For video creators of all stripes, a stock footage subscription can be a key secret weapon in their production strategy. Having access to a library of high-quality footage, images, and audio saves time and money in every production phase. Its value becomes especially obvious when budgets and deadlines are tight (which, let’s face it, is always).
Today there are many companies selling stock footage subscriptions. At a glance, you might think their offerings are all the same, but that’s simply not the case. Take Storyblocks vs Artlist, for instance. Both are popular platforms for creatives seeking royalty-free music, videos, and images. But their libraries, plan options, and licensing differ in some important ways.
Depending what types of videos you create, one service might be perfect for your needs while another is totally inadequate. Before deciding which stock footage subscription is right for you, it’s important to understand what each has to offer.
In this post we’ll be taking a closer look at Storyblocks vs Artlist, comparing their plans for individual creators and their team/business plans. We also have posts breaking down Epidemic Sound vs Artlist vs Storyblocks, Storyblocks vs Envato Elements, Motion Array vs Storyblocks, Pond5 vs Storyblocks, Adobe Stock vs Storyblocks, Vecteezy vs Storyblocks, and Epidemic Sound vs Storyblocks.
Table of contents
About Storyblocks and Artlist
Storyblocks was founded in 2009 as an alternative to the traditional stock media model by providing stock subscriptions with unlimited downloads. It’s primarily geared toward providing creators with all of the different assets and tools they need to quickly create better videos. Their stock library is 100% human-made, sourcing assets from artists across the globe that are carefully curated by their in-house team for quality.
Founded in 2016, Artlist began as a royalty-free music site aimed at independent filmmakers seeking inexpensive music licenses. They expanded their offering in 2019 with the launch of the Artgrid stock footage platform. Then in 2021, it acquired and integrated sound effects subscription service FXhome.
We won’t be comparing Artgrid vs Storyblocks in this post as Artgrid only offers stock video plans. Both Artlist and Storyblocks offer bundled stock content plans, so those are the plans we’ll be looking at.
Storyblocks vs Artlist individual plans
Storyblocks and Artlist both offer a range of subscription plans tailored for individual users’ footage needs. With both platforms you can choose what’s best for you based on your budget and how much content you’ll want to download.
Storyblocks’ subscription plans include their Essentials, Unlimited All Access, and Small Business plans. Artlist’s individual plans for their stock content include Music & SFX and Artlist Max. They also offer different AI Suite-only plans, which do not include access to their stock catalog.
Artlist versus Storyblocks licensing
Storyblocks’ individual license covers worldwide, unlimited distribution for print, digital, and video production. It also includes coverage by individuals for both commercial and personal projects. Their small business license, included with their plan of the same name, has the same coverage but is written so that assets are licensed to your organization, making sure your business is covered.
Artlist offers two license options with its Music & SFX plan, Social and Pro. Its other stock plan, Artlist Max, comes with a Pro license by default. Its Social license only covers an individual for one channel on each social platform. This includes Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, podcasts, and TikTok. Similar to Storyblocks’ individual license, the Pro license from Artlist covers individuals for both commercial and personal video projects.
Everything in both Storyblocks’ and Artlist’s library is royalty-free. That means you won’t have to track down licenses for different projects or assets. With both Artlist and Storyblocks, when your subscription expires, so does your license for any new projects. So you can only use downloaded assets in projects created with an active subscription.
Artlist Max covers client work including for commercial use, allowing users to monetize up to 3 channels per social platform, and unlimited monetization for YouTube, podcasts, websites, social platforms, paid ads, TV, and broadcast.
Indemnification offered
Indemnification is essentially insurance that any stock content you download is safe to use for any type of project. It protects creators from any third-party claims that content downloaded from a company infringes on their intellectual property rights.
When it comes to Artlist vs Storyblocks for indemnification, there’s no real comparison. Storyblocks’ individual plans provide creators with an indemnification safety net of up to $20,000. Artlist does not offer indemnification for individual users.
Individual license restrictions
Storyblocks content can be used for client projects under an individual license. But, it must be incorporated into an original project in some way, or the content itself must be modified. Including Storyblocks stock content in an original work which is then distributed is permitted by its license. However, sharing or selling the unedited, original stock content files is not permitted by Storyblocks’ license. Artlist forbids reproducing, distributing, or re-selling any of their assets.
Comparing the stock content offered by Storyblocks versus Artlist
When it comes to a stock media subscription, the asset count and types of media offered are an important consideration. After all, you want to make sure their library includes the type of content you need for your projects and meets your standards. Artlist’s library includes over 400,000 assets of all types, while Storyblocks’ boasts well over 10 million. Though in the last few years, Artlist has shifted focus to their AI tools versus growing their stock library.
Video (HD/4K/Etc.)
Both Artlist and Storyblocks offer professional quality footage spanning a diverse array of categories and themes, including vertical video. Artlist’s Max Social plan only includes HD footage. Their Artlist Max plan offers footage in resolution up to 8K, with an option to upgrade to RAW/LOG files. Storyblocks offers up to 8K resolution with all of their individual plans, along with 4K and HD footage.
Storyblocks offers a large assortment of animated backgrounds and motion graphics, while Artlist does not. Artlist also offers footage and template-only plans via Artgrid, while Storyblocks only offers bundle plans.
Storyblocks has exclusive footage created through their Re:Stock initiative, which has a goal of increasing authentic representation in stock by working with talented artists to create collections that celebrate the human experience AI can’t re-create.
Music/SFX
Storyblocks and Artlist provide a wide variety of music and sound effects across different genres, themes, and moods.
For creators only interested in audio, Artlist offers their Music & SFX plan with either a Pro or Social license. Storyblocks’ Essentials plan does not include access to their audio library; you’ll need to choose a ULAA or Small Business plan if you also want SFX and music.
All of the music in Storyblocks’ library is 100% exclusive, providing songs you won’t find anywhere else. Their music library also includes their own Storyblocks Label, which has tracks from award-winning artists and musicians you won’t typically find in stock libraries.
Templates
If you’re looking for templates, you’ll find them in all of Artlist’s bundle plans and all of Storyblocks’ plans. Both Storyblocks and Artlist have Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve templates available in their libraries.
Storyblocks also offers Apple Motion templates, and Artlist includes Final Cut Pro templates in their offering.
Images
One thing Artlist does not offer is image files, while Storyblocks has a large assortment of photos, vectors, snapshots, and illustrations. Images are included in all of Storyblocks’ plans.
Download limits
All of Storyblocks’ plans and Artlist’s bundle plans offer unlimited downloads.
Storyblocks versus Artlist tools
Plugins
Storyblocks has integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud for After Effects and Premiere Pro included with all of their plans. The Storyblocks plugin brings their entire stock library into your editing program of choice and includes access to your on-site folders.
Artlist has over 40 plugins, and access is included with all of their bundle plans for at least 7 software programs. Its Premiere Pro plugin brings their library inside the software, and it offers an AI Assistant extension with silence removal. However, Artlist’s plugins are mostly for visual effects and editing.
Apps/tools
Storyblocks’ individual subscription plans include access to Maker, their easy-to-use video editor that directly connects to their entire stock library. Maker includes a selection of pre-made templates that you can personalize by uploading your own content.
You can also access Storyblocks’ AI Toolkit across their plans. Their AI Video Editing tool, which lets you edit and customize any footage inside the Storyblocks library using a text prompt and Runway’s Aleph model, AI Image Generator, and AI Video Generator are included with every plan. They also have an AI Voiceover tool available with their ULAA and Small Business plans, which is powered by ElevenLabs technology and allows you to generate professional voiceovers using text to speech, clone my voice, and voice changer features.
Artlist offers an AI video generator, AI image generator, AI music generator, and AI voiceovers, which allows subscribers to use AI-generated assets in video projects across any platform worldwide. This includes social media, TV and film, streaming services, and broadcast, including ads as well as both commercial and client work.
If you’re interested in AI, Artlist’s AI Suite plans provide credit options for accessing its AI video generator, AI image generator, and AI voiceovers. Users can purchase credits in varying increments depending on need, which is over and above the subscription plan price.
Storyblocks provides a monthly amount of AI credits that vary from plan to plan. They also have an AI-powered conversational search tool, which lets you more easily describe what you’re searching for in your own words and refine results to find the right asset faster.
Looking at other stock media subscriptions? Check out our comparison posts on Motion Array vs Storyblocks, Envato Elements vs Storyblocks, Pond5 vs Storyblocks, Vecteezy vs Storyblocks, Adobe Stock vs Storyblocks, Storyblocks vs Shutterstock, and Epidemic Sound vs Storyblocks.
Final thoughts on Artlist compared to Storyblocks
Phew! That was a lot of information to cover. Next we’ll delve into some final thoughts and other important things to consider when deciding between Artlist vs Storyblocks as an individual user.
Licensing
- Only Storyblocks offers indemnification up to $20,000 for individual creators; Artlist doesn’t offer any indemnification. So if a third party claims content you downloaded infringes on their intellectual property rights, only Storyblocks would handle legal claims for you and make sure you’re covered for legal payout.
- While all of Storyblocks’ plans cover usage for both personal and commercial projects worldwide, only Artlist’s Pro license offers that coverage.
- Artlist’s Social license only covers one channel per social platform, personal social channels (YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), and podcasts.
Content
- If a vast selection of stock media across multiple content types is a high priority, Storyblocks has the larger library with over 10 million assets. It also offers images in addition to video, templates, and audio.
- Both Artlist and Storyblocks offer footage in up to 8K resolution.
- However, if you need footage in PRO/RES resolution and are okay with a smaller library, Artlist has that available.
- Artlist also offers video and template or music and SFX-only plans via Artgrid, while Storyblocks only offers bundled content.
Tools
- Storyblocks offers a plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro on their Pro plan that connects their entire library to your editor.
- Artlist, on the other hand, offers more than 40 plugins, and access is included with all of their bundle plans, including an Adobe Premiere Pro plugin that brings their library directly inside the software, and an AI Assistant extension that includes silence removal.
- Storyblocks’ video editor, Maker, is available in all of their individual plans.
- The AI Toolkit that Storyblocks offers with all of their plans gives you access to their Video Editing, Video Generator, and Image Generator tools, with monthly credits included with each plan. Their AI Voiceover tool is included with every plan except Essentials.
- Artlist’s AI suite offers an AI video generator, AI image generator, AI music generator, AI voiceovers, and Artlist Studio. However the content must be purchased via credit packs, which could add to the overall price of your subscription.
Artlist vs Storyblocks team and enterprise plans
But what if you’re looking for a stock subscription for your team or organization? Both Storyblocks and Artlist offer subscription plans that cater to teams of all sizes. For Storyblocks, they offer their Storyblocks for Business plan, while Artlist’s options include their Max Business and Enterprise plans.
Storyblocks for Business compared to Artlist licensing
Storyblocks for Business has a license covering unlimited worldwide distribution for any commercial or internal projects written directly to your company or organization. One particularly helpful attribute of Storyblocks’ business license is that it doesn’t include a derivative work requirement. This means you don’t have to make substantive changes to the assets you download in order to reproduce them.
One important thing to note: Artlist offers custom licenses for businesses through their Enterprise plan. That means they don’t have a specific license to reference for this comparison. Since we can’t say for sure what their business license includes, be sure to ask! You don’t want to end up with a license that rips you off.
Artlist’s Max Business plan covers unlimited distribution worldwide for any video project, usable for any commercial or personal purpose. Their Enterprise plan offers unlimited coverage for a business or organization with 100 or more members. This applies whether the project is personal or commercial. All terms and licenses for their Enterprise plans are customizable.
As for how long you get to hold onto the files you obtain, with Storyblocks for Business anything you download is yours forever. Artlist lets you keep downloaded assets for projects published while your plan was active. However, once your subscription expires, ownership of those assets reverts back to Artlist.
Indemnification
As previously mentioned, Storyblocks’ individual plans provide indemnification protection against unauthorized use of stock assets up to $20,000. With Storyblocks for Business, that protection is bumped up to $1,000,000, covering users across your organization.
Artlist’s Max Business plan doesn’t offer indemnification. This means if you run into any legal issues stemming from the use of their content, you could be personally on the hook for any bills. Artlist’s Enterprise plan, meanwhile, offers indemnification, but it’s limited to the
Restrictions
Storyblocks’ business license forbids selling, licensing, or redistributing their stock files. You also aren’t allowed to create a trademark or logo based on anything in the Storyblocks stock library. Using scripts, bots, or other programs to download large volumes of stock files is also prohibited, as is doing so manually. Importantly, any stock files downloaded from Storyblocks cannot be used in a way that encourages violence, or for any unlawful purpose. Any model- or property-released content will be clearly indicated for use in commercial projects. But make sure to read the fine print carefully. Any content that doesn’t have a release means you’ll need written permission from the model or property owner to be fully covered.
Artlist forbids reproducing, distributing, transferring, or re-selling any of their assets. Like Storyblocks, you also aren’t allowed to use any files in a way that encourages violence, hate, discrimination, or other insults.
It’s also important to note that Artlist’s Max Business license only covers up to 7 members of your organization. By contrast, Storyblocks for Business offers unlimited seats.
Comparing the content offered by Artlist and Storyblocks for Business
Video
Both Artlist and Storyblocks offer professional-quality stock footage across a wide range of themes and categories. As for resolution, Storyblocks for Business tops out at 8K, along with offering HD and 4K footage. Artlist Max Business and custom Enterprise plans also offer footage quality up to 8K and include the option to upgrade to get RAW/LOG files.
With Storyblocks, you also get access to exclusive stock footage created through their award-winning Re:Stock initiative. Through Re:Stock, Storyblocks works with talented artists to create collections that showcase authentic, human stories that help increase the representation shown in stock today.
Music/SFX
Both Storyblocks and Artlist offer a diverse assortment of music and sound effects spanning different genres, themes, and moods. All business or team plans from both sites include a plethora of both music and SFX options.
The Storyblocks music library is 100% exclusive and includes tracks from award-winning artists through their own Storyblocks Label.
Templates
All of Artlist’s team and business plans include templates, as does Storyblocks for Business. Both include Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve templates. Storyblocks also offers Apple Motion templates, while Artlist includes templates for Final Cut Pro.
Images
One of the big differentiators between Artlist and Storyblocks comes down to stock images. Storyblocks for Business includes a vast assortment of photos, vectors, and illustrations. Artlist does not offer stock images in their library.
Download limits
Artlist’s Max Business and Enterprise plans, along with Storyblocks for Business, offer unlimited downloads.
Tools included with Artlist vs Storyblocks for Business plans
Storyblocks and Artlist both offer an assortment of integrations, tools, and plug-ins, on top of unlimited stock content, to polish up your video projects. But their offerings are not identical.
Plugins
Storyblocks only has their Adobe Creative Cloud plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro included with Storyblocks for Business. The Storyblocks plugin brings their entire stock library into your editor and includes access to your on-site folders and files.
Artlist, by contrast, has over 40 plugins, and access is included with all team and business plans for more than half a dozen software programs. Its new Premiere Pro plugin brings its library directly into the software, and its AI Assistant extension comes equipped with automatic silence removal.
Apps and tools
Artlist offers an AI video generator, AI image generator, AI music generator, and AI voiceovers, which allows subscribers to use AI-generated assets in video projects across any platform worldwide. This includes social media, TV and film, streaming services, and broadcast, including ads as well as both commercial and client work. Artlist Studio is also included in their business plan, which lets you generate scenes for productions from end-to-end, like characters, locations, and more.
With Storyblocks for Business, teams can access a full AI Toolkit to help them customize their content and create faster. Included is an AI Video Editing tool, powered by Runway’s Aleph, which lets you customize any footage clip in the Storyblocks library through a text prompt. You’ll also get an AI Voiceover tool to create custom narration through text to speech, voice cloning, and voice changer technology through ElevenLabs. Finally, you’ll have access to their AI Video Generator and AI Image Generator. Most generations created with Storyblocks’ AI Toolkit are covered under their Enterprise license.
Storyblocks for Business also includes Maker for Teams, a simple video editor that directly connects to their entire stock library. This includes exclusive business features like one-click custom branding settings, pre-designed templates for faster video creation, and robust collaboration tools.
Also worth mentioning: Storyblocks for Business includes a client billing tool, shared folders, SSO, administrative tools, and download to cloud functionality.
Considering other stock providers? Get full breakdowns of Motion Array vs Storyblocks and Envato Elements vs Storyblocks.
Main points to consider for Artlist versus Storyblocks for Business
By now you should have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between these popular stock media platforms. Let’s conclude with some of the major takeaways.
Licensing takeaways
- Both Storyblocks and Artlist cover unlimited, worldwide distribution for commercial and personal projects. However only Storyblocks offers indemnification up to $1 million, covering all users in your organization. Artlist does not currently offer indemnification.
- Storyblocks’ business license is available for reference anytime you want. Because Artlist customizes their business licenses and terms, their licenses are not readily available to view.
- With Storyblocks, you’re free to keep and use any assets you download during your subscription indefinitely. This is a stark departure from Artlist, which only allows the use of their assets for projects while your subscription is active.
Content considerations
- If the kinds of projects you take on require many different types of stock content, Storyblocks may be the better option. While both Artlist and Storyblocks offer footage, templates, music, and sound effects, only Storyblocks has images.
- When it comes to Storyblocks vs Artlist’s libraries, Storyblocks’ is larger at over 10 million 100% human-made assets compared to around 400,000 assets for Artlist, which includes AI content.
- Storyblocks regularly adds new content to their library, which means you always have a fresh selection to choose from. Meanwhile, Artlist’s priority is their AI tools, not adding stock assets.
Tools and more
- Storyblocks has the Adobe Creative Cloud plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro that brings their full library right inside your editor.
- Artlist has over 40 plugins that work with several different programs, including Premiere Pro, which brings its content library inside the software. It also offers an AI Assistant extension with silence removal features.
- Storyblocks for Business’ Maker for Teams video editor is more user-friendly. This empowers members of your team without much editing experience to easily create on-brand, professional videos.
- Storyblocks for Business also offers more collaborative functionality through shared folders and Maker for Teams.
- Storyblocks’ AI Toolkit gives you the ability to customize any footage clip in their library with their Video Editing tool, a Voiceover tool for creating professional-sounding narrations, an Image Generator, and Video Generator. You can choose from different credit options to suit your team.
- Artlist’s AI suite offers an AI video generator, AI image generator, AI music generator, and AI voiceover. Artlist also has Artlist Studio, which gives you the ability to create end-to-end AI productions.
- Artlist’s individual plans require content to be purchased via credit packs, however it doesn’t make clear whether its team plans impose the same requirement, which could add to the overall price of your subscription.
Artlist or Storyblocks: Which one will you choose?
Whether you’re a solo creator or part of a production team, choosing the right stock media subscription is a big decision. So it’s important you understand exactly what you’re getting from your plan (as well as what you’re not getting). The subtle differences between Artlist vs Storyblocks’ offerings can actually be a big deal depending on what you’re looking for.
Artlist offers a broad suite of AI-powered tools, which has become the main focus of their platform. While they still offer subscription plans with stock assets, it’s secondary to their AI-based plans. While Storyblocks does offer an AI Toolkit with a similar lineup of features to Artlist, their 100% human-made stock library is still their main focus, with new assets being added daily. So if you’re looking for a full lineup of AI-powered tools to create with, Artlist might be a better fit. But if you want to start with human-made stock assets and supplement with AI tools, Storyblocks is what you’re looking for.
Before shelling out for a stock footage subscription, make sure you educate yourself about all the options available. You’ll get far more mileage out of your subscription if you first learn what each platform has to offer.
