In today’s digital age, access to high-quality stock media is essential for content creators, and Envato Elements stands out as a top-notch solution. In this comprehensive review, we’ll dive deep into its features, pricing, and alternatives to help you make an informed choice. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newbie in the creative industry, Envato Elements could be the game-changer you’ve been waiting for.
A Wealth of Media at Your Fingertips
Envato Elements is a treasure trove of stock videos, images, audio, graphics, and an extensive collection of templates designed to streamline your content creation process. The service is renowned for its user-friendly interface and well-organized library, making it a breeze to find the media you need.
Pricing & Plans: Affordable and Transparent
Envato Elements offers a subscription model that sets it apart from the competition. For just $16.50 per month, you gain unlimited access to a vast library of assets. What’s more, students enjoy a generous 30% discount, making it an even more attractive option. With a commercial license included, you’re free to use these assets for both personal and professional projects.
While there are some limitations, such as restrictions on reselling and broadcasting, these are common in the industry and don’t diminish the value offered. This straightforward pricing structure makes Envato Elements an excellent choice for creatives on a budget.
Interface & Experience: Streamlined and Efficient
The user interface of Envato Elements is intuitive, making it a joy to navigate. The site offers a search function that delivers instant results, categorized neatly into videos, photos, sound effects, graphics, and more. Hovering over a video thumbnail allows you to preview it, ensuring it meets your needs before you commit.
Envato Elements also provides filters to narrow your search and find precisely what you’re looking for. With parameters such as predominant color and the number of people in an image, you can refine your results efficiently. The number of matching files is displayed next to each filter, saving you time by letting you know if it’s worth selecting them.
Selecting Media: Comprehensive Details
Once you’ve found the media you need, clicking on a thumbnail takes you to the asset’s page, providing additional details. These include resolution for photos, dimensions and duration for videos, and other essential information. Keywords and similar media are also readily available, facilitating your creative process.
The convenience doesn’t stop there; if you appreciate an artist’s work, Envato Elements offers a row of thumbnails allowing you to explore more of their creations. For subscribers, downloading the media is a straightforward process, ensuring a smooth workflow.
MixKit: Free Video and Audio Resources
Envato’s MixKit is a valuable companion platform that provides free video clips, stock music, sound effects, and templates for video and VFX software. Whether you use Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve, MixKit has you covered.
The search concept mirrors Envato Elements, with the added benefit of free resources. You don’t even need to create an account to access these assets. While some clips may offer lower resolutions for free, these are rare occurrences, and the service is generous overall. If you find something you prefer on MixKit, it’s important to note that you may need to pay if you want the higher-quality version.
Reshot: Free Icons and Illustrations
Reshot, another division of Envato, offers a diverse selection of free icons and vector illustrations. With a user-friendly website, it’s easy to find and download the icons or illustrations you need. These resources come in SVG or PNG formats, providing flexibility for your projects.
While the selection is somewhat limited, the quality is impressive, and the freedom to use these assets as you see fit is a significant advantage. Unlike MixKit, Reshot is not integrated into Envato Elements, so you won’t find links to subscription-based options here.
Scorecard: Envato Elements in Review
- Pricing & Plans: 4.5/5 – Affordable and transparent subscription model.
- Interface & Experience: 4/5 – Intuitive and well-organized interface.
- Selecting Media: 4/5 – Efficient and comprehensive details for assets.
- MixKit: 4/5 – Valuable resource for free video and audio media.
- Reshot: 3.5/5 – Limited but high-quality selection of icons and illustrations.
Should You Try Envato Elements?
Envato Elements is a must-try for anyone in search of an affordable subscription with access to a diverse range of media. If you’re a creative professional, the single subscription rate and wealth of content make it an attractive choice. Even if you’re not a fan of subscriptions, MixKit and Reshot offer free resources that can benefit your projects.
Explore Envato Elements Alternatives
While Envato Elements offers a compelling package, it’s always a good idea to consider alternatives. We’ve reviewed several stock content sites, including iStock, Vecteezy, Shutterstock, and Unsplash, which could also meet your creative needs.
In conclusion, Envato Elements provides a straightforward and affordable solution for accessing a wide variety of stock media. Its companion platforms, MixKit and Reshot, further enhance its value by offering free resources. Whether you’re a student on a budget or a professional content creator, Envato Elements has something to offer. Try it today and unlock the full potential of your creative projects.