Summary: Here's everything you need to know about Envato's platforms and how they work together to help you sell and make a living doing what you love. Ready to get started? Click here to sign up and sell on Envato.
What is Envato and how does it work?
Envato is a creative platform offering unlimited downloads of high-quality digital assets and a suite of generative AI tools, all through a single subscription. Part of Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK) since July 2024, Envato serves millions of customers and supports a global community of creators (known as Authors) who earn money by selling their work through our platforms.
Founded in 2006 in a garage in Sydney, Envato has grown into one of the world's largest marketplaces for creative content. Our headquarters are in Melbourne, Australia, with a hub in Guadalajara, Mexico. To date, our Author community has earned over $1.3 billion USD through Envato's platforms.
Envato offers creative products across a wide range of content types, including stock photos, video footage, video templates, motion graphics, music and stems, sound effects, graphic templates, graphics and illustrations, fonts, presentation templates, design mockups, web templates, CMS templates, WordPress themes, 3D models, Lottie animations, and LUTs. These products are available through our core platforms: Envato Elements, Envato Market, and Placeit.
Here's how earning through Envato works:
- Authors upload their work → Become an Author
- Customers download items or assets → Browse our products
- Authors earn from the downloads of their items → See how earnings work
What is an Envato Author?
Applications to become an Author are currently closed. From late April 2026, we will reopen applications for some content types. Learn more.
Envato Authors are creators who sell creative products (items) and earn money through our platforms. Authors range from hobbyists and freelancers to small businesses and large enterprises, and they come from all around the world.
Being an Envato Author means you care about the quality of the products you offer to a global audience. It also means investing in your craft: staying on top of trends, taking advantage of exposure opportunities, and building your own marketing and business skills.
We also have a Beginner's Guide to Selling on Envato, including a glossary of core concepts and terminology to help you navigate our ecosystem.
What is Envato Elements?
Envato's subscription platform gives you unlimited downloads of millions of creative assets and templates alongside access to our generative AI tools, all covered by a lifetime commercial license.
Subscribers can choose from different plan tiers, All plans include the same full library of assets. The difference is how much access you get to Envato's AI tools. Visit our Plans & Pricing page for current details.
Envato's subscription platform is ideal for freelancers, agencies, and businesses who need a regular stream of high-quality creative content across multiple formats.
Categories on offer at Envato Elements include:
- Photos
- Stock Video
- Video Templates
- Music
- Sound Effects
- Graphic Templates
- Graphics
- Presentation Templates
- Fonts
- Add-ons
- Web Templates
- CMS Templates
- WordPress
- 3D
Authors are selected to join Envato Elements to ensure a curated library that meets the needs of our subscription customers. Learn more about which content types we're looking for.
Envato's AI Tools
Envato's generative AI tools are built into the subscription and designed to help you create, edit, and experiment across a range of media types. The current suite includes:
- ImageGen — Generate original images from text prompts
- ImageEdit — Edit photos with AI (background removal, object replacement, and more)
- VideoGen — Create videos from images or text prompts
- MusicGen — Compose original music with text prompts and presets
- VoiceGen — Generate voiceovers for your content
- GraphicsGen — Create graphic designs with AI
- MockupGen — Generate realistic product mockups
AI generation limits depend on your plan tier. All AI-generated assets come with a commercial license, subject to our Licensing Terms.
What is Envato Market?
Envato Market is a collection of niche marketplaces where Authors can sell their items directly to customers. Authors upload their work, users buy and license the item and Authors earn.
Envato Market is well suited for customers looking to purchase specific items on a per-project basis, from smaller businesses to large enterprises.
Marketplaces on Envato Market include:
- ThemeForest — Web themes and templates
- CodeCanyon — Code scripts and plugins
- VideoHive — Video templates and stock video
- AudioJungle — Audio and music
- GraphicRiver — Graphic fonts, logos, icons, templates, and more
- PhotoDune — Stock photos
- 3DOcean — 3D print models and CG textures
Authors who have been invited to sell on Envato Elements may have their items available on both platforms, depending on the content type.
What is Placeit?
Placeit is a design, logo, and mockup tool built for simplicity — almost anyone can use it for any kind of business or occasion. Customers can purchase items individually or access them through a paid subscription.
Envato Elements Authors can have their items considered for sale on Placeit, though selection is based on customer demand and not guaranteed.
Categories available on Placeit include mockups, logos and icons, design templates, stock video, stock photos, gaming templates, fonts, and motion graphics assets.
Popular items customers search for on Placeit include apparel mockups (t-shirts, tote bags, mugs), product packaging mockups, t-shirt designs, and social media templates.
Templates vs. Assets on Placeit
Templates are the final products customers download: a mockup, a logo, a flyer, etc.
Assets are the individual components that make up a template. A single design template might contain multiple assets, and customers can swap assets in and out to customise the final result.
Authors earn money whenever their assets are used in a downloaded template. Read more about earnings on Placeit.
How will I know if my items have been chosen for Placeit?
You won't be notified if your items have been chosen and published on Placeit. However, if your items are purchased or downloaded by Placeit's customers, earnings will be shown in your monthly earnings statement on the Author Dashboard. You can learn more about viewing your earnings statement here.
What happens to my item when it is published on Placeit?
Your item may be edited slightly before being published on Placeit in order to make it viable for Placeit users to customize and interchange graphics, icons, fonts, backgrounds, etc. In some cases lines of text may need to be removed or elements reordered, but no large changes to the file will be made.
If you remove items from Envato Elements that have also been published on Placeit, we will endeavour to remove those items within 30 days.
What is Envato Tuts+?
Envato Tuts+ is Envato's educational hub, offering thousands of free video courses and written tutorials to help you learn creative and technical skills. Topics span code, design and illustration, photography, video, music, web design, game development, business, and more.
All Tuts+ content is free, so no subscription is required.
Tuts+ focuses on three principles:
Self-directed learning
There's no single path. Learn at your own pace, whenever and wherever you like. Focus deeply on one topic or go broad across many areas.
Creative skills for all
Creativity isn't a rare talent; it's a mindset and a set of skills anyone can develop. Whether it's code, design, music, photography, or something else entirely, Tuts+ is here to help you get started.
A world of opportunity
For Envato Authors, learning new skills means expanding your portfolio and reaching new customers. It all starts with building your creative toolkit.
Explore all tutorials and courses at tutsplus.com, or check out the Tuts+ YouTube channel.