Looking to spice up your creative game without breaking the bank like you can do with Storyblocks? Say goodbye to creative ruts and check out some awesome Storyblocks alternatives!
Diverse platforms mean unique content that'll make your projects pop. Plus, with different pricing options, you can tailor it to fit your budget. And let's not forget that there are various license offers out there that can better meet your needs.
Dive into our list for a fresh batch of trustworthy alternatives to Storyblocks that'll kick your creativity up a notch
Or go to our recommended alternatives to Storyblocks right away:
| Parameter | Shutterstock | Pond5 | Envato | iStock | Adobe Stock | Artgrid | Motion Array |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Downloads | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multimedia Downloads | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Video Only Subscriptions | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest Subscription Price | $29/mo | $25/mo | $14.85/mo | $125/mo | $29.99/mo | $19.99 | $19.99 |
| License Type | RF | RF | RF (Single Use) | RF | RF | RF | RF |
| Broadcast | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Feature Films | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
What is Storyblocks
Storyblocks is a platform that offers royalty-free licenses for various creative assets like stock footage, images, and music. It was initially known as Videoblocks when it was established in 2009. Videoblocks was the first-ever company to offer stock video subscriptions with unlimited downloads. In 2017, the platform expanded its product offerings to include still imagery and audio content and rebranded itself as Storyblocks. Today, Storyblocks still provides unlimited download subscriptions, now with multimedia downloads to obtain all the assets you need for your commercial and personal projects, all in one place. For more details, read our Storyblocks review.
Why Would We Need Alternatives
While Storyblocks’ unlimited multimedia subscriptions can satisfy many creative needs, there are a couple of reasons why this service might not be suitable for everyone.
Firstly, it's important to be aware of their license coverage. While the Storyblocks license is royalty-free and suitable for commercial use, the Standard license, which comes with individual subscriptions, does not cover usage in TV broadcasts, online streaming, or feature films. If you want to use their footage or other assets for these purposes, you'll need to purchase a bespoke Business subscription that comes at a higher cost.
Secondly, Storyblocks has a rich catalog but is considerably smaller than other stock video sites. This means that, at times, you may not be able to find exactly what you had in mind on Storyblocks.
Therefore, it's useful to know about other trustworthy alternatives to Storyblocks.
What We Look at To Pick Alternatives to Storyblocks
As you may already know, numerous websites are available that provide royalty-free stock media, making choosing a site with similar or better features than Storyblocks challenging. At Stock Photo Secrets, we have utilized our market knowledge to pick out those agencies that we believe have better or equivalent offers to Storyblocks based on four main criteria:
- Product: Websites that offer multimedia subscriptions and/or unlimited downloads.
- Price: Affordable video subscriptions are a must.
- License: We look for royalty-free licenses that permit commercial use, ideally with a wider or more flexible coverage in its standard version.
- Value: We have considered other websites offering extra value you can't find on Storyblocks.
Now that we have cleared that up, let's take a look at our top picks!
8 Best Storyblocks Alternatives
Based on the above-detailed analysis, we selected these eight great stock media agencies as the best alternatives for Storyblocks.
Shutterstock Video – Largest Stock Video Library
Shutterstock compared to Storyblocks: It has an incredibly large catalog full of variety and a convenient license model with a few limitations. Video subscriptions have download caps but low prices.
Shutterstock is a staple in stock media licensing, with decades of history selling stock photos, videos, and music for various commercial endeavors. The agency is famous for its gigantic library full of high-quality content, and the Shutterstock Video service is no exception. With over 30 million high-resolution clips, the variety in this library is second to none.
Shutterstock's standard video license is royalty-free and comprehensive, but some limitations exist. For instance, web usage is capped at 500,000 viewers, and YouTube projects must have a budget under $10k. Also, TV broadcasts and feature film productions are not allowed. However, you can opt for an Enhanced license that removes the viewer cap and budget restrictions and allows for broadcasting and theatrical usage. But, of course, it comes at a higher cost.
If you need videos on demand, you can purchase download packs or credits for standard and extended licenses. But if you're okay with a standard license, Shutterstock Video subscriptions are your best option. The subscription plans range from $29/month to $199/month, depending on the duration and volume of downloads. These plans provide you with high-resolution videos at a fraction of the cost.
Additionally, you can use this exclusive Shutterstock Credits Coupon to get 25% off the 18-credit pack and our Shutterstock coupon code to save 15% off all subscriptions and on-demand packs!
Pond5 – Multimedia Subscription from Footage Specialist
Pond5 compared to Storyblocks: Has a specialized video catalog, an all-encompassing license, and one multimedia subscription option with a reasonable price point.
Pond5 is a versatile marketplace that caters to creators with a strong focus on video production. They offer a dedicated stock video collection and complementary media, such as music, photos, and more, to assist filmmakers, content creators, and businesses in completing video projects faster and with better quality. Since 2022, Pond5 is a Shutterstock-owned company.
Pond5's standard license is comprehensive and covers almost every medium, including web, social media, streaming, broadcast, film, live events, and more, with no viewer limits. They also have a simple Digital License available that covers only online uses, including YouTube and social media.
Pond5 offers a wide range of prices for individual clips since artists set their own prices. Video subscriptions start at just $59, making them very affordable.
See our Pond5 review and take a look at our Pond vs Storyblocks comparison.
Envato Elements – Selected Multimedia Assets with Unlimited Downloads
Envato Elements compared to Storyblocks: It has a simple subscription model with unlimited multimedia downloads for 14,85 USD a year (click here to see the offer) and a handpicked library to choose from, but the license is a bit more complex to comply with.
More details on this comparison are in our Storyblocks vs Envato Elements analysis.
Envato Elements is a comprehensive resource for creatives that simplifies the content production process, providing a vast collection of digital assets like stock videos, photos, graphics, and more, handpicked from Envato’s expansive media libraries.
The Elements license terms are very particular, though. They enable broadcast usage for all assets except for music tracks, and in the case of stock footage, they also allow use in small film productions, but theatrical uses (like mainstream film features) are not permitted. Furthermore, this is a single-use license: you must register in which project you’ll use the downloaded asset and can only use it for that purpose; if you want to re-use an asset in a new project, you must re-download it and re-register it with a new license.
Despite this slightly cumbersome licensing process, Envato Elements offers great value through its simple, unlimited download subscriptions and access to the whole library. The year subscription costs $14.85 (if you use our Envato offer) but month-to-month plans are also available.
See our Envato Elements review.
iStock Video – Lowest Price for Exclusive 4K Footage (+ Multimedia Plans)
iStock compared to Storyblocks: Has a much bigger library with higher-quality content –exclusive videos, too– and a very flexible license with wide coverage; subscriptions have download limits but are multimedia very affordably priced.
iStock is a highly respected stock media agency with a long-standing reputation for its exceptional curation standards. iStock Video is their platform that provides millions of meticulously curated video clips, which are categorized into two segments: budget-friendly content and high-end exclusive content with superior technical quality and high resolution. The Signature Video collection is the best in the market, consisting of thousands of exclusive and high-value clips.
The iStock license is one of the most flexible in the industry, covering most commercial purposes, including film production, TV broadcasting, streaming, and more, with no viewer limits under the Standard license.
You can buy iStock videos on demand by purchasing credits at very reasonable rates, but the Premium+Video subscriptions offer the best value for money. These plans provide access to the entire site, including stock images, stock videos, and music tracks in any resolution and size, from the budget Essential collection and the exclusive Signature segment. Every asset is a single download.
These plans have different download volumes, and prices range from $125/mo to $499/mo, depending on the volume of downloads and the duration of the subscription. With a Premium+Video subscription, you'll have access to the most affordable rates in the market for 4K footage at just $5.30 per video.
Additionally, our exclusive iStock Credits Coupon offers a 25% discount on large credit packs, and our special iStock promo code lets you save 15% on all subscriptions, including Premium+Video!
Adobe Stock – Top Stock Videos for Creative Cloud Users
Adobe Stock compared to Storyblocks: The library is rich and trendy, seamlessly integrated into first-class video editing software. The license is flexible, and subscriptions, while download-limited, are multimedia and very affordable.
Adobe Stock is a stock media licensing service offered by Adobe, the media editing software specialist company. The Adobe Stock Video catalog contains millions of high-quality and trendy video clips that are readily available within Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects. This allows you to work with these assets seamlessly.
The licensing terms are quite convenient, as the royalty-free standard agreement covers various digital and live-audience mediums with a 500,000 viewer limit. The Extended version of the license offers unlimited viewership rights for a higher price.
Adobe Stock sells video clips on demand, either by the unit or with credits, at reasonable prices. For better pricing, Adobe Stock offers Mix and Match standard subscriptions, enabling users to download images and videos. These subscriptions range from $29.99/month to $199.99/month, depending on the number of downloads and the monthly or annual commitment. The user can download high-resolution video clips at a much lower individual cost.
See our Adobe Stock Video review.
Artgrid – Unlimited Downloads from a Filmmakers' Library
Artgrid compared to Storyblocks: While it’s a footage-only service, Artgrid has high-end content, unlimited downloads, very reasonable pricing, and a more complete license coverage.
Artgrid is a premier subscription-based stock footage platform that seeks to revolutionize the creative industry by offering filmmakers and content creators a highly curated library of cinematic-quality video content. Boasting an extensive collection of 6K and 8K footage, Artgrid provides users with top-tier visual assets to elevate their storytelling. Additionally, its sister company, Artlist, provides stock music and SFX.
Aiming at helping visual creatives realize their vision on any medium, the royalty-free license from Artgrid covers broadcasting, streaming, and more web-based uses.
The company has three different subscription plans based on the quality of the clips you can download. All plans are hired yearly and come with unlimited downloads. Prices range from $19.99 to $49.92 a month, always billed annually.
Motion Array – Unlimited Stock Videos and Motion Graphics
Motion Array compared to Storyblocks: It has nearly identical subscription plans with unlimited downloads but circumscribed to video content, and its license covers almost all mediums at no added cost.
Motion Array is an online platform designed to assist video creators and editors with a comprehensive suite of tools and assets. From high-quality stock videos, motion graphics, and After Effects templates to music and sound effects and even graphics and photos, Motion Array simplifies the creative process with ready-to-download materials.
Its simple yet wide-coverage license includes uses like broadcasting, feature films, and streaming in its standard agreement, along with many other commercially-oriented uses.
You can get a subscription to download premium assets, hiring it month-to-month or for a whole year, and in both cases, you’ll get unlimited downloads from the entire catalog. Prices start at $29.99/month and can go down to $19.99 per month if you pay for a year upfront.
With our special Motion Array coupon, you can get a $50 discount on your annual plan!
Get All The Assets for Your Projects with Storyblocks Alternatives
When searching for stock footage and other media to use in your projects, having a range of options to choose from is essential to ensure you get the best assets for your budget. Our list of Storyblock alternatives provides you with everything you need: unlimited download subscriptions, access to exclusive footage, and integration with professional-grade software.
So, go ahead and take your pick, and happy producing!
