Unlimited stock footage subscriptions are a great way to save your budget when you need lots of videos. Yet some subscriptions are still expensive or don’t offer good videos. After years of experience, we think that Envato Elements is the best choice for most users. While its quality is comparable to others, it has lots more videos (3.1 million) and is affordably priced ($16.50/month). It’s also the only video subscription with a free trial. If you value superb quality, we recommend Artgrid (yearly only, costing $19.99–$49.92/month), which offers up to 8K. If you’re on a budget, we recommend Videvo.net ($12–$20/month), which still has very good video quality.
Best Unlimited Stock Video Subscriptions of 2023
- Envato Elements: Best overall
- Artgrid: Best quality
- Videvo: Budget pick
- Storyblocks: Good alternative
- Storytape: Very expensive
- FilmHERO: Artgrid alternative
- Provideo Factory: Videvo alternative
The Best Unlimited Stock Footage Sites of 2023
Envato Elements
- Videos: 3.2 million
- Price: $16.50–$39.00/month
- Free trial: 7-days (full access)
- Max. video quality: 4K
Why We Picked It
Envato Elements has the largest collection of stock videos (3.1 million) among unlimited stock footage subscriptions and is also one of the cheapest. Individuals can get it for between $16.50 and $39.00 per month, while students get a 35% discount, so they pay only $11.00 per month. You can also use the free trial, which lasts for 7 days.
The Envato Elements License permits commercial use, but you must license creative assets for each use separately, even if you use the same asset twice. This means that after you cancel the subscription, you may not use the downloaded assets for new projects, but you may keep using them in the existing projects.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unlimited downloads with no daily limits.
- 7-day free trial with full access to all creative assets.
- Assets can be used commercially.
- Simple licensing.
- Plans for individuals, teams, and enterprises.
Cons
- One of the lowest indemnities in the industry.
- Can’t use creative assets for new projects after unsubscribing.
- A small collection of photos and videos compared to other stock agencies.
- No refunds.
Who It’s For
We recommend Envato Elements to anyone who needs a lot of videos, images, music, and other creative content. It’s also ideal for freelancers looking for an inexpensive, straightforward, high-quality source of creative content and mockup generators. For $7.47/month, you get unlimited downloads.
Artgrid
- Videos: 250 thousand
- Price: $19.99–$49.92/month
- Free trial: /
- Max. video quality: 8K
Why We Picked It
Artgrid offers the highest video quality of all the unlimited stock footage sites we tested and is therefore the best stock video subscription. It is also used by many famous YouTubers, such as Peter McKinnon. The video quality sets Artgrid apart from other stock footage providers. Their videos are technically excellent, impactful, and add a lot of value to your projects because their quality is immediately recognizable.
Artgrid offers three subscriptions: Junior, Creator, and Pro. The Junior subscription ($19.99/month) is ideal for simple video projects as you’ve access to HD clips, H.264 format, and tiered footage. The Creator subscription ($29.99/month) is best for freelancers, client work, and social media. It gives you 4K and 8K clips, ProRes/DNxHR, and graded footage. The Pro subscription ($49.92/month) is a must for commercials and broadcasts, as you also get RAW / LOG clips in addition to the Creator subscription.
All plans include lifetime use (royalty-free license), cover all platforms worldwide, and even support YouTube monetization, so you don’t have to worry about facing demonetization penalties.
If you need music and sound effects too, you’ll need to purchase a separate subscription from Artgrid’s sister company, Artlist. Subscriptions there cost from $9.99 to $16.60 per month and support all platforms and monetization, just like on Artgrid.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unlimited video downloads.
- Up to 8K footage quality.
- RAW/LOG clips, ProRes/DNxHR, graded footage.
- Verified for YouTube monetization.
- Covers all platforms worldwide.
Cons
- No free trial.
- Music and SFX are sold separately at Artlist.
- No on-demand options.
Who It’s For
Thanks to the variety of subscription plans, Artgrid is an excellent source of footage for amateurs, freelancers, and professionals. All plans allow YouTube monetization and cover all platforms, meaning it’s also great for streamers and YouTubers.
Videvo
- Videos: 384 thousand
- Price: $12.00–$20.00/month
- Max. video quality: 4K
- Free trial: /
Why We Picked It
Unlike other stock footage sites, Videvo offers free stock videos in addition to premium clips. More than 18K videos are free to use with attribution to the author and/or Videvo. If you want to avoid giving credit, you have to get a premium plan, like Videvo Plus. The video quality is satisfactory, with even pretty specific topics covered. However, sometimes finding a quality free video is not possible. In this case, you would need to resort to the premium plans.
Very affordable plans set Videvo apart from other stock footage sites. The monthly Videvo Lite plan costs $5/mo (5 videos), and the annual Videvo Plus costs $12/mo (unlimited downloads). The yearly plans represent the best value given that the downloads are fully unlimited. Videvo Pro in particular, is a one-stop creative destination for unlimited stock footage, motion graphics, templates, music, and audio, all for $240/year. Premium downloads are licensed under a royalty-free license, allowing for perpetual use, even in commercial projects. However, content labeled “Editorial use only”, may be used for non-commercial purposes only.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- One of the cheapest stock video subscriptions.
- Large collection of free stock videos.
- Unlimited downloads
Cons
- A small selection of stock footage.
- Unlimited downloads are available only with annual plans.
Who It’s For
Due to affordable pricing but lower video quality and selection, Videvo is the best for amateurs and freelancers on a low budget.
Storyblocks
- Videos: 744 thousand
- Price: $20.00–$30.00/month
- Max. video quality: 4K
- Free trial: /
Why We Picked It
Even the best video editors in the world use Storyblocks. First, the unlimited downloads allow them to test out different clips. Otherwise, you have to buy the videos before trying them. Adobe, with Adobe Stock integration in the Creative Cloud, is the exception. But, it’s more expensive and doesn’t offer unlimited downloads.
Second, the high quality and quantity of videos ensure that you will always be able to find what you need for any project. As a result, Storyblocks proves useful for many video editors who lack their own videos. Unlimited downloads give you the ability to download videos without paying attention to the quotas.
Lastly, nobody else offers footage, music, After Effects, Adobe Premiere templates, and images in one inexpensive plan.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Built-in video editor
- Good collection of videos
- Great video quality
Cons
- Many dissatisfied customers
- Fewer videos than Envato Elements
More Details
- Access to 1 million+ premium, royalty-free video, audio, and image assets.
- Flexible plans, including monthly and yearly subscription options.
- A powerful, easy-to-use, online video editing tool that lets you create more.
- Access to Storyblocks’ unique data and insights helps you curate the right content for your audience.
- One plan for videos, music, After Effects, and Video Maker.
- The best ratio between price and video quality and quantity.
- Trusted by the world’s best video editors.
Why We Picked It
Storytape divides all videos into scenes. For example, “Gloomy Morning Mountains” contains 77 clips, and they all look alike. That way, you can get several high-quality videos with a specific motive. However, that feature makes browsing for videos rather annoying. Even when you enter a search phrase, you need to open every scene individually to see the videos. The slow website makes matters even worse.
Moreover, the search doesn’t work as intended. For example, the phrase “cat” returns four scenes: “Cats At Home”, “Dog Playing in Backyard”, “Young Woman On Cell Phone”, and “Small Dog In Apartment”. Only one out of four is relevant. For $199/month, you get unlimited downloads of 4K and 1080p videos and After Effects templates. Compared to Storyblocks, you pay 10x more, but you get 20x fewer videos.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers graded and ungraded footage
- Offers also standard subscriptions ($29–$99/month)
Cons
- Very expensive for no apparent reason
- Poor customer support
- Only 500 videos are added monthly
More Details
- Videos are divided into scenes;
- The website is super-slow, and the search doesn’t work properly;
- Plans are expensive.
FilmHERO
- Videos: 12,000
- Price: $15–$49/month
- Video quality: 4K (graded & log)
- Free trial: /
Why We Picked It
FilmHERO‘s library collection contains only 12K videos. Although that sounds like a lot, it isn’t because the options on any given topic are scarce. A library needs at least 100,000 videos for a sufficient variety. FilmHERO offers three purchasing options: one on-demand pack and two subscription plans. The best price per video is available with the yearly subscription plan. While it costs only $15, you only get 12,000 stock videos. In comparison, you get more than 1 million videos for $20. I tried searching for footage of a cat. And the results contained eight collections of couples and one collection of 10 cat videos.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 4K graded and log clips
- H264, DNxHQ, ProRes
Cons
- Affordable pricing only with a yearly commitment
- Not the best website
More Details
- Cheap plans;
- Small number of videos and poor video variety.
Why We Picked It
Provideo Factory is the cheapest unlimited download option on this list. But it’s not at the top. Here’s why: The videos are just not good. From a technical standpoint, they’re okay. But the artistic value is not there. A large portion of videos looks like an amateur shot them. Also, the search engine does not work because it searches based on word resemblance instead of meaning. For example, searching for a “cat” returns videos of cats (duh), Xmas, cars, camels, cabs, and hats.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Up to 8K resolution
- ProRes, H.264, graded, and log footage
- Offers also audio, templates, and animations
Cons
- Misleading pricing (promotes 50% off with the annual plan but gives 40%)
- More expensive than Videvo
More Details
- The cheapest option;
- Video quality is mediocre at best;
- Searching is useless.
Specifications: How our picks compare
Number of videos
- Envato Elements: 3.1 million
- Artgrid: 300,000
- Videvo: 500,000
- Storyblocks: 600,000
- Storytape: 26,000
- FilmHERO: 12,000
- Provideo Factory: 200,000
Price per month for unlimited downloads
- Envato Elements: $16.50–39.00/month
- Artgrid: $30–$50/month
- Videvo: $12–$20/month
- Storyblocks: $20–$30/month
- Storytape: $199-$249/month
- FilmHERO: $15-$49/month
- Provideo Factory: $9–$19/month
Maximum video quality
- Envato Elements: 4K
- Artgrid: 8K (RAW, LOG, ProRes, DNxHR, graded)
- Videvo: 4K
- Storyblocks: 4K
- Storytape: 4K
- FilmHERO: 4K (graded & log)
- Provideo Factory: 8K
What to Consider
There are a few specs to consider before zeroing in on the perfect site for unlimited stock video downloads for you:
- Price: When choosing a video source, you need to consider how much you can spend each month on a subscription. Often, the quality of the videos and the service you get are proportional to the price, but there are exceptions. We’ve ranked the websites according to the price-to-quality ratio.
- Video quality & variety: Video quality doesn’t only mean the maximum resolution, although it’s important, but also the technical execution and impactfulness. In the same manner, variety and the number of videos are crucial to the unlimited stock video sites because you can quickly run out of fresh downloads.
- Licensing: Whether you need footage for YouTube or for marketing purposes, make sure your intended use is covered by the license. In most cases, a royalty-free license that allows unlimited commercial use is right for you.
- Website usability: Even if it’s nothing to do with videos, it’s important that you choose a stock footage website that works smoothly. We’ve often been annoyed by slow websites or cases where our downloads have “disappeared”. So before you choose a website, you should check how well it runs.
The best way to get unlimited stock footage downloads
Videvo is the best way to get unlimited stock footage downloads. We recommend purchasing the Videvo Pro yearly plan ($20/month), which grants you:
- Unlimited downloads of HD & 4K footage;
- Unlimited downloads of video templates;
- Unlimited downloads of music and sound effects;
- Money-back guarantee;
The cheaper Videvo Plus ($12/month) is similar to the Pro plan but with no music and sound effects downloads.
How much do unlimited stock footage subscriptions cost?
Subscription plans with unlimited downloads of videos cost between $10/month and $249/month. The price depends on the seller. But it does not correlate with the video quality. In fact, Videvo’s and Artgrid’s videos are exceptional and inexpensive.
We listed stock footage sites that offer unlimited downloads, taking into consideration video quality, number, pricing, and legitimacy.
Provider | Price | Video count |
---|---|---|
Envato Elements | $16.50–39.00/month | 3.1 million |
Artgrid | $30–$50/month | 300,000 |
Videvo | $12–$20/month | 500,000 |
Storyblocks | $20–$30/month | 600,000 |
Storytape | $199–$249/month | 26,000 |
FilmHERO | $15–$49/month | 12,000 |
Provideo factory | $9–$19/month | 200,000 |
How to Get Unlimited Stock Footage?
How to Get Unlimited Stock Footage?
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Go to Videvo.net.
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Choose a plan.
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Enter payment information.
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Confirm the payment.
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Start downloading footage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best unlimited stock footage site?
Storyblocks provides the best ratio between price, video quality, number, and license usage. Unlimited stock footage downloads are available for only $20/month.
How much does Storyblocks cost?
Storyblocks (previously known as Videoblocks) cost $20 per month for unlimited footage downloads, $15 for unlimited music downloads, and $30 for unlimited footage, music, After Effects, and images.
What is the best stock footage subscription?
The Unlimited All Access plan provides everything a video editor needs. You get unlimited downloads of HD & 4K footage, After Effects templates, music & sound effects, photos, vectors, and illustrations for $30/month.
How can I buy stock footage without a watermark?
When you purchase a stock footage plan, every clip you download will be without a watermark. Choose one of the best unlimited downloads stock footage sites, such as Artgrid or Storyblocks. And purchase a subscription plan. The best part is that you can use this footage legally forever for almost any project.
Is it legal to use stock footage?
After you acquire a license to a particular video clip, you can legally use it within the allowed uses. Its uses depend on the license. If you break the license agreement, you might get into legal issues.
Is there free stock footage?
You can get free stock footage, but most experts, including me, advise against it. Free stock footage is licensed under a creative commons zero license, which provides no legal guarantees. On the other hand, choosing unlimited download plans is virtually the same as downloading it for free. Plus, you know that what you’re doing is legitimate.
Conclusion
Unlimited download plans of stock footage are a true blessing for video editors of any caliber. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, always having an unlimited supply of footage at your hands is one of the best ways to supercharge your career.
Methodology
We reviewed 15 stock footage sites based on 14 data points in the categories of video quality and variety, pricing, licensing, video number, customer support, and additional features. We chose the 6 best stock footage sites with unlimited video downloads on the weighting assigned to each category:
- Video quality & variety: 20%
- Pricing: 20%
- Licensing: 20%
- Video number: 15%
- Additional features: 15%
- Customer support: 10%
Within each category, we also considered several characteristics, the number of videos per most popular searches, technical quality, and added value. We also looked at the variety of pricing plans, minimum, median, and maximum footage prices, and free trial terms. Finally, we evaluated stock footage sites’ customer support, licensing, and additional features that would enhance customers’ workflow.
Sources
- Pricing of Artgrid subscriptions. Artgrid. Access August 14, 2022.
- Pricing of Artlist subscriptions. Artlist. Access August 14, 2022.
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