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Most buyers should pick Envato Elements.
Choose Envato Elements if you need regular downloads across video, graphics, music and templates: Core is listed at $16.50/month, with unlimited downloads, 20 AI credits and a lifetime commercial licence. The pricing page does not clarify the billing term. Choose VideoHive for a specific clip, effect or template bought once; listed assets typically start around $1, but item prices vary. VideoHive itself has no published subscription starting price; its unlimited option is an Envato Elements subscription.
01Side by side
| Envato Elements | VideoHive | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $16.50/month; billing term unclear | Individual items typically from $1 |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | No free plan listed |
| Best for | Recurring needs across many creative categories | One-off footage, effects, or templates |
| Core strength | Unlimited downloads, AI tools, commercial licensing | Individual purchases of video-focused assets |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Integrations and export details not published | Templates for four listed video editors |
| Team/seat costs | Enterprise: custom seats; price not published | Enterprise for 50+; custom licensing, price unpublished |
| Support | Support details not published | Support details not published |
Envato Elements Choose Envato Elements if
- Choose Envato Elements if you download assets regularly.
- Choose Envato Elements if you need assets across multiple categories.
- Choose Envato Elements if AI credits and unlimited downloads matter.
VideoHive Choose VideoHive if
- Choose VideoHive if you want to buy one asset at a time.
- Choose VideoHive if you need a specific video template or effect.
- Choose VideoHive if you want to avoid a recurring asset subscription.
02Pricing compared
Envato Elements is the clearer choice for ongoing downloads, but its billing terms need checking. Its pricing page lists Core at $16.50 per month, Plus at $39 and Ultimate at $168. Core includes unlimited downloads, 20 AI credits per month and a lifetime commercial licence. The page shows monthly “From” prices but does not say whether they require monthly or annual billing. Plus includes 200 AI credits; Ultimate offers 500, 1,000 or 2,000 credits.
VideoHive sells items individually, typically from $1, with prices varying by asset. It has no published subscription starting price: unlimited downloads come through an Envato Elements subscription. That can make a one-off purchase cheaper, but repeated buys may favor Elements. Check the item price and licence before purchasing.
03Features and depth
Envato Elements covers more than video. Its homepage lists over 30 million assets across 30+ categories, including stock footage, photos, music, graphics and templates. It also lists more than 10.3 million stock video items. The subscription includes unlimited downloads, AI tools for tasks such as image editing, voice, music and video, and a lifetime commercial licence for assets downloaded or generated. AI credits vary by plan, so “unlimited” applies to asset downloads, not AI generation.
VideoHive is more focused on video professionals’ assets: footage, motion graphics, effects, templates and add-ons. Its template listings cover After Effects, Premiere Pro, Apple Motion and DaVinci Resolve; add-ons include scripts and presets for After Effects and Premiere Pro. You can buy individual items or use an Envato Elements subscription for unlimited stock-asset downloads. If you need one specific effect or clip, the marketplace model fits. For work spanning video, graphics, music and templates, Elements offers broader access under one subscription.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The main difference is the buying decision. On VideoHive, choose an individual item, check its price and confirm that its licence suits the project. That is straightforward for a defined need, but availability and prices vary by listing.
Elements replaces repeated item purchases with a subscription and unlimited asset downloads. You still need to choose a plan based partly on AI-credit needs: Core includes 20 credits a month, Plus 200, and Ultimate offers 500, 1,000 or 2,000. The pricing page does not clarify the billing term for its listed monthly prices, so confirm that before switching. Neither source publishes enough detail to compare search tools or onboarding, so we would not call one easier to navigate.
Questions people ask
Is VideoHive included with Envato Elements?
VideoHive is a marketplace where you can buy individual items. The marketplace also points buyers to Envato Elements for unlimited stock-asset downloads by subscription. The sources do not say that every VideoHive listing is included in Elements, so check whether a specific asset is available there before subscribing.
Is Envato Elements cheaper than buying from VideoHive?
It depends on how many assets you need. VideoHive items typically start around $1, with prices varying by listing. Elements Core is listed at $16.50 per month and includes unlimited downloads, but the pricing page does not clarify the billing term. Compare the specific items you need with the subscription cost.
Do Envato Elements downloads include a commercial licence?
The Elements homepage says assets downloaded or generated come with a lifetime commercial licence. VideoHive’s individual marketplace listings have their own purchase terms; check the licence for the item and intended use before buying. The available information does not establish that the two licensing arrangements are identical.
Does Envato Elements offer unlimited AI generations?
No. Elements includes unlimited downloads of creative assets, while AI generation is limited by plan credits and, on some plans, parallel-generation limits. Core lists 20 AI credits monthly, Plus 200 and Ultimate a choice of 500, 1,000 or 2,000. The sources do not publish a universal unlimited-AI allowance.