Artgrid vs Motion Array: What Are the Differences?
Cinema-grade footage built for filmmakers versus an all-in-one editor's toolkit packed with templates, music, plugins, and tools. Both are excellent — and both are owned by the same company, which explains more about this comparison than any pricing table.
Artgrid vs Motion Array: The Short Answer
Here's the thing most roundups miss: Artgrid and Motion Array are not competing for the same creator. One is built for filmmakers who need the most cinematic footage available. The other is built for editors who need one subscription covering footage, templates, music, plugins, and production tools. And as the next section explains, there's a structural reason for that division.
Wins for filmmakers and directors who need the most visually sophisticated cinema-grade B-roll — including RAW/LOG files for serious colour grading.
Wins for editors and content creators who need templates, plugins, music, and footage bundled — without managing multiple subscriptions.
These Two Are Owned by the Same Company
Before any pricing table, the fact that reframes this entire comparison — and which most articles, including earlier versions of this one, only tell you half of.
Artlist launched Artgrid in 2019 and acquired Motion Array in November 2020 for $65 million.
Your page probably told you Artgrid is owned by Artlist. What it likely didn't say is that Artlist also owns Motion Array — the acquisition closed in November 2020 for $65 million. So this isn't a rivalry between two companies; it's one company selling to two different customers on purpose.
That explains the gaps. Artgrid has no music, templates or plugins. Motion Array has no RAW or 8K footage. Neither fills the other's gap because doing so would cannibalise the sibling product. Practically: switching between these two isn't changing supplier, it's changing product line — and if you're shortlisting alternatives to escape a company's pricing decisions rather than its library, neither is a change of company. Our Artlist vs Motion Array comparison covers another pair from the same family, and Motion Array alternatives maps genuinely independent options.
Pricing: Artgrid Is Cheaper — But Motion Array Bundles More
Artgrid runs on annual billing only — there is no monthly option. Three tiers separate by footage quality rather than download volume, since all plans include unlimited downloads. The entry HD tier is the cheapest way in; the top tier adds RAW/LOG access for colour grading. The perpetual licence is a genuine differentiator: assets downloaded during an active subscription stay usable forever, even after you cancel.
Motion Array's pricing works differently. The Everything Plan bundles stock footage, music, sound effects, templates, plugins, AI voiceover, and 250GB storage into one annual rate, with monthly billing also available. A free plan offers a reduced free-file library and a one-month trial of premium features, no credit card required.
Being straight with you: figures for both platforms vary between sources, and our own coverage has carried different numbers. Artgrid's entry tier has been published at both ~$16.67 and $19.99/month, with tier names appearing as both Junior/Senior/Professional and Junior/Creator/Pro. Motion Array's Everything Plan has been listed at both $249.99 and $299.88 a year. Rather than pick figures and present them as settled, we've described the structure and left the numbers to the source. Check artgrid.io and motionarray.com directly — and note that a percentage-cheaper claim swings between roughly 20% and 33% depending which figures you use, which is exactly why we're not making one.
| Plan | Billing | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Artgrid — entry (HD) | annual only | Unlimited HD downloads · perpetual licence · social & commercial use |
| Artgrid — mid (4K) | annual only | Unlimited 4K downloads · same perpetual licence · full commercial rights incl. broadcast |
| Artgrid — top (RAW) | annual only | Unlimited RAW/LOG · 8K footage · for high-end post and colour grading |
| Motion Array Free | $0 | Reduced free-file library · 1-month premium trial · no card required |
| Motion Array Everything | annual or monthly | 700K+ assets · templates, footage, music, SFX · plugins · AI voiceover · 250GB storage |
| Motion Array Team | annual, per seat | 2–20 members · shared libraries · team admin · priority support |
Plan structure as published; verify current rates directly, since both platforms revise pricing frequently.
Artgrid requires annual billing across all plans — there is no monthly option. Motion Array offers both monthly and annual, plus a free plan. If you're evaluating a platform for a short-term project or aren't ready to commit for twelve months, Motion Array's free plan and monthly option are the lower-risk entry points — and that's true regardless of which pricing figures turn out to be current.
Library & Content: Curated Cinematic vs All-in-One
Artgrid's library is footage only, but footage taken exceptionally seriously. Every clip is shot by professional cinematographers, resolution goes to 8K, and RAW/LOG files give editors full colour-grading control. The library is organised beyond shot type and resolution — Artgrid uniquely features "Stories": curated collections of clips shot by the same filmmaker in a coherent visual language, which helps editors find matching B-roll designed to work together. There are also People filters by ethnicity, age, and group size — unusual detail for a footage library. Our Artgrid review covers the platform on its own terms.
Motion Array's 700K+ library is built for the working editor's entire production stack. Stock footage and motion graphics sit alongside royalty-free music, sound effects, After Effects, Premiere Pro, MOGRT, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve templates, presets, macros, and exclusive Premiere Pro plugins. An AI voiceover tool and portfolio builder extend it beyond pure downloads. Footage quality is professional-grade — HD to 5K — but the philosophy is breadth and workflow utility, not pure cinematic aesthetics. Our Motion Array review goes deeper.
- Cinematic stock footage (core and only offering)
- HD, 4K, and 8K resolutions
- RAW/LOG files on the top tier
- "Stories" — curated collections by one filmmaker
- People filters: ethnicity, age, group size
- Perpetual use licence — survives cancellation
- No music, templates, plugins or editing tools
- Stock footage & motion graphics (HD to 5K)
- Royalty-free music & sound effects
- AE, Premiere, MOGRT, FCP & DaVinci templates
- Exclusive Premiere Pro plugins & presets
- AI voiceover tool on the Everything Plan
- Portfolio builder & 250GB cloud storage
- No RAW/LOG, no 8K footage
Artgrid has noticeably better footage quality — but a far narrower library. Want footage only? Artgrid. Want everything else too? Motion Array.
The Licensing Difference Worth Understanding
Both platforms offer strong commercial licences, but the structures differ in a way that matters over time. Artgrid's licence is universal and perpetual from the moment of download — use a clip in any project, on any platform, as many times as you like, forever, even after cancelling.
Motion Array's perpetual licence applies to projects completed during an active subscription. Footage, music, and templates stay licensed indefinitely once the project is finished and published — but you can't start new projects with already-downloaded assets after cancelling. For a freelancer building a long-term reusable archive, Artgrid's structure is genuinely broader. For someone completing client projects on a rolling basis, the practical difference is small.
Building an archive you'll draw on for years? Artgrid's licence survives cancellation unconditionally, so a year's subscription buys permanently usable material. Delivering discrete client projects? Motion Array's completed-project licence covers you fine, and the flexibility of monthly billing likely matters more. Either way, read the current terms directly — licence language is exactly the thing platforms revise, and this is the clause worth checking yourself.
Feature-by-Feature Head to Head
| Category | Artgrid | Motion Array |
|---|---|---|
| Content scope | Footage only Wins on quality | Footage + templates + music + plugins + tools Wins on breadth |
| Max resolution | 8K RAW/LOG (top tier) Wins | Up to 5K, compressed |
| Free plan / trial | None — annual commitment only | Free plan, no card needed Wins |
| Monthly billing | Annual only | Monthly available More flexible |
| Licence type | Universal perpetual — survives cancellation Broader | Perpetual for projects completed during subscription |
| Video templates | Not offered | AE, Premiere, MOGRT, FCP, DaVinci Wins |
| Music & audio | Not offered | Full library + AI voiceover Wins |
| Premiere Pro plugins | Not offered | Exclusive plugins included Wins |
| RAW/LOG footage | Yes — top tier Wins | Not offered at any tier |
| Curated "Stories" | Filmmaker-curated clip groups Unique | Not offered |
| Team collaboration | Limited team options | Team plan: 2–20 members, shared libraries Wins |
| Portfolio builder | Not offered | Included — client-facing showcase Wins |
Who Should Choose Which
The decisive question isn't "which platform has better assets" — it's "what does your production workflow actually require?" A short-film director who needs 8K RAW B-roll is a completely different buyer from a YouTube editor who needs a Premiere template, a track, and some footage for one video.
- Cinematic footage quality is non-negotiableShort films, branded content, documentaries, and high-end commercial work where image quality matters at every frame. Built for people who can spot the difference between stock and cinema.
- You need RAW/LOG for colour gradingMotion Array's footage tops out at 5K compressed. If your pipeline runs serious colour work through DaVinci Resolve, Artgrid's top tier is the only option between these two.
- You reuse assets across many projectsThe perpetual licence genuinely survives cancellation — download once, use forever. For freelancers building a long-term library, that has real value.
- You need a one-subscription toolkitIf your workflow spans footage, music, templates, and plugins in a single week, the Everything Plan is one of the strongest consolidation plays available to video creators.
- You want flexibility before committingThe free plan and monthly billing give real evaluation options. Artgrid demands an annual commitment with no monthly fallback — a meaningful risk if you're not certain yet.
- You work in a teamThe Team plan covers 2–20 members with shared libraries, centralised billing, and priority support. Explicitly built for collaborative production.
Both platforms are genuinely excellent, and they serve fundamentally different creators — by design, since one company owns both. The clearest signal for which is yours: do you primarily need the best possible footage, or an all-in-one editor's toolkit? Pick Artgrid if you're a filmmaker, documentary creator, or branded-content director who needs the most visually sophisticated footage available, including RAW/LOG for serious post. The perpetual universal licence and curated "Stories" make it the stronger choice for building a career-spanning asset library. Pick Motion Array if you're an editor, creator, or small agency regularly using templates, music, plugins, and footage in the same project. The free plan, monthly billing, and team tools make it the more accessible and flexible choice for most working creators. Some teams subscribe to both — Artgrid for hero shots needing colour work, Motion Array for the day-to-day editorial layer. If choosing one: footage quality and RAW point to Artgrid; production versatility points to Motion Array.
Artgrid vs Motion Array — Common Questions
Are Artgrid and Motion Array owned by the same company?
Yes, and it changes how you should read this comparison. Artlist launched Artgrid in spring 2019 as its stock footage platform, and Artlist separately acquired Motion Array in a deal that closed in November 2020 for $65 million. So Artlist, Artgrid and Motion Array are three product lines from one company. That's why neither platform fills the other's gaps: Artgrid has no music or templates, Motion Array has no RAW footage, and closing either gap would cannibalise the sibling product.
Artgrid vs Motion Array — which is better?
They solve different problems rather than competing directly. Artgrid wins for filmmakers and directors who need the most visually sophisticated cinema-grade B-roll, including RAW and LOG files up to 8K for serious colour grading. Motion Array wins for video editors and content creators who need footage, templates, music, sound effects and plugins bundled into one subscription. The decisive question is whether you primarily need the best possible footage or an all-in-one editor's toolkit.
Which is cheaper, Artgrid or Motion Array?
Artgrid's entry tier is cheaper than Motion Array's Everything Plan, but published figures for both platforms vary between sources and our own coverage has carried different numbers, so we won't put a precise percentage on it. What's consistent is the shape: Artgrid's entry plan costs less but covers footage only, while Motion Array's Everything Plan costs more and bundles templates, music, sound effects, plugins and storage. Check both pricing pages directly before subscribing.
What is the licensing difference between them?
Both offer strong commercial licences with different structures. Artgrid's licence is universal and perpetual from the moment of download — use a clip in any project, on any platform, indefinitely, even after cancelling. Motion Array's perpetual licence applies to projects completed during an active subscription, meaning already-downloaded assets remain licensed in finished work but you can't start new projects with them after cancelling. For anyone building a long-term reusable archive, Artgrid's structure is broader.
Does Artgrid include music or templates?
No. Artgrid is footage only — no music library, no sound effects, no templates, no plugins, no editing tools. If your workflow needs a soundtrack or motion graphics templates alongside footage, you'll need a second subscription. Notably, the obvious second subscription is Artlist itself — the same parent company — so the gap is a product-line boundary rather than a limitation Artgrid intends to close.
Does Motion Array offer RAW or 8K footage?
No. Motion Array's footage tops out around 5K in compressed formats, with no RAW or LOG files at any tier. If your post-production pipeline runs serious colour grading through DaVinci Resolve, Artgrid's top tier is the only option between the two platforms. This is the clearest example of the deliberate segmentation between the two sibling products.
Can I try either platform before committing?
Motion Array is the lower-risk entry point. It offers a free plan with a reduced free-file library and no credit card required, plus monthly billing alongside its annual option. Artgrid runs on annual billing only across all tiers, with no monthly plan and no free download tier — though it does provide watermarked browsing so you can test clip fit in a rough edit before subscribing. If you're not certain a platform fits your workflow yet, that difference matters.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — from both platforms, which share a parent company, so a commission is earned whichever you choose. That's precisely why the shared ownership is stated at the top rather than buried, and why we've declined to publish a cheaper-by-X% figure we can't stand behind.
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