The 6 best stock video subscriptions of 2025

The best stock video subscription for most people is Envato Elements with the 12-mo plan for $16.50 per month.

Envato Elements unlimited subscription is fantastic for videos, music, SFX, video templates, and fonts, and there’s even a Premiere Pro extension. If you’re seeking a more professional option, I recommend Shutterstock or Adobe Stock, as an upgrade pick.

I still recommend Artlist for anyone who needs 8K footage on a budget and does client work. This subscription includes unlimited downloads, its own video editor, a copyright hotline, above-average video quality, and an AI text-to-speech tool. And you can get RAW/LOG footage as well.

The best stock footage subscriptions at a glance

Site	Videos	Cost	Downloads	Max. resolution
Envato Elements	6.9 million	$16.50/month	Unlimited	4K
Adobe Stock	32.8 million	$29.99/month	1, 3, 6, 30	4K
Artlist	180,000	$29.99/month	Unlimited	8K
Shutterstock	36.6 million	$79/month	5, 10, 20	4K
Pond5	42.8 million	$83/month	10	4K
Motion Array	500,000	$19.99/month	Unlimited	8K
MotionElements	4 million	$16.50/month	Unlimited	4K
Depositphotos	16 million	$49.99/month	5, 10, 25	4K
Storyblocks	1.7 million	$15/month	5, unlimited	4K

Why you should trust me

I have researched and tested all major stock footage subscriptions when looking for the best option for my projects. I used that knowledge to write reviews for Photutorial, which I keep updated as the industry changes.

Along with that, I have written several other buying guides, such as for the best video sites overall, the best affordable options, and top unlimited subscriptions.

I keep this guide regularly updated as I learn new things and as stock video subscriptions change—and trust, they change a lot (I’m looking at you, Shutterstock).

For this guide:

• I combed through dozens (all) of stock video platforms and built a dizzying spreadsheet of all the options to find the best stock footage subscription.
• In 2024, I retested most of these platforms once again, even those I do not use regularly anymore.
• In accordance with our editorial standards, I reviewed and tested the platforms with complete editorial independence.

Standard or unlimited subscriptions?

If you’re familiar with standard video subscriptions from providers like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock, sticking with that model might be the simplest choice. These plans offer a set number of downloads each month for a fixed fee, often with tiers like 5, 10, or 20 video downloads per month that would cost between $70 and $600, on average.

However, if you’re open to other options, consider how many videos you need. Do you frequently require lots of downloads? Are you juggling multiple projects at once? If so, an unlimited subscription is probably a better option.

Unlimited subscriptions let you download as many videos as you want each month (there’s usually a cap between 50 and 200 to prevent misuse) while charging lower monthly fees than standard plans.

Although they are cheaper and provide more videos, these plans tend to have more restrictive royalty-free licensing terms. The main difference is that while the license is perpetual, it covers one project only. Reusing it requires relicensing, which can only be done with an active subscription, meaning you may not use the files you downloaded during your subscription after you cancel.

More often than not, unlimited subscriptions provide little to no indemnification. Unlimited video plans are available only with certain providers who have smaller video collections (up to 10 million videos).

Our pick: Envato Elements

Specs

Videos:	6.9 million	SFX:	778,000
Templates:	627,000	Photos:	11.3 million
Music:	233,000	Indemnity:	$234
Pros:	Unlimited downloads with no daily limits. 12 free assets each month. Assets can be used commercially. Simple licensing. Plans for individuals, teams, and enterprises.	Cons:	One of the lowest indemnities in the industry. After unsubscribing, you cannot use assets for new projects. A small collection of photos and videos compared to specialized stock agencies. No refunds.

Who it’s for: Envato Elements is Photutorial’s top pick as the best unlimited stock video subscription. In short, it’s a subscription-based online platform that offers unlimited downloads of its entire library of creative assets, which include stock footage videos, music, SFX, images, graphics, templates, fonts, and more. This makes it an excellent choice for video editors, marketers, designers, DIY-ers, and creatives in general.

It has the widest variety of media assets. Most video subscriptions are limited to footage only or may also include audio and templates. Envato Elements has all of that plus fonts, photos, vectors, illustrations, icons, plugins, and themes. As a professional video editor, you may not need all of that, but it’s useful to have.

Its prices are affordable even for beginners: The plan for individuals costs $16.50 per month with a 12-month commitment ($198 per year), or $39 per month if you pay monthly. As a student, you get a 30% discount across the board if you can prove eligibility. Envato Elements is affordable for teams as well, which pay from $29.00 to $53.75 per month for 2 to 5 team members.

It has indemnification. It’s uncommon for unlimited subscriptions to come with any insurance. While not as high as the one you get at Shutterstock, Envato Elements provides indemnity in the amount of the last six subscription fees paid. This works out to be $236 for individuals and a bit more for teams. You can get more with a custom plan.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

One license covers one project. You should note that almost all unlimited subscriptions have this policy; even the expensive ones. Whenever you download a video (or any other media file), you assign it to a project (you can have unlimited projects). If you want to use it for new projects, you have to relicense it for that one at no extra cost. However, as a result, you cannot use the downloaded files for new projects after you cancel the subscription, while the projects you created before canceling are still covered.

For pros: Adobe Stock

Videos:	32.8 million	SFX:	0
Templates:	156,000	Photos:	442 million
Music:	85,000	Indemnity:	$10,000
Pros:	Integration with Creative Cloud The most generous free trial (worth $80) Standard and premium visuals Great for designers, video editors, marketers, and other creatives	Cons:	Music selection could be better Very poor customer support Extended licenses only $10,000 indemnity

Adobe Stock is by default integrated into most Adobe apps, has 32.8 million HD and 4K videos in its library, and is overall regarded as the best resource for anyone integrated into Adobe’s ecosystem. It’s generally a bit more expensive than some of its competitors but still provides excellent value for its price.

I like that Adobe Stock subscriptions allow you to download almost any asset, compared to Shutterstock where you need to get a different subscription for each media type. In short, there are four subscriptions that allow you to download 1, 3, 6, or 25 videos per month. Alternatively, you can download between 10 and 750 images or audio files or any combination of videos and other files. The plans are available in monthly and annual subscriptions and cost between $29.99 and $249.99 per month. The bottom line is that you pay from $8 to $30 per video download, which is ever so slightly cheaper than Shutterstock. The three lower-tier subscriptions also come with a one-month free trial and allow you to download 1, 3, or 6 videos for free.

Video clips you download with an active subscription come with the royalty-free Enhance license. You can use the videos on websites, for email marketing, mobile advertising, and broadcasting. However, whether or not you can use videos for YouTube and TikTok videos is not entirely clear. According to their licensing terms, you should be allowed to. I quote, “Include the asset in email marketing, mobile advertising, or a broadcast or digital program/…/ Post the asset to a website or social media site with no limitation on views.” However, talking with their customer support, which is horrible, I got mixed answers—some agents say you can use the Enhanced license for YouTube and TikTok, while others say you need an Extended license. I also browsed their forums, where the answers are again mixed. Based on the licensing terms I quoted above, I believe you should be able to use videos you get with subscriptions.

The main advantage of Adobe Stock is that it’s part of the Creative Cloud suite from the get-go. When you create a New Document in your Adobe apps, you can browse free and paid Adobe Stock templates. When working on a project in Premiere Pro, for example, you can browse videos and other assets by going to Window > Libraries. This opens a window that resembles Adobe Stock’s website. You can preview or add videos to your project. The files will remain watermarked until you license them upon finishing the project. This gives you more flexibility because you can test lots of files without having to buy/license them first.

Also great: Artlist

Videos:	180,000	SFX:	50,000
Templates:	Spec not found	Photos:	0
Music:	60,000	Indemnity:	None
Pros:	Royalty-free license Help with copyright claims Unlimited downloads of 8K footage Highly curated collection Video editing tool and plugins	Cons:	No indemnity Small collection Expensive if you need videos and audio

Artlist is the favorite stock video plan among many YouTubers thanks to their stellar copyright support called Clearlist. You can link your social channels and videos to this tool, and if you get the inevitable copyright claim from YouTube, Artlist’s team will resolve it for you within a few minutes. With video plans, you can add 3 or 5 channels, which is usually enough for most of us. Another major benefit of Artlist is that it’s the cheapest way to get 8K and RAW/LOG footage.

You can get Artlist videos with two of their subscriptions (they also have a few just for audio): Footage & Templates and Max – Everything. The Footage & Templates plan costs $29.99 per month and lets you download videos and all templates, including After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro. It also covers all social platforms, podcasts, paid ads, client work, TV and broadcasting, and websites. Both plans also have the option to upgrade for RAW/LOG footage for an extra $18 monthly. An even better value comes with the Max – Everything plan at $39.99 monthly, which gives you everything you get with the Footage & Templates plan. Plus, you can download music and sound effects, as well as use Artlist’s image and video editing apps and download plugins. But the downside of Artlist’s plans is that they come with a minimum 12-month commitment.

Factors to consider in a stock video subscription

Based on my experience testing, using, and researching stock video subscriptions, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing the best one.

• Quality and resolution: Since videos are your core asset, quality should be a top priority. Look for a service that offers a wide range of resolutions, from HD (1080p) up to 4K and beyond. All the subscriptions I included in this list offer at least 4K footage, with Artlist being the only one that also comes with 8K footage.
• Variety and style: A good stock video subscription should cover a broad range of subjects and aesthetics to fit your diverse needs. Consider what kind of content you create and the overall style you want to achieve. Do you need specific niches like aerial shots, time-lapses, or slow motion? Before subscribing, check if the provider offers the kind of videos you need. Variety also relates to the number of video clips in the library with more being better.
• Licensing and usage rights: Licensing terms differ a bit among stock video providers, but rarely enough to make a big difference. All licenses are royalty-free, meaning you only have to pay once to download the video and then you can use it forever. One exception here is unlimited subscriptions such as Envato, Artlist, and Motion Array, which allow you to use the clips in the existing projects forever, but you can’t use them for new projects after you cancel the subscription. Unlimited subscriptions generally also provide a smaller or no indemnification.
• Pricing and number of downloads: We stock photo subscriptions when we need lots of downloads and we care about the budget—because we commit for a month or a year, subscriptions are cheaper per download than buying clips individually. Typically subscriptions like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock allow up to 30 downloads per month, and if you need more, you can get a custom plan, buy video packs, or combine subscriptions from several providers at the same time, which I prefer. If you need lots of videos, unlimited subscriptions are generally the better option because they are much cheaper. For example, I love using Envato Elements and Artlist at the same time because I get an amazing variety of content for less than $50 per month, while I get only 5 videos from Shutterstock for $80.
• Ease of use and search functionality: A good stock video website should have an intuitive interface and robust search tools. Look for advanced filtering options to help you find the right clips by keywords, resolution, style, duration, etc. Clear previews and well-organized categories enhance the browsing experience and save you time.

Other stock video subscriptions I like

The three video subscriptions I listed above are excellent, but there are also other options that might work for you but are not my first choice.

Shutterstock is synonymous with stock photos, but it also has one of the largest footage collections. Currently, Shutterstock has 36.6 million SD, HD, and 4K videos (about 70% of videos are available in 4K). You can buy them with subscriptions in sizes of 5, 10, and 20 monthly downloads that cost from $79 to $669 per month. The only reason Shutterstock is among the top three is that there’s a 500K views limit for videos on platforms like YouTube, and if you want more, you need to get an Enhanced license which is much more costly.

Pond5: Pond5 is the largest stock video site and is ideal for corporate clients because you can get up to $1 million in indemnity with their extended licenses. It’s amazing for on-demand purchases, but I am not fond of their subscriptions. The video subscription costs $199 per month or $999 per year for 10 videos per month, which is comparable to Shutterstock and Adobe Stock. But although Pond5 has a large video collection, subscriptions grant you access to only 10% of that.

Motion Array: Motion Array is owned by Artlist and is in many aspects similar to Artlist. Motion Array is a bit cheaper with its unlimited downloads plan, starting at $19.99 per month annually or $29.99 per month with an annual commitment. Artlist has a better selection of videos and audio, while Motion Array has graphics, photos, and presets, which you cannot find at Artlist.

MotionElements: MotionElements is very similar to Envato Elements in terms of content and price ($16.50 per month), but has a smaller selection and is overall less reputable. 

Depositphotos: Among typical subscriptions where you get a fixed number of downloads each month, Depositphotos is one of the most affordable ones. For $67 to $199 per month, you get 5, 10, or 25 video downloads, which equals $5.63–$17.80 per video. But their license is a bit worse because you get only $5,000 indemnification flat, compared to $10,000 at iStock, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock, which can be increased to $250,000 with extended licenses.

Videvo: Videvo.net is very affordable, but its parent company, Freepik, has been neglecting it for the last year and a half, which I also confirmed with Freepik themselves. Despite the low price, I think it’s probably not worth or safe for your money anymore because you can never know when it may get discontinued. However, if you can look past that, you will get decent value for your money and even some free stock footage.

Storyblocks: I used to like Storyblocks a lot, because it’s a great video subscription with its own video editor and is quite affordable, but in the last two years, their prices have increased by 10% without them adding any new features or content. Also, many users complain about issues with their service, and many are switching to Artlist.

Quick recap

• Envato Elements: The best unlimited stock video subscription
• Adobe Stock: Best for pros and Adobe users
• Artlist: Best for 8K footage
• Shutterstock
• Pond5
• Motion Array
• MotionElements
• Depositphotos
• Storyblocks