Envato Elements vs Vexels

Vexels and Envato Elements both offer massive design libraries for creators. Vexels focuses sharply on specialized Print on Demand (POD) designs and mockups. Envato Elements grants truly unlimited access to over 23 million general creative assets. Choosing the right tool depends entirely on your specific creative workflow needs.

Envato Elements
Envato Elements

Essential unlimited library for modern creators.

Ciroapp review
4.7
#3 in Media Library

We find Envato Elements offers unparalleled value for creatives requiring constant, high-quality assets across multiple media types. The truly unlimited download model combined with simplified commercial licensing removes significant operational friction. Overall, it’s an industry-leading platform that dramatically streamlines workflow for individuals and creative teams.

Pros

  • Truly unlimited downloads across 23+ million assets.
  • Highly competitive individual price point ($16.50/month).
  • All assets include a simple, lifetime commercial license.
  • Access to a comprehensive AI tool stack (VideoGen, ImageGen, MusicGen).

Cons

  • No free trial or money-back guarantee is available.
  • Strict usage limits apply to new AI features like VideoGen (30 uses/month).
  • No refunds are provided if a subscription is canceled.
  • Enterprise features requiring custom legal terms need a tailored quote.
Pricing
$16.5/mo
Free trial
Money-back
Best for
Freelance video editors needing unlimited B-roll footage, High-volume social media marketers and content farms, Agencies handling diverse creative projects for multiple clients
Vexels
Vexels

Excellent tools, support is unreliable.

Ciroapp review
3.8
#9 in Media Library

We found Vexels excellent for accessing high-quality, readily available POD designs and specialized creation tools. We must note, however, that the platform suffers from alarming reports of poor customer service and billing irregularities, especially for high-tier users. Overall, Vexels provides strong design assets but must seriously improve its administrative reliability.

Pros

  • Access to a massive, exclusive library of over 500,000 POD templates.
  • Cost-effective plans that offer strong value for money.
  • Tools are constantly updated, including new AI design features.
  • Easy-to-use online T-Shirt Design Maker and instant Mockup Generator.

Cons

  • Frequent, serious complaints regarding unresponsive customer service and technical support.
  • Reports of critical billing errors, including multiple unauthorized payments upon sign-up.
  • High-tier custom design service often fails to deliver accurate results or accept feedback.
  • The platform currently lacks an explicit free trial option.
Pricing
$14/mo
Free trial
Money-back
Best for
Solo Print on Demand entrepreneurs (Etsy, Amazon Merch), High-volume t-shirt brand owners focused on apparel designs, Designers building scalable vector merch rapidly
Quick verdict
Choose Envato Elements if you need a constant, high volume of stock video, music, photos, and templates for diverse client work without tracking usage.
Choose Vexels if your core business is running a scalable Print on Demand store using platforms like Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon Merch.

AboutEnvato Elements

Envato Elements is a massive creative library built for professionals and hobbyists worldwide. It provides over 23 million premium assets sourced from talented global artists.

You get everything you need in one place, spanning stock video, photos, music, sound effects, and specialized graphic templates. The platform is designed to help you create your best work yet, supplemented by a full stack of cutting-edge AI tools to enhance your workflow. 💡

AboutVexels

Vexels is the ultimate Print on Demand (POD) merch design tool. It offers an extensive library of high-quality designs and powerful online resources. This platform makes merch creation simple for everyone, whether you are tweaking text or transforming templates. You can use it to upgrade your merch strategy with professional designs and AI-enhanced graphics.

It’s built for immediate use with major POD companies, including Etsy, Shopify, Printful, Printify, and Amazon Merch. 💡

Highlights

Quick winners by category at a glance.
Ease of Use
Envato Elements simplifies access and licensing for general projects. Vexels simplifies the specialized creation pipeline for physical merch with dedicated tools.
Tie
Feature Set
Envato Elements provides a massive 23 million asset library spanning video, audio, and vast templates. Vexels is heavily specialized and narrower in content types.
Value for Money
Envato Elements offers truly unlimited downloads for $16.50/month. Vexels limits access based on strict monthly download and AI credit quotas.
Customer Support
Envato Elements has a high overall rating (4.7) and reliable service. Vexels users report serious billing errors and unresponsive customer support (3.8).
Asset Specialization
Vexels is unbeatable for exclusive Print on Demand designs and tools. Envato Elements assets are too broad and lack dedicated merch features.
Scalability/Teams
Envato Elements offers clear Team plans up to five and Enterprise solutions with SSO. Vexels only mentions custom corporate quotes for scaling.

Feature Comparison

Compare key features side by side
Core Asset Library Size
Envato Elements:23+ Million
Vexels:500,000+ Design Templates
Vexels
Core Value Model
Envato Elements:Truly Unlimited Downloads
Vexels:Quota Based Monthly Credits
Envato Elements
Primary Focus
Envato Elements:General Creative Assets (Video, Audio, Templates)
Vexels:Print On Demand (POD) Merchandise
Tie
Lifetime Commercial License
Envato Elements:True (Simple & Worry-Free)
Vexels:Commercial Rights (POD optimized)
Tie
Stock Video Library
Envato Elements:8.3 Million+
Vexels:None Mentioned
Tie
Royalty-Free Audio/SFX
Envato Elements:1.2 Million+
Vexels:None Mentioned
Tie
Dedicated Mockup Generator
Envato Elements:No
Vexels:True (Instant Mockups)
Vexels
Dedicated T-Shirt Design Tool
Envato Elements:No
Vexels:True (Online Maker)
Vexels
Generative AI Stack
Envato Elements:Full Suite (VideoGen, ImageGen, MusicGen)
Vexels:Specialized Merch AI (AI Credits)
Tie
AI Usage Limits
Envato Elements:Strict limit on VideoGen (30/month)
Vexels:Quota-based (200–1000 credits/mo)
Vexels
Custom Design Requests
Envato Elements:No
Vexels:True (Credits on higher tiers)
Vexels
Team Plans Available
Envato Elements:True (2–5 members)
Vexels:Custom Corporate Solutions only
Tie
Enterprise SSO Security
Envato Elements:True
Vexels:No
Envato Elements
Pricing Availability
Envato Elements:Subscription Only
Vexels:Subscription & Lifetime Deals
Tie
Compatibility Emphasis
Envato Elements:All Creative Software
Vexels:Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Merch, Printful
Tie
Feature Comparison Summary
2
Envato Elements
8
Ties
5
Vexels

Features Overview

We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.

Library Size & Scope

Envato Elements has huge quantity; Vexels focuses on category quality.

Envato Elements

Envato Elements offers a staggering 23 million assets across all media types. This includes over 8.3 million stock videos and 1.2 million music files. This massive collection covers nearly every creative need imaginable. Envato Elements is the industry leader in sheer volume and diversity. Vexels provides over 500,000 professional design templates. These are highly specific, ready-to-use POD graphics. Vexels is the specialist, delivering exactly what merch creators need quickly. For general visual assets, Envato Elements wins easily.

Unlimited Access Model

Envato Elements offers truly unlimited downloads; Vexels uses restrictive limits.

Envato Elements

Envato Elements subscribers get truly unlimited downloads across all 23 million assets. You never worry about hitting a download cap with Envato Elements. This unlimited model provides massive value for high-volume producers and agencies. You can download freely and test many options without additional costs. Vexels operates on a strict quota system for stock downloads and AI credits monthly. The basic plans limit stock downloads significantly to 30 or 100 per month. Vexels forces you to budget your usage and resources carefully. Envato Elements simply removes resource limitations from your workflow.

Print on Demand Tools

Vexels features dedicated POD creation tools, which Envato Elements lacks.

Vexels

Vexels is purpose-built for creating and selling merchandise online. It includes an integrated T-Shirt Design Maker and an Image Vectorizer tool. These Vexels tools help users customize templates and ensure scalability for printing. Vexels also guarantees compatibility with major POD platforms like Printful. Envato Elements provides raw templates and graphics for general software use. It does not offer dedicated online tools for product creation or mockups. If you are selling products, Vexels streamlines the entire design-to-listing process. Envato Elements makes you use external design software for production.

Generative AI Focus

Envato Elements has a broad AI stack; Vexels AI is narrow and specialized.

Tie

Envato Elements includes a full, comprehensive AI stack, like VideoGen, MusicGen, and ImageGen. This allows users to create diverse new media seamlessly. However, some Envato Elements AI tools like VideoGen have a steep usage cap (30 generations monthly). The Enterprise plan offers the full suite. Vexels uses AI Credits for generating new printable merch designs. This means Vexels' AI is highly specialized but aimed squarely at product creation. Vexels helps you generate marketable concepts for t-shirts and apparel quickly. Envato Elements is better if you need AI for motion graphics or synthetic music generation.

Customer Support

Envato Elements maintains high satisfaction; Vexels users report serious support issues.

Envato Elements

Envato Elements maintains a respectable external rating of 4.7, suggesting reliable service. The platform focuses on simplicity, reducing the need for support interactions. Cancellation with Envato Elements is easy and free, adding to customer peace of mind. Users rarely report severe technical or billing issues with Envato Elements. External reviews for Vexels repeatedly cite awful, unresponsive customer service. Users have reported frustrating billing errors and unauthorized charges upon signup. While Vexels' designs are great, its administrative reliability is highly questionable. Choose Envato Elements for predictable service and support reliability.

Licensing & Peace of Mind

Envato Elements offers simple lifetime licensing; Vexels focuses on POD clarity.

Envato Elements

Every asset from Envato Elements includes a simple, lifetime commercial license. You register the item to a project once, and it is protected forever. Envato Elements excels at removing confusion and legal friction from common workflows. This worry-free licensing is a major selling point for agencies. Vexels focuses on ensuring assets are commercially viable for major POD platforms. Its licensing structure is optimized for selling physical merchandise. For broad commercial use across multiple projects, the simplicity of Envato Elements is superior. Vexels is best if your legal focus is strictly the sale of printed goods.

Pricing Structure

Envato Elements is subscription-only; Vexels offers lifetime one-time deals.

Tie

Envato Elements maintains simple subscription tiers, starting at $16.50/month for individuals. This price grants full, unbounded access to 23 million assets. Envato Elements team plans simplify scaling for up to five members easily. There is no free trial or option for permanent access without a subscription. Vexels offers standard subscriptions based on usage quotas, priced up to $49/month. Vexels also allows for expensive one-time Lifetime purchases up to $1,500. If you prefer high-cost, permanent access, Vexels offers that buying structure. Envato Elements provides unparalleled monthly value through unlimited subscription downloads.

Corporate/Team Features

Envato Elements supports formalized teams; Vexels requires custom contact for scaling.

Envato Elements

Envato Elements supports teams of 2 to 5 members with optimized Team pricing. Enterprise plans offer critical features like Single Sign-On (SSO) security. Envato Elements clearly supports formalized, growing creative departments effectively. You can instantly scale and change members easily within the plan limit. Vexels only mentions 'Custom Corporate Solutions' and Enterprise API Access for teams. It does not provide transparent pricing or features for small-to-midsize teams. For managing security and costs for internal creative groups, Envato Elements is the clear choice. Vexels team structures are not clearly defined or easily accessible.

Our Verdict

Objective guidance based on features, pricing, and user fit.

If your primary need is broad creative freedom, then Envato Elements wins easily. It provides unparalleled access to 23 million assets for only $16.50 monthly. The simple, lifetime commercial licensing from Envato Elements removes massive risk for creators. Envato Elements’ superpower is removing friction from the creative workflow. You get unlimited downloads of stock video, photos, music, and templates. The powerful, comprehensive AI stack available from Envato Elements dramatically broadens your creative output. Vexels’ superpower is deep specialization in the lucrative Print on Demand market. Vexels offers dedicated tools like the T-Shirt Design Maker and Mockup Generator. Its 500,000+ templates are ready-to-sell graphics for platforms like Amazon Merch and Etsy. The deciding factor is your output type: general creation versus merchandise sales. If you need diverse assets and media, choose Envato Elements for amazing value. But if you live and breathe t-shirts and apparel, the niche tools in Vexels are essential. Envato Elements is the better, safer choice for most freelancers and agencies due to its stability and unlimited core model. Only choose Vexels if your business absolutely requires its specific POD design tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which tool provides truly unlimited asset downloads?

Envato Elements provides truly unlimited downloads across its 23+ million assets for a fixed monthly price. Vexels operates using strict monthly quotas, limiting stock downloads and AI credits. Envato Elements is better if you require constant, high-volume access.

Does Vexels offer dedicated tools for Print on Demand like Envato Elements?

Yes, Vexels specializes in POD and offers unique tools like the T-Shirt Designer and Mockup Generator. Envato Elements lacks these specialized product creation tools. Envato Elements provides raw graphics and templates used in external software.

Is Envato Elements or Vexels better for getting stock video and music?

Envato Elements is vastly superior for multimedia assets. It offers 8.3 million stock videos and 1.2 million audio tracks. Vexels focuses exclusively on 2D printable graphics for apparel and merchandise.

Do I risk running out of downloads with Envato Elements like I might with Vexels?

No, Envato Elements guarantees unlimited downloads across its massive library. Vexels subscribers are constrained by monthly quotas on both stock downloads and AI creation credits. Envato Elements eliminates resource budgeting stress.

Which tool offers Lifetime access or a one-time purchase option?

Vexels offers highly priced Lifetime plans allowing one-time payment access. Envato Elements is strictly a subscription service and does not offer any Lifetime purchase options. Envato Elements costs $16.50 monthly.

How do the customer service reputations of Envato Elements and Vexels compare?

Envato Elements enjoys a strong reputation (4.7 rating) and reliable service. Vexels has recurring, serious complaints regarding poor customer support and billing irregularities. Envato Elements provides more administrative peace of mind.

Ready to Choose?

Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.