Envato Market Author Program

Envato runs some of the best known marketplaces for digital products, including ThemeForest for website themes, CodeCanyon for plugins and scripts, and markets for graphics, video and audio. Its author program lets developers and designers sell their work to a large existing buyer base.

Items go through a review before they are listed, and Envato handles payments and distribution. Authors can also earn from Envato Elements, a subscription service where earnings depend on how often subscribers download their items.

The commercial terms changed significantly in 2026. Envato ended its exclusive author model, and from July 1, 2026, all Envato Market authors pay a flat 50% author fee. Previously, exclusive authors paid a fee that fell as low as 12.5% for top sellers, while non-exclusive authors paid 55%. The change means non-exclusive authors now pay slightly less, but established exclusive authors, including many WordPress theme and plugin developers, keep a much smaller share of each sale than before.

As a result, many authors are reconsidering how much to rely on Envato versus selling directly from their own sites, where they keep more but must find buyers themselves.

It suits developers and designers who want access to Envato's large marketplace audience, particularly newer authors without their own customer base, as long as the 50% fee fits their pricing.