True Cost Engine | Calculating real costs for 5 products
True Cost of Stock Photo & Video Over 3 Years
The cheapest stock photo & video over 3 years is Envato Elements at $387.00 total (monthly billing, 1 user). With annual billing, that drops to $4,644. We analyzed 5 products, factoring in intro pricing, renewal increases, and billing cycle savings.
Showing costs for 1 user with monthly billing
#1
D Transparency
Core (Annual) plan · unlimited-subscription
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $10.75/mo Same
Year 1 $129.00
Year 2 $129.00
Year 3 $129.00
3-Year Total $387.00
Transparency Score: 8/100 (D)
- 6/8 plans show pricing (+23)
- No renewal data available (+10)
- No free plan or trial (+0)
- Pricing model: unlimited-subscription (+5)
- 2 plan(s) require "Contact Sales" (-30)
#2
D Transparency
Flex Subscription (10/month) plan · subscription-or-on-demand
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $29.00/mo Same
Year 1 $348.00
Year 2 $348.00
Year 3 $348.00
3-Year Total $1,044
Transparency Score: 10/100 (D)
- 4/9 plans show pricing (+13)
- No renewal data available (+10)
- 30-day free trial (+12)
- Pricing model: subscription-or-on-demand (+5)
- 5 plan(s) require "Contact Sales" (-30)
#3
D Transparency
Basic (10/month) plan · subscription-tiered-by-collection-and-volume
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $29.00/mo Same
Year 1 $348.00
Year 2 $348.00
Year 3 $348.00
3-Year Total $1,044
Transparency Score: 38/100 (D)
- 6/7 plans show pricing (+26)
- No renewal data available (+10)
- 30-day free trial (+12)
- Pricing model: subscription-tiered-by-collection-and-volume (+5)
- 1 plan(s) require "Contact Sales" (-15)
#4
D Transparency
Standard (10 assets/month, annual) plan · tiered-subscription-and-credits
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $29.99/mo Same
Year 1 $359.88
Year 2 $359.88
Year 3 $359.88
3-Year Total $1,080
Transparency Score: 12/100 (D)
- 4/8 plans show pricing (+15)
- No renewal data available (+10)
- 30-day free trial (+12)
- Pricing model: tiered-subscription-and-credits (+5)
- 4 plan(s) require "Contact Sales" (-30)
#5
D Transparency
Monthly Subscription — 25/mo plan · credits-or-subscription
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $69.00/mo Same
Year 1 $828.00
Year 2 $828.00
Year 3 $828.00
3-Year Total $2,484
Transparency Score: 4/100 (D)
- 3/8 plans show pricing (+11)
- No renewal data available (+10)
- 7-day free trial (+8)
- Pricing model: credits-or-subscription (+5)
- 5 plan(s) require "Contact Sales" (-30)
How We Calculate True Cost
1 Year 1 uses the intro/promotional price that vendors advertise.
2 Years 2-3 use the renewal price, which is often 2-6x higher than the intro price.
3 Team size multiplies per-user costs. For flat-rate products, the cost stays the same regardless of team size.
4 Annual billing typically saves 10-40% vs monthly. We show both so you can compare.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the true cost of Stock Photo & Video over 3 years?
- The cheapest stock photo & video over 3 years is Envato Elements at $387 (monthly billing) or $4644 (annual billing) for 1 user. This includes intro pricing in Year 1 and renewal pricing in Years 2-3.
- Do stock photo & video prices increase after the first year?
- Among the 5 products we track, most maintain stable pricing after the intro period.
- How much can I save with annual billing on stock photo & video?
- Annual billing savings vary by product. Use our calculator to see the exact savings for each product.
- What is a Price Transparency Score?
- Our Price Transparency Score rates vendors on a 0-100 scale based on how openly they share pricing information. We evaluate whether prices are shown publicly, renewal costs are disclosed, free trials or plans exist, the pricing model is predictable, and if any plans require contacting sales.