Filming your own stock footage (B-roll) takes time and is expensive. That’s why most video editors and marketers flock to sites like Storyblocks—they’re cheap, convenient, and even indemnify you. I used to love Storyblocks, but in recent years, the features no longer justify the cost.
There are many Storyblocks alternatives that provide the same value for a fraction of the cost or more value than Storyblocks for the same price.
The best option for most freelancers is Envato Elements. Its unlimited subscription gives you access to a much larger royalty-free library than Storyblocks’ for half the cost ($16.50/month). You also get AI image, video, and audio generators, as well as an image editor.
The best Storyblocks alternatives at a glance
| Why it’s better | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Envato Elements | A much larger and broader collection or royalty-free assets | $16.50/month |
| Artlist | 8K and RAW/LOG footage; copyright strike protections | $31.99/month + 2 extra months |
| Adobe Stock | Native integration into Adobe apps | Free trial available; from $29.99/month |
| Motion Array | Video collaboration tool | $24.99/month + 2 extra months |
| Shutterstock | The largest image collection | From $24.91/month |
| Epidemic Sound | Larger audio collection. | From $9.99/month |
The best cheap Storyblocks alternative
Envato Elements
Envato Elements pros:
- Unlimited downloads without daily caps
- AI tools for generating images, video, and voice
- Wide mix of images, video, audio, templates, and more
Envato Elements cons:
- Video quality varies
- Low indemnity coverage
Envato Elements is perfect for freelancers. It offers unlimited access to over 20 million assets for just $16.50 a month. In comparison, Storyblocks costs $35 a month for only 2 million files. Envato’s library offers a wider range of assets. You can find fonts, add-ons, and graphics there that aren’t available on Storyblocks.
The subscription also includes access to Envato’s suite of AI tools. You can use AI Search (now called Assistant) to describe your needs in simple language. In 2025, Envato’s AI collection also includes text-to-image, video, and audio generators. The latter allows you to create voiceovers without hiring expensive voice actors. In contrast, Storyblocks has no AI tools.
Finding assets is generally quick, thanks to filters that allow you to search by video orientation, resolution, or music mood. But as the library grows, you may need to filter through results that are less relevant and lower in quality than Storyblocks’ selection.
When you download an asset, you register it for a specific project. The license allows for commercial use, but you cannot use the assets for logos, merchandise, or broadcast purposes. Indemnity protection is limited to the value of your last six subscription payments, much less than Storyblocks’ $20K.
Like Storyblocks, you can integrate Envato’s library into Premiere Pro. But Envato also provides extensions for Canva, Figma, WordPress, and Adobe Express. This makes it easier to integrate assets into your workflow.
Envato Elements pricing: The Individuals plan costs $16.50/month (annual plan, paid upfront); $39/month (monthly plan).
Read more: Envato Elements vs. Storyblocks
The best Storyblocks alternative for 8K footage
Artlist
Artlist pros:
- Unlimited downloads of 8K footage
- RAW/LOG footage option
- 50+ video editing plugins
- Copyright claim protection tool
Artlist cons:
- Smaller content library (180,000 videos)
- No indemnity with standard license
- Higher price point for complete access
Artlist offers 8K resolution videos starting at $31.99 monthly with unlimited downloads. For an extra $20 per month, you get access to RAW/LOG footage, allowing for deeper color grading control. Storyblocks, in comparison, has videos in up to 4K resolution without RAW options.
The library contains 180,000 videos versus Storyblocks’ 1.2 million but focuses on technical quality and creative usefulness. Searching for specific shots like aerial city footage or product B-roll yields fewer but more usable clips. The 8K files work well for digital billboards, trade shows, or large-screen displays.
Artlist’s Clearlist tool connects with your publishing channels—YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and others—to confirm your license automatically. If copyright claims occur, the system resolves them typically within 10 to 60 minutes, in my experience. Storyblocks offers no comparable protection system but has higher indemnity coverage.
The Premiere Pro extension directly integrates Artlist’s music library into your editing environment. The panel lets you sync timelines. You can align music previews with your video timeline, all without leaving Premiere Pro. The 50+ included plugins provide more functions for your video editors: Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. These include color correction, keying, particle effects, and visual distortions.
Artlist pricing: Footage plan costs $31.99/month; Max plan (all content and tools) costs $39.99/month. All plans include 2 extra months free for new subscribers.
Read more: The best stock footage subscriptions
The best Storyblocks alternative for Adobe integrations
Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock pros:
- Native integration with Creative Cloud applications
- 29.5 million video clips (compared to Storyblocks’ 1.2 million)
- Collection of 1+ million free licensed assets
- 30-day free trial with 10 or 25 free downloads
Adobe Stock cons:
- No unlimited download option
- Poor customer support
- Lower indemnity than Storyblocks ($10,000 vs $20,000)
If you work primarily in Adobe apps, the built-in Adobe Stock integration saves you money and time. Storyblocks charges an extra $5 each month for Premiere Pro access, while Adobe Stock integrates seamlessly with every Creative Cloud app without any extra fees.
This native integration lets you search, preview, and license assets without leaving your workspace. You can place watermarked previews of assets in your projects and only buy what you use in the final version. The watermark vanishes automatically once licensed.
Adobe Stock houses 29.5 million video clips versus Storyblocks’ 1.2 million. The library also contains over 370 million images and an expanded audio collection through a partnership with Epidemic Sound. They also maintain over 1 million permanently free assets with standard license protection—something Storyblocks doesn’t offer.
On pricing, Adobe Stock subscriptions start at $29.99 per month for 10 images or one HD/4K video. There are also higher-tier plans for up to 750 images and videos or 25 videos.
Adobe Stock is one of the few platforms that still offer an actual stock footage free trial. Through their trial, you can get 10 or 25 images and audio files or up to 3 royalty-free videos that remain yours after cancellation.
Adobe Stock pricing: Free trial available; subscriptions start at $29.99/month for 10 images or $49.99/month for 25 images. Video subscriptions typically need credit packs starting at $50 for 5 credits.
Read more: The best stock footage sites
The best cheap Storyblocks alternative for 8K footage and plugins
Motion Array
Motion Array pros:
- Unlimited downloads from 2+ million media files
- 50+ video editing plugins included in Everything plan
- Adobe software integration for seamless workflow
- AI voiceovers included with Everything plan
- Lower price point than Artlist and Storyblocks
Motion Array cons:
- Smaller library than some competitors
- Print usage limited to 500,000 copies
Motion Array offers the same core benefits as Artlist but cheaper. The Everything plan runs $24.99 per month with annual billing, compared to Storyblocks’ $30 and Artlist’s $39.99. This subscription unlocks unlimited access to videos up to 8K resolution, templates, music, and graphics.
The platform, like Artlist, offers over 50 video editing plugins. These plugins work with major software such as Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. These plugins assist with visual effects, color grading, and green screen removal without needing any special skills to use them.
Their Adobe extensions work directly within After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop, letting you search for assets without switching applications.
Motion Array’s AI Voiceover tool generates speech from text with adjustable accents, speed, and emotional tones. The tool comes standard with the Everything plan. You can select from American, Australian, British, and Indian accents with various emotional expressions.
Motion Array pricing: Video Templates plan costs $15.99/month (annual billing); Everything plan costs $24.99/month (annual billing). Both plans include 2 extra months free for new subscribers.
The best Storyblocks alternative for images
Shutterstock
Shutterstock pros:
- Largest stock image library (over 500 million)
- Industry-standard royalty-free license
- Commercially licensed AI-generated images
- Integrates with Creative Cloud and WordPress
Shutterstock cons:
- No unlimited image plan—downloads are capped monthly
- Subscriptions are media-specific (images, video, audio sold separately)
- Unused downloads don’t roll over
If you’ve ever searched for stock photos, you’ve probably landed on Shutterstock (sometimes, whether you meant to or not). For anyone who needs a steady source of images, vectors, or illustrations, it’s a big step up from Storyblocks’ relatively slim image library. With over 500 million assets, it’s hard not to find something that fits, whether you’re filling a website hero section or need a quick social media background.
The workflow is familiar: type in your keywords, adjust filters for color or orientation and preview watermarked images before committing. If you spend your days inside Photoshop or InDesign, the Shutterstock plugin lets you pull images into your canvas. (It’s a small thing that saves time when you’re piecing together mockups or ads on a deadline.)
Shutterstock does things a bit differently from Storyblocks’ “all-you-can-download” approach. Here, you pick a subscription tier, starting at 10 images per month for $29, and each download counts against your monthly quota. Once you hit your limit, that’s it until the next cycle (and any unused credits disappear, which can sting if you forget to use them). If you need a burst of extra images, packs are available, but the price per image goes up.
Licensing is clear and covers most commercial uses, including websites, print runs up to 500,000, and typical ad campaigns. The standard license includes $10,000 indemnity, and if you need more—say, for merchandise or higher indemnity—the Enhanced license is a click away. Editorial content is available, too, but with tighter restrictions (best for newsrooms, not your next product launch).
Shutterstock pricing: Image subscriptions start at $29/month for 10 downloads; larger plans and packs available.
The best Storyblocks alternative for music & SFX
Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Sound pros:
- Library of 40,000 tracks and 200,000 sound effects
- Stem separation for customizing individual track elements
- Adobe Premiere Pro plugin integration
Epidemic Sound cons:
- No video assets or templates
- Licensing valid only during active subscription
- Customer satisfaction rating of 3.8 on Trustpilot
Storyblocks combines video and audio assets, but Epidemic Sound focuses exclusively on music and sound effects. The platform houses 40,000 music tracks and 200,000 sound effects, nearly double the audio collection in Storyblocks’ library.
Finding specific audio takes just a few clicks with filters for genre, mood, movement, energy, tempo, and length. Searching even for abstract music files typically delivers relevant options without browsing for long. The stem feature lets you isolate individual components of a track. For instance, you can download the bass line or vocals from a composition when you need more control over your soundtrack.
Epidemic Sound’s AI tools can speed up the search process. Soundmatch analyzes video content and suggests music based on visual mood, while Audio Reference finds similar tracks when you already have an example.
The Adobe Premiere Pro plugin directly connects the Epidemic Sound library to your editing workflow. There, you can preview tracks against your timeline without switching between applications, a feature similar to Storyblocks’ own plugin but with more audio-specific options.
Regarding pricing, the Personal plan runs for $9.99/month (billed annually) for monetization on one channel per platform. The Commercial plan costs $16.99/month (billed annually) and covers client work plus monetization for up to three channels.
Epidemic Sound pricing: Personal plan costs $17.99/month or $9.99/month (billed annually); Commercial plan costs $39.99/month or $16.99/month (billed annually). 7-day free trial available.
Other Storyblocks alternatives
If none of these options work for you, or you’re looking for an app that’s more in the neighborhood of stock footage sites, here are some ideas.
- If you like the idea of Envato Elements, but it’s not quite right, check out MotionElements. It costs the same as Envato, has a similar content library, but focuses more on AI lately. There’s even a specialized AI subscription.
- There are even cheaper sources of footage. A good option is Videvo, which grants you unlimited access to 3 million videos and audio for $12 per month.
- Enterprises can get a custom plan at most providers, including Storyblocks, Envato Elements, and Artlist. But, in my experience, most large companies pick Pond5. It’s the largest and the most reputable source of stock footage, albeit at a price. If you pay extra, you can get even $1M in indemnity, which is a must for large-scale campaigns.
Storyblocks alternatives FAQs
Is there a free alternative to Storyblocks?
If your budget is zero, I’d recommend Adobe Stock’s free collection. It contains nearly 1.3 million royalty-free files, including over 100,000 videos. Everything you download comes with Adobe Stock’s license, which includes up to $10K indemnity. (Note: you don’t get any legal coverage when you download from free stock footage sites.)
Related reading:
- The best stock video subscriptions
- The best stock footage sites
- Storyblocks review
- Does Storyblocks have a free trial?
This article was originally published in July 2023. The most recent update was in April 2025.
