Comparison
Best stock footage subscriptions for video editors (2026): Storyblocks vs Envato vs Artlist vs Pond5
October 14, 2026 · 5 min read
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Every stock footage subscription promises «unlimited», but they mean different things: which resolutions, whether music comes with it, and — the part people miss — whether you can keep using clips after you stop paying.
Prices are from the vendors' own pages, checked on 14 October 2026, in US dollars before tax.
At a glance
| Storyblocks | Envato | Artlist | Pond5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest way in | $21/mo billed yearly | $16.50/mo billed yearly | $239.90/yr (HD footage) | $39 for one standard clip |
| Footage plan | Essentials: 8K, 4K & HD, templates | Core: stock video in a 29M+ asset library | Footage & Templates: up to 8K, $383.88/yr | Footage Plus: select HD & 4K clips, $999/yr |
| Downloads | Unlimited | Unlimited (fair use) | Unlimited | 10 a month |
| Music | Unlimited All Access, $30/mo yearly | Included | Max plans, from $29.99/mo yearly | Included in Footage Plus |
| After you cancel | Work finished while subscribed stays licensed | Finished projects stay licensed | Projects published while subscribed stay covered | Downloads stay licensed for good |
Storyblocks: unlimited B-roll at a flat price
Essentials gives unlimited downloads of 8K, 4K and HD footage plus video templates for $21/mo billed yearly. Music and sound effects need Unlimited All Access at $30/mo. The individual licence covers commercial work for your own clients, as long as you're the only person doing it.
The catch: what you finish during the subscription stays licensed forever, but clips can't go into new projects after you cancel. The individual licence also excludes broadcast, TV and OTT, and bulk-downloading files with no project in mind breaks the terms.
Best for: YouTubers and freelancers who burn through B-roll every week.
Envato: footage plus everything else
Envato Core is the cheapest of the four for unlimited stock video, and the same subscription covers music, SFX, video templates, fonts and graphics. Each download is licensed to one project; after you unsubscribe, finished projects stay covered but old downloads can't start new ones.
Best for: editors who live on templates and want music in the same plan.
Artlist: the cinematic look, in pro formats
Artlist sells footage in tiers. Footage Basic ($239.90/yr) is pre-graded HD in H.264. Footage & Templates ($383.88/yr) goes up to 8K in ProRes/DNxHR, with templates. Footage & Templates Pro ($599/yr) adds RAW/LOG. Projects you create and publish while subscribed are covered forever. Max Pro ($39.99/mo billed yearly) bundles footage with music and SFX.
Best for: filmmakers who grade their own footage and want a consistent, cinematic library.
Pond5: pay for what you use
Pond5 is the odd one out. Footage Plus costs $199/mo or $999/yr for 10 downloads a month from a selection of its library, and single clips can be bought outright — Pond5's plan guide lists standard clips at $39. The upside: Pond5 licences don't expire, so everything you downloaded stays licensed after you cancel.
Best for: occasional projects, and the specific shots unlimited libraries don't have.
Make stock footage look like yours
Clips from different shooters rarely match. Grading them with the same LUT ties them together — Editor Hub's free LUT library previews film looks on your own frame before you download. On a zero budget, Stock Media searches free Pexels and Pixabay footage in one place.
Which one should you pick?
- Lots of B-roll every week: Storyblocks.
- Footage, templates, music and fonts on one bill: Envato.
- A graded, cinematic look and RAW/LOG: Artlist.
- A handful of specific shots a year: Pond5.
Try it now
Stock Media