Storyblocks is a stock media subscription built around footage. Its plans cover 8K, 4K and HD video, video templates, photos and vector graphics, with music and sound effects on its higher plans. If you need fonts, a free library, a one-time purchase or a library made for editors and designers rather than stock footage, another service may fit your work better.
We compared eight alternatives on what they include, how their licenses work after you cancel, and what their plans cost. Every price and library number here comes from each service's own pricing, plan or license page, checked in November 2026. Where a service doesn't publish a number, we don't guess one.
Storyblocks at a glance
Storyblocks says its library holds millions of assets but doesn't publish an exact count. Its plans include stock video in 8K, 4K and HD, video templates, photos, and vectors and illustrations. Music and sound effects come with Unlimited All Access and higher plans. It describes its stock library as 100% human-made, with no generative AI content. Essentials, All Access and Small Business include monthly AI Toolkit credits (3,000, 4,500 and 6,000) for video editing and video and image generation, with voiceover on All Access and above. It also offers an Adobe Creative Cloud plugin.
Plans: Essentials is $42 a month, or $21 a month billed annually ($252 a year), and covers footage, templates and images without music or sound effects. Unlimited All Access is $65 a month, or $30 a month billed annually ($360 a year). Small Business is $40 a month billed annually ($480 a year) for companies under 50 employees, not including agencies, production companies or broadcasters. The Business plan is quoted.
License: On Individual and Small Business plans, projects you created before your subscription ended stay covered, but you can't use your saved assets in new projects after it ends. The Business plan adds $1M indemnification and broadcast and OTT use. There is no free trial. A free account lets you browse, make folders and get watermarked previews.
The Alternatives
1. Motionstyles
Motionstyles is a marketplace of 16,000+ video templates, graphics, fonts, music, sound effects and AI assets made by independent creators. It isn't a stock footage library. It focuses on assets for editors and designers, organized into hand-picked Made For collections for churches, sports, realtors, weddings, educators, YouTubers and more.
The library includes 6,400+ video items (templates for After Effects, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Apple Motion, plus compositing overlays like smoke, fire, particles and light leaks), 6,700+ graphics (for Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Procreate, Canva and more), 1,100+ fonts, 1,100+ music tracks, 550+ sound effects and 200+ AI assets such as Midjourney style codes, prompts and LoRA models. Unlike Storyblocks, it includes fonts, and music and sound effects come with every paid plan. Each music track shows its Content ID and P.R.O. status, and the music license covers broadcast, film and live events.
If you use Storyblocks mostly for b-roll, Motionstyles won't replace it. It works best alongside a footage source, or on its own if your work is mostly templates, titles, graphics and music.
Plans: Free at $0 with unlimited free downloads, Pro at $24 a month or $120 a year, and Lifetime at $299 one time. Pro and Lifetime cover the full library for one user. See plans.
License: Commercial and client work are covered. Each item is used in one end product, while fonts and add-ons install on up to two devices and work across projects while you're subscribed. Finished projects stay licensed after you cancel, and new projects need an active plan. Lifetime access does not expire. Read the license.
Pros:
- Fonts, graphics, music and sound effects on every paid plan
- Curated collections built around who you create for
- Free plan and a one-time Lifetime option
Cons:
- No stock photos or b-roll footage
- No AI generation or voiceover tools (AI assets are prompts, style codes and models)
- A smaller, more focused library than all-in-one platforms
2. Envato Elements
Envato Elements covers the same kinds of media as Storyblocks and adds fonts and 3D. It lists 30+ million assets, including 10.2M+ stock videos, 160,000+ video templates, 16.7M+ photos, 350,000+ music tracks, 950,000+ sound effects, 440,000+ graphic templates, 300,000+ graphics, 82,000+ fonts and 380,000+ 3D items. Its AI tools cover images, video, voiceover, music and sound, and graphics and mockups.
Plans: Core is $39 a month, or $16.50 a month billed annually, and includes 20 AI credits a month. Plus is $59 a month or $39 a month billed annually, with 200 AI credits. Ultimate is $259 a month or $168 a month billed annually, with more AI credits. Students get 30% off Core, and there are Teams and Enterprise plans.
License: Each license covers one specific project, so every new use needs a new license. Fonts and add-ons install once and work across projects while you're subscribed. Licenses for projects you completed while subscribed stay valid, but after you unsubscribe you can't use items in new work. Music items can't be used in broadcast presentations.
Pros:
- Adds fonts and 3D to footage, templates, audio and photos
- AI tools for images, video, voiceover, music and graphics
- Student discount on Core
Cons:
- Each project needs its own license
- No free trial on the pricing page
- Music not allowed in broadcast presentations
3. Motion Array
Motion Array, part of Artlist, is built around video templates and editing tools. Its Everything plan includes video templates and presets, motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, graphics and photos, LUTs, 50+ video-editing plugins and AI voiceovers. It doesn't publish a library count, and its plans don't list fonts or 3D.
Plans: Everything is $39.99 a month, or $24.99 a month billed yearly ($299.88). The Video Templates plan is $23.99 a month, or $15.99 a month billed yearly ($191.88). Teams (2 to 7 seats, for companies under 50 employees) and Business (agencies and companies with 50+ employees) don't list prices. A free account includes free assets.
License: One user, any type of project. Projects you create during your subscription are covered for life. After you cancel, you move to a free account and can't use the assets in new projects. Nearly all assets are cleared for commercial use, and a few image and video items are marked editorial use only.
Pros:
- Templates, footage, music and sound effects in one plan
- 50+ video-editing plugins included
- Free account with free assets
Cons:
- No fonts or 3D listed in its plans
- No library count published
- Agencies and companies with 50+ employees need the Business plan
4. Artlist
Artlist's plans are built around music and sound effects. The Max plan adds stock footage, templates, LUTs, plugins and AI generation for images, video, voiceover and music across 100+ models. Its plans don't include graphics, fonts or photos.
Plans: Music & SFX starts at $9.99 a month with a Social license for personal channels. Music & SFX Pro, which covers commercial and client work, is $299 billed annually ($24.92 a month). Max starts at $50.66 a month billed annually with 16,500 AI credits, and Max Business is $399 a month billed annually for up to 7 team members. Monthly billing is offered on Music & SFX Social and some AI-only plans, not on Max. AI-only plans start at $11.99 a month billed annually.
License: Projects you create and publish while subscribed are covered forever. The Pro license covers commercial use, client work and up to three channels per platform. The Social license covers one personal channel per platform. Agencies, broadcasters and companies with 50+ employees need the Business license.
Pros:
- Music with stems on its music plans
- Wide range of AI generation tools on Max
- Free account to test watermarked songs, footage and AI tools
Cons:
- No graphics, fonts or photos
- Max is billed annually only
- Social license is limited to personal channels
5. Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock lists 900M+ assets: photos, vectors and illustrations, HD and 4K video, music, 3D models, lights and materials, and templates for Premiere Pro and After Effects. Plans with AI Studio add AI image editing and generative credits for video edits.
Plans: The plans on Adobe's pricing page are annual commitments billed monthly: 10 assets a month for US$29.99, 10 assets plus AI Studio for US$39.99 (with a 7-day free trial), 40 assets plus AI Studio for US$89.99, and Unlimited Stock plus AI Studio for US$129.99 a month. Metered plans include 1 to 6 videos a month, and Unlimited covers standard assets plus HD and 4K video. Cancelling after 14 days can cost up to half of the remaining annual commitment. One-time credit packs are available too.
License: Metered plans use a Standard license, which is perpetual for each licensed asset. The Unlimited plan uses an Enhanced license: after it ends you can keep using assets already in existing projects, but you can't use them in anything new. Adobe offers up to US$10,000 in indemnification.
Pros:
- Very large library, including photos and 3D
- Templates for Premiere Pro and After Effects
- Unused credits on metered plans roll over
Cons:
- Metered plans cap assets per month
- Annual commitment with an early cancellation fee
- No sound effects or fonts listed in its plans
6. Videohive
Videohive is Envato's pay-per-item marketplace for video. Instead of a subscription, you buy each video template, motion graphics item or stock clip on its own, at a price set per item. Its homepage counter showed 11,987,137 stock footage clips, video effects and video templates in November 2026.
License: The Regular license covers one end product that is free to the end user, and you can charge a client for making it. If the end user pays for the end product, you need the Extended license. Each license covers one end product, so one purchase can't be reused across clients or jobs. Items can't be used in stock items or templates.
Pros:
- No subscription to keep up
- Stock clips and templates in one marketplace
- Pay only for the items you use
Cons:
- Every item is a separate purchase
- Extended license needed when the end user pays
- No music or fonts on Videohive itself
7. Pexels
Pexels is a free library of stock photos and videos. If you mainly use Storyblocks for footage and photos, it is a free place to start. It has no templates, music, sound effects or graphics.
License: All photos and videos are free to use, attribution isn't required, and you can modify them. You can't show identifiable people in a bad light or in an offensive way, sell unaltered copies (for example as prints or physical products), imply endorsement, redistribute the files on other stock or wallpaper platforms, or use them in trademarks or business names.
Pros:
- Free, with no attribution required
- Photos and video in one place
- Files can be modified
Cons:
- No templates, music or sound effects
- Limits on how identifiable people can be shown
- Unaltered copies can't be sold, for example as prints
8. Mixkit
Mixkit is a free library made by Envato. It has 46,000+ stock video clips, 1,000+ music tracks, 3,000+ sound effects and 851 video templates for Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve, plus free icons.
License: Most items are free to use in commercial and personal projects, with no attribution required. Free music can't be used in TV or radio broadcasts, video games, or CDs and DVDs, and some clips use a Restricted license for personal projects only, so check the license on each item.
Pros:
- Free, with no attribution required
- Templates for four editing apps
- Video, music and sound effects in one place
Cons:
- Much smaller library than paid services
- Free music is not cleared for TV or radio broadcast
- Some clips are for personal use only
FAQ
Does Storyblocks include music?
Music and sound effects come with Unlimited All Access and higher plans. The Essentials plan covers footage, templates and images only. Among the alternatives, Envato Elements, Motion Array's Everything plan, Artlist and Motionstyles Pro and Lifetime include music, and Mixkit has free tracks with limits on broadcast use.
Which Storyblocks alternatives include fonts?
Storyblocks' plans don't list fonts. Envato Elements lists 82,000+ fonts, and Motionstyles has 1,100+. Motion Array, Artlist, Videohive, Pexels and Mixkit don't include fonts, and Adobe's fonts come with Creative Cloud (Adobe Fonts) rather than Adobe Stock.
Is there a free Storyblocks alternative?
Pexels and Mixkit are free. Motionstyles has a free plan with free items, and Motion Array has a free account with free assets. Artlist's free account lets you test watermarked songs and footage, and Adobe Stock offers a 7-day free trial on one plan. Storyblocks has no free trial, and its free account gives you watermarked previews.
Is there an alternative without a subscription?
Videohive sells each item on its own. Adobe Stock sells one-time credit packs (5 to 150 credits) that expire after 12 months. Motionstyles Lifetime is a one-time payment for the full library, and Pexels and Mixkit are free.
What happens to my projects if I cancel?
On every paid service here, projects you finished while subscribed stay licensed. What changes is new work. Storyblocks (Individual and Small Business), Motion Array, Envato Elements, Adobe Stock Unlimited and Motionstyles Pro all say you can't use assets in new projects after you cancel. Artlist covers projects you created and published while subscribed. Adobe Stock's metered plans license each asset perpetually, Videohive has no subscription to cancel, and Motionstyles Lifetime does not expire.
How to choose
- Mostly stock footage, with templates and images: stay with Storyblocks.
- Curated templates, graphics, fonts and audio from independent creators, organized by who you create for: Motionstyles.
- The same range as Storyblocks plus fonts and 3D: Envato Elements.
- Templates, footage, audio and editing plugins in one plan: Motion Array.
- Music first, plus AI generation: Artlist.
- Photos, vectors and 3D inside an annual plan: Adobe Stock.
- A few clips or templates without a subscription: Videohive.
- Free footage and photos: Pexels. Free templates and music: Mixkit.
Plans and prices change often, so check each service's pricing page before you subscribe. For a wider comparison, see our Envato Elements alternatives. To see what Motionstyles creators make, browse video templates, graphics, fonts and music.