If you are a content creator like me, you would relate to the struggle of trying to find unique and good quality stock photos, audio tracks, videos, etc for your blogs, websites, and apps!
A majority of our time is spent vigorously hunting for stock items on multiple sources, which could’ve been used in creating better content. It’s super tiring, isn’t it?
Envato Elements is one such platform where you can find many stock assets, from photos to graphics to audio tracks, videos, fonts, email templates, and even WordPress themes and plugins.
In today’s article, I am doing a detailed Envato Elements Review for 2022. We will go over its features, its 7 pros, 3 cons, and will also compare it with other popular stock asset platforms.
Let’s dive right into Envato Elements Review!
In today’s article, I am doing a detailed Envato Elements Review for 2022 . We will go over its features, its 7 pros, 3 cons, and will also compare it with other popular stock asset platforms.
P.S. Envato Elements has not sponsored this review. All the views and opinions presented in this article are solely based on my experience and research.
With that being said, are you guys ready to discover the most amazing platform for online creators? Let’s dive right into Envato Elements Review!
Envato Elements Review
What is Envato Elements?
The Envato Company was formed in Australia in 2006. It is the biggest marketplace for digital assets in the world. Their primary goal is to provide a consistently growing platform of digital resources for creators.
Their asset libraries include:
- PhotoDune – Library of royalty-free stock photos
- VideoHive – Comprises royalty-free videos and video templates
- GraphicRiver – Collection of graphic templates, icons, logos, etc
- AudioJungle – Library of royalty-free audios and audio templates
- ThemeForest – Features themes and templates for websites
- 3DOcean – Has 3D print models
- CodeCanyon – Comprises code snippets, scripts, and plugins
All these directories together form the Envato Market, where you individually pay for every asset.
So, what is Envato Elements? It’s an online library of millions of digital assets.
As of now, you will find 1.3 million+ stock video clips, 52 million+ stock images, 510k+ royalty-free audios, and thousands of graphics, web templates, fonts, 3D templates, presentation templates, WordPress themes, plugins, video templates, and more on it!
Every week, they add thousands of new items to their list. You can get unlimited downloads of these assets by making a low monthly payment of $16.50/month.
Envato Market vs Envato Elements – What’s the Difference?
Envato Market is the biggest marketplace for selling and buying digital assets. It comprises the best premium quality content. But the catch is, all items need to be purchased individually.
They make some selected content from Envato Market available in Envato Elements, which is a subscription-based service. Here, you get unlimited downloads for a low monthly/yearly fee.
I found the collection of Envato Elements pretty outstanding for the price point!
Envato Elements Video Review
Those interested in a video review can watch this Envato Elements Review video in Hindi, with English subtitles.
Envato Elements Assets:
Envato Elements brings an insane variety of assets on the table. All these elements are licensed, unique, good quality and single use.
They will surely make your content stand out! Let’s check out the assets included in Envato Elements.
Stock Videos
You will find a huge 1.3 million+ stock video footage and motion graphics on this platform. Along with that, the filter options are fantastic!
You can refine the results by Alpha Channel, Looped video footage, by resolution from 720p to 4K, by frame rate, video length, and more.
Simply hovering the mouse pointer over a video, previews it perfectly!
So, if you are only looking for royalty-free videos, then Envato Elements is superb for just the video collection, too. Even I take stock videos for my own videos from here!
Video Templates
The video templates section comprises icons, infographics, logos, titles, video displays, openers, and more! Envato Elements has 27k+ video templates, with thousands of custom transitions, effects, titles, etc.
It also supports major editing software like After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Apple Motion.
Fun Fact: The Intro video and audio of my YouTube Channel is downloaded from Envato Elements!
Royalty-free Music
You get to choose from a crazy 66k+ royalty-free audio tracks! These tracks can be refined by genre, mood, and instrument, and can be filtered by a variety of vocals, tempo of the music, and track length.
I seriously love the sorting feature. It’s so time saving and efficient. You will love their collection of music if you create vlogs, B-rolls, etc.
Sound Effects
Nature sounds, Human sounds, Game sounds, Cartoon sounds, Industrial sounds, Transitions, Movements, and many many more sounds! Speak of it, and Envato Elements has it!
It has an enormous collection of 447k+ sound effects that can be filtered by sound length and looped sounds.
Graphic Templates
In their collection of 115k+ graphic templates, you will find UI and UX kits, Print templates, Scene Generators, Logos, Websites, Product Mockups, Infographics, and more.
You can refine the results by
- Property – like Vectored or Layered
- Color Space (RGB or CMYK),
- Orientation (Landscape, Portrait, or Square)
- Editing software supported – like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Sketch, Figma, and Adobe XD.
I use Graphics for creating product mockups and infographics. Believe me, infographics work like a charm on your blogs! It helps you get more shares and backlinks.
So, once I publish more content on my blog, I’ll also start focusing on Infographics.
Graphics
This comprises 45k+ graphic elements including illustrations, patterns, icons, social media packs for stories, posts, banner ads, textures, backgrounds, objects, etc.
You can refine the results by
- Property – like vectored, layered, tileable
- File type – JPG, PNG
- Software supported – Sketch, Figma, Affinity Designer, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator.
I use graphics when I need to create photos for my blogs, thumbnails for my videos, and icons for my apps. All these require the use of a variety of unique elements.
Presentation Templates
You will love this if you need to create presentations daily. Envato Elements brings you a collection of 57k+ presentation templates and slide themes.
It offers wonderful presentation templates for Keynotes, PowerPoint, and Google Slides.
Now create eye-catching and professional-looking presentations in no time, and impress your colleagues, haha! ?
Photos
The collection of photos in Envato Elements is mind-boggling! You get 1M+ images from Envato Elements itself, along with 50M+ images from Twenty20, (a stock photo marketplace that they recently acquired.)
You can refine the results by
- Color
- Orientation (Landscape, Portrait)
- Background (Isolated, Blurred)
Comparing Envato Elements with Shutterstock or Adobe Stock is not correct, in my opinion. Their collection is so much better than Envato Elements. I don’t think you’ll find that level of photo collection anywhere else.
But if you compare it with other services like Free Stock Photos, etc, then Envato Elements wins!
I first started using Envato Elements in 2019. Their photo collection was quite limited then. But now, after acquiring Twenty20, it has truly skyrocketed!
Also, if you’re looking for other alternatives to Envato Elements, you can check out Freepik. You will find an impressive collection of photos, graphics, PSDs, and vectors as well.
Fonts
Library of 7000+ creative and attractive fonts, that can be refined by
- Category – Serif, Sans Serif, Decorative, Script, and Handwritten
- Spacing
- Optimum size (for poster, book, magazine, etc.)
Add-ons
Envato Elements features a collection of 4500+ add-ons including Actions and Presets, Brushes, and Layer Styles.
They can be refined by the supported applications like Figma, Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Illustrator.
Web templates
Choose from 3000+ web templates available including admin templates, site templates, landing page templates, and email templates.
You can refine them by their properties like
- Sketch files
- PSD files
- Responsive
- Retina-ready.
More Categories
Along with all these types of assets, Envato Elements also features 1100+ CMS templates (covering Joomla, Drupal, Tumblr, Opencart, Shopify, and more!), and 2600+ WordPress templates (including WordPress themes, plugins, and template kits).
The results can be refined by tools they are compatible with, like
- Elementor
- Bootstrap
- BuddyPress, etc.
They also have 46k+ 3 Dimensional objects that can be rotated and viewed 360 degrees. You can download them from any angle in PSD or PNG format.
The reason I don’t prefer their WordPress themes and plugins is the absence of support and updates. So, I won’t recommend using themes and plugins from Envato Elements.
Envato Elements Plugin for WordPress
Envato Elements also provides its own plugin for WordPress based websites. If you use Elementor Website Builder, then this plugin would be super helpful for you.
It can directly import stock photos and template kits into your Editor, so you don’t need to go searching for stuff on their website. I found this plugin very useful!
Envato Elements Licensing Explained
The Envato Elements Licensing is very simple and most straightforward. Check out the following points to know what the Licence terms say.
This one simple license applies to all elements, so the users don’t need to worry about getting different licenses for different types of assets! This streamlines the Licensing process for all downloads.
- Every item that you download from Envato Elements comes under a commercial license called the Envato Elements Licence.
- The license is single-use, meaning that it can be used only once. If you wish to use the same item in another project, it needs to be downloaded again and re-registered.
- You get Future-Proof Licensing with Envato Elements. This means if you decide to end your subscription with Envato Elements, you can still keep using the already downloaded and registered elements.
- The Envato Elements License comes with broad commercial rights.
So you are free to use it in multiple ways – on your personal projects, on your clients’ projects, on ad campaigns, promotional events, and even on products you wish to sell!
If you have any questions, then I strongly recommend you to read the Envato Elements Licensing FAQ Page first. They have answered most questions related to licensing.
However, there are a few limitations on what you can do with the licensed items.
Limitations in Licensing
Envato Elements restricts these activities on its Licensed items.
- You cannot resell or redistribute any item downloaded from Envato elements. For example, downloading a stock image and selling on Shutterstock isn’t allowed!
- You cannot use the downloaded items for merchandising.
For example, printing a logo downloaded from Envato elements on a t-shirt (making no significant modifications to it) is not allowed.
- You cannot copyright/trademark any downloaded assets. You just have the license to use the items, you don’t essentially own them.
Is Licencing for Clients Possible?
Yes, you can provide a sub-license of the downloaded assets to your clients. How do you do that? Simply note down their details, including
- The Date
- Their Company’s Name
- Project Licence Name
- A statement declaring that the particular item was bought on Envato Elements.
After you transfer this document to your clients, the sub-license applies automatically.
But make sure to inform your clients about the License limitations – that they cannot resell, modify, redistribute, or trademark the item in any manner!
Check out this article to know more about Envato Elements Licence Terms.
Pricing Plans
Envato Elements offers a Monthly Plan, an Annual Plan, and a Teams Plan. You get unlimited downloads with all of them while the subscription is active.
- The Monthly Plan costs $33/month.
- The Annual Plan costs $198, which actually comes down to $16.50/month.
I think this is the most affordable plan. Even I have purchased the Annual Plan itself!
- The Teams Plan allows 5 members for $10.75 each. The price varies according to the number of team members.
- Students can get an extra 30% off on the Annual Plan. If you are a student, just provide your educational email id and enjoy the yearly subscription for just $11.50/month!
Along with this, all the plans feature free Envato Tuts+ courses, tutorials, and Ebooks. This is a great opportunity for students and learners!
Envato Elements accepts payments through Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, or American Express. You are also free to quickly cancel your subscription anytime with ease!
Envato Elements Free Trial
Sadly, Envato Elements does not offer any free trials. You can create a free account, though.
The free account gives you access to 12 premium and licensed free files per month!
User Interface and Experience
The interface of Envato Elements is very clean, organized, and easy to use. You get a drop-down menu right beside the search bar to select your preferred category.
All the categories are available in the header section and the filter options are neatly arranged on the left sidebar. The interface is very pleasing!
The stock video footage and video templates can be previewed just by hovering the mouse pointer over them.
Also, the search functionality is par excellence! I was impressed by finding relevant search parameters for all elements including fonts, videos, graphics, stock photos, etc.
As of now, they do not have any desktop or mobile applications. But their mobile interface is decent and very easy to use. From downloading items to licensing them, everything can be effortlessly achieved from the comfort of your mobile phones!
Customer Support
They do not offer phone or live chat support. However, their email support is decent. I received a reply to my query within just 3-4 hours!
Their blog is creatively designed and comprises interesting blogs. They also have an informative FAQ section and a Forum comprising 972k+ posts!
Envato Tuts+
Envato Tuts+ is a library of 1200+ courses and E-books covering all major digital assets available on their website. You can find 29k+ free how-to articles and tutorials on designing, coding, music, audio, motion graphics, business, and more!
These are available for free with your Envato Elements subscription. So, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn new things!
In my opinion, the design and coding tutorials are pretty good, but business tutorials are not that great!
How to Download from Envato Elements?
Downloading an item from Envato Elements is very easy. Assuming that you have already created an account on Envato Elements, let’s go through the download process step-by-step.
Step 1
Go to the Envato Elements’ home page and select a category from the drop-down beside the search bar.
Now, search for your desired keyword, say ‘digital marketing’.
Step 2
Check out the filter options from the left sidebar. When you find the item of your choice, click on the download button beside it.
Now, there are two ways to download it.
Step 3
If you wish to download it with a license, you need to assign it to an existing project, or by creating a new one.
Once you do that, the item will be downloaded with the license.
Step 4
If you just want to try out an asset and do not intend to use it in any projects, then simply clicking on ‘Download without a license’ would download your file.
Pros
Envato Elements is an exceptional platform for online creators. It has lots of advantages like:
-
Unlimited Downloads
Download unlimited items from Envato Elements till your subscription remains active.
-
Verified Assets
All assets are carefully verified by the Envato team to make sure the item is properly licensed.
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Affordable Plans
Compared to other similar services, Envato Elements’ pricing is really affordable at just $198/year, that too with unlimited downloads and lots of educational courses!
-
Great Collection
With their gigantic collection of millions of stock images and videos, thousands of audio tracks, graphic elements, 3D objects and more, you will never run out of creative designs!
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Easy Search & Filter
Search & Filter functions really help to find the exact thing that we are looking for. Filter functions is uniquely designed for every cateogry.
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Free Courses
Envato Elements Subscription comes with Envato Tuts+ which includes free courses, tutorials, ebooks, and informative guides.
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Simple Licensing
Easily add a commercial license to all the items you download, and keep using them even after your subscription ends!
Cons
It might be an outstanding marketplace like no other! But, there are some areas where Envato Elements fails to impress its users. Let’s see what they are.
-
Absence of Premium Assets
In Envato Elements, you don’t get the premium highly downloaded assets that are available on Envato market. Despite that, the collection is pretty good for the price point!
-
No Support for WordPress Themes and Plugins
Envato Elements does not provide any support or option to auto update the WordPress themes and plugins. This is why I don’t recommend using themes and plugins from here.
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Re-registration Required
You need to register your assets again before using them on any other projects. You cannot reuse the asset without re-registration.
Envato Elements Coupon
Envato Elements usually doesn’t provide any coupons to lower the subscription costs. However, you can surely find some deep discounts and offers during the Black Friday Sale.
You can click on this link to check if there’s any discount being offered at present. The coupon code will be automatically applied!
Envato Elements vs Placeit
Placeit is a design, mockup and logo creation tool. It is a more beginner-friendly platform, where you can do everything online. You don’t need editing tools to use Placeit.
Choose your favorite items online. Add them to your project. Edit everything online. Save. Download. And you’re done!
Whereas, Envato Elements is more inclined towards the professional side. Here, you download items and then edit them on your device using editing apps like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
Adobe Stock Vs Shutterstock, Envato Elements, Placeit
Who should use Envato Elements?
Envato Elements has something for all of us! It is well suited for:
- Web Developers and Designers who need codes, HTML templates, WordPress themes, plugins, logos, and icons, etc for designing their apps and websites.
- Bloggers and Content Creators who need stock photos, fonts, and graphic templates for their blog posts.
- Graphic Designers and Illustrators who work with a variety of fonts, logos, illustrator files, graphic elements, templates, styles & LUTs.
- Video Editors and YouTubers looking for royalty-free stock video footage, music, and video templates to use in their videos.
- Audio Creators, Music Producers, and Podcasters looking for royalty-free music and sound effects to make their content even more awesome!
- Freelancers, Entrepreneurs, and Business Executives who want ready-made templates to create innovative designs that stand out!
Envato Elements is the perfect repository of millions of unique items for anyone who creates visual and audio content. You should definitely try it!
Why did I purchase Envato Elements?
I purchased Envato Elements for the first time in December 2019, when I only used it for a month. Later, I purchased its yearly subscription, because I really like the collection they provide at such cheap rates.
I use Envato Elements for finding good royalty-free photos, illustrations, music, videos, and icons.
Also, their courses and tutorials are very helpful. I can easily forward them to my interns so that they can learn the basics of design, coding, audio, motion graphics, etc.
For me their collection of Fonts, to Photoshop actions, to LUTs, or other assets, everything is great. Envato Elements is my one-stop solution for downloading unlimited assets with a premium licence, all with a single click!
Is Envato Elements worth it?
Well, after buying it twice and using it for more than a year I can say that it is DEFINITELY worth every penny!
If you are into any type of online business, or audio/video/graphic content creation, Envato Elements is going to be a game-changer tool for you.
And if you’re still not sure about investing in it, then there’s no harm in surfing, right? Visit Envato Elements and decide for yourself.
Surf around and check if it has anything that you might need for your work.
Alternately, you can also create a free account that offers you 12 premium licensed items for free per month! Now, that’s a sweet deal right there!
Conclusion
With this, we have reached the end of this review. I hope this article helped you decide if Envato Elements is the right choice for you.
So, are you going to buy it? Or have you used it before? How has your experience been so far? Let me know everything in the comments section below.
If you enjoyed reading, and wish to stay updated with my latest blog posts, don’t forget to subscribe to my Newsletter, and get my best content delivered right to your inbox!
This is Kripesh signing off! I’ll see you guys in the next post. Till then, keep learning, keep growing, and keep supporting me! Cheers! ?
FAQ
Are downloads really unlimited in Envato Elements?
Yes, you truly get unlimited downloads with Envato elements with its Premium plans.
There are no restrictions to downloading any items from Envato Elements as long as you are following their user terms, Envato license, and Fair Use Policy.
Is Placeit included in Envato elements?
No, Placeit not included in Envato Elements. They two different websites owned by the company Envato.
Where Placeit has over 65k+ templates, Envato elements has over 53 million+ assets available for a low monthly/yearly price.
Is Envato Elements safe?
Yes, unlike some other digital platforms, Envato Elements takes extra steps to verify the authors selling assets on their platform.
So yes, Envato Elements can trusted.
What’s included with Envato Elements?
If you subscribe to Envato Elements, you get access to millions of fully licensed assets including royalty free stock images, video templates, graphics, audio tracks, sound effects, web templates, WordPress themes, plugins, fonts, presentation templates, and a lot more!
Also, you get access to Envato Tuts+, which provides free ebooks, tutorials and courses on design, coding, business, motion graphics, video, audio, etc.
Do you recommend Envato Elements or Shutterstock?
It depends on your preference. If you need superior quality images and budget is not a problem for you, then check out Shutterstock’s annual plan. It costs $29/month, and you get 10 images per month.
But if you want a decent quality of assets on a budget, then Envato Elements is the best. Get unlimited downloads for just $16.50/month!
I also have a third option which is FreePik. They also provide great design templates in budget.
Is Envato killing their marketplace with Envato elements?
No, if anything, they are only making a smart business move. The best premium quality content available on Envato Market, which can purchased individually.
All the remaining content is available on Envato Elements. It is quite decent in quality and variety, plus you get to choose from millions of these licensed assets!
So, they are growing their business very smartly with Envato Elements.
If I cancel the Envato elements subscription, what will happen to my previously created content?
Canceling your Envato Elements subscription does not affect your previous downloads. If you your previously downloaded assets licensed, you can keep using them.
But the catch is, for using this licensed item in another project, you would need to re-register it, which would require a subscription.
Does envato elements have any coupons to lower the subscription cost?
No, Envato Elements usually does not provide any coupons. It does sometimes have a sales period, though.
They offer interesting deals and discounts during Black Friday Sales, so do check out this link to get the best discounts whenever the sale is live!
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