After Effects templates and stock footage go hand in hand, so we thought in only fair that we share a few of our favourite after effects template providers with you. After Effects templates are preset filters, creative elements, and graphics that you can use to enhance your creative video projects. From corporate logo presentations, slideshows and advertisements, to storytelling, After Effects can add that crucial final element of flair and polish. And with each of our recommended sites hosting such an enormous variety and range of effects, don’t let the word ‘template’ dissuade you! Often, the right After Effects template can prove instrumental in making a project unique that will impress your clients.
Since we’re Videvo and love all things free, we’ve also made sure to include some high quality (and legitimate!) resources for you in our Top 7.
So without further ado, here are our Top 7 After Effects Template Websites.
UPDATE: New in 2021 – Videvo Templates!
In 2021, we launched our own collection of Video Editing Templates, including After Effects Templates and Premiere Pro Templates as well as DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro X. As of launch, over a thousand template packs have been added, each containing multiple versions of elements for your post-production process.
Available templates include they include Typography, Titles, Lower Thirds, Intros, Logo Strings, Transitions, Slideshows, and many more to give a professional edge to your personal and professional projects. Templates are available for download as a regular Premium download under Videvo’s monthly plans, and are fully unlimited under their yearly counterparts! Don’t miss out on the great value you’ll be getting as part of our Premium plans.
GraphicINmotion: graphicinmotion.com
We’re starting off with a wildcard: a fairly small site, with content generated by professional motion graphics artist Roland Hartmann. As a freelance site, Mr. Hartmann offers a free customisation service on all his After Effects and motion graphics for users who may not have the applicable software, plugins, time or expertise. Prices range from around $12 to $40, but the site does have a small but mighty range of free textures and templates. All templates are offered with a choice between Regular and Extended licensing. GraphicINmotion is a testament to the maxim that sometimes less is more, particularly for users just starting out or who aren’t quite sure what they’re looking for, or those looking beyond the mainstream. The result is a user-friendly site, with high-quality content, video tutorials and a wide range of unique designs and styles.
Motion Array: motionarray.com
We’ve included Motion Array in our list for its highly innovative requests page. Users can submit requests to content creators, vote on prior submissions, and track the progress status of each one. The site operates on a membership system, ranging from Free (including access to all free After Effects and graphics, to to Pro, at $49/Month, allowing up to twenty downloads monthly, all covered under a royalty-free license. Paying users are also permitted free use of a video portfolio site builder, making it a perfect tool for users also looking to gain exposure.
Motion Elements: motionelements.com
In addition to the standard keyword and category searches commonly used for After Effects websites, Motion Array provides a futuristic-sounding AI search function; users can drag and drop images (and audio files!) in order to generate similar results. It makes for an ideal resource for following through on moments of inspiration, and offers flexibility through royalty-free licensing. Additionally, thirty free elements are uploaded weekly, guaranteeing a steady stream of fresh, new content even if you’re on a tight budget. Membership is free, and the templates cost anything between $1-$250. They also offer a wide selection of royalty-free audio tracks, motion graphics, and even a few 360º VR templates, making it one of the most up to date one-stop shops for creative projects.
Pond5: pond5.com
Pond5 hosts an enormous library of excellent quality creative assets, including (but not limited to) AE templates, audio files, stock images and footage, an enormous array of Virtual Reality after effects and even a puzzlingly large collection of humanoid 3D models. All of these are covered under a royalty-free licensing agreement. It specialises particularly in Logo and Particles after-affects, but these comprise just the tip of the iceberg. Prices tend to hover between £16-£36 but can be found for as little as £6, and a 25% discount if offered on the first purchase.
RocketStock: rocketstock.com
RocketStock is a subsidiary of ShutterStock, offering AE templates in the range of $39-$59, but with the additional perk that members are emailed a ‘freebie template’ once a week, in addition to the site’s own ‘Freebie’ category. They also provide a variety of video packs, with bundles of themed overlays, backgrounds, distortion elements and lens flares (to name a few). The site likes to keep things simple, employing an unlimited license; templates can be used in multiple projects, worldwide for perpetuity. Though they may not offer the same variety of creative elements offered in some of the other websites on this list, a prominent feature of RocketStock is a high-quality blog containing tutorials on emulating blockbuster special effects, tech news and developments, and much more in a clear and simple style.
VideoBlocks: videoblocks.com
VideoBlocks operates on both monthly and annual subscription plans and provides a good selection of AE Templates for paying subscribers. At $99 p/month and $149 p/year, it’s worth taking the plunge and subscribing for the long haul if your budget allows for it. Aside from the templates, membership opens up access to a range of exclusive clips and effects. A particular highlight of the user experience is the application of subcategories, meaning that, despite the wide variety of clips, finding what you are looking for is easily managed. This proves invaluable, particularly where text-based templates are concerned. For example, in the typography category users can filter clips according to font styles; logo reveals are further categorised according to style and aesthetics.
VideoHive: videohive.net
Videohive is perhaps the most diverse of our recommendations. Videohive connects talented motion artists worldwide with users looking to vamp up their creative video projects. Users can search AE templates according to categories and keywords, but also according to their preferred designer’s portfolio. One thing to mention is that prices range depending not only on the quality of the template, but also the type of license you choose (regular or extended), so be sure to check out their options to ensure you purchase the correct version for your needs. The site incorporates both a comments and ratings system into creator profiles, creating a peer-reviewed economy which can certainly help to put your mind at ease when forking out for your template. It also boasts one of the most customisable search functions of all the sites in our list, which comes in handy when navigating nearly half a million media assets.
And that’s all folks! Go forth and create with an arsenal of After Effects templates up your sleeve. And please do spare a line or two for the brilliant content creators and graphic designers who work to hard to make life so easy for the rest of us. In the same vein, we love to hear your feedback, so do let us know if you think something isn’t on this list that really ought to be.
