you update a template.

When to look elsewhere

• You want a free theme. The WordPress.org directory lists free themes.
• You need many templates for client work. A subscription such as Envato Elements may cost less than buying one at a time, as long as you keep paying. See Envato alternatives.
• You need a custom design. A template is a starting point. For a one-off build, compare HTML templates and WordPress themes first, then hire a developer if neither fits.
• You are an author with an audience of your own. Selling direct keeps the most of each sale.

Frequently asked questions

What commission does TemplateMonster take?

As of October 2026, authors receive 20% of their price on every product type, and TemplateMonster keeps the rest. The customer fee is added on top of the author's price for the buyer.

Is TemplateMonster exclusive?

No. TemplateMonster says that as of January 1, 2026 it no longer supports exclusive products, and its author agreement accepts items on a non-exclusive basis only.

Can I sell on TemplateMonster and elsewhere?

Yes. The author agreement says you keep the right to sell the same items through any other platform. Envato, UI8 and manob.ai are also non-exclusive.

Does TemplateMonster give refunds?

Its refund policy covers exceptional cases only, so check a product's demo and details before you buy. Compare ThemeForest, which assesses refunds case by case.

Where else can I sell HTML templates?

Options include ThemeForest (author fee 50%), manob.ai (65% to the seller on products), UI8, and direct-selling tools such as Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy. Each fee is in the table above.