Envato's 2026 Changes: What They Mean for Template Buyers
A flat 50% author fee, no more exclusivity and invitation-only author sign-ups. What changed on Envato Market, what stayed the same for buyers, and how to check that an item is still looked after.
Envato's 2026 changes are about authors, not buyers, but buyers feel them. From 1 July 2026 Envato Market charges every author the same 50% author fee and no longer asks anyone to sell exclusively there, so authors may now sell the same item on other channels too. Separately, new authors can only join by invitation, and Code is not among the categories Envato is inviting. Envato's announcement does not change buyer licences, the buyer fee or the support policy.
We are an Envato author ourselves, selling on CodeCanyon as polargames since 2013, and we also run our own store, so we gain when you buy direct. This guide sticks to what Envato's own pages say, read on 30 October 2026, and to practical checks you can run on any listing. Where Envato's pages say nothing, for example about buyer prices, we do not fill the gap with guesses.
What Envato changed in 2026
One author fee for everyone
Envato's Author Hub article on the change says that from 1 July 2026 the author fee for all authors moved to 50% of the item price. Before that there were two tracks: authors who also sold elsewhere paid 55%, and exclusive authors paid a lower, tiered fee. The article says plainly that this is a reduction in earnings for exclusive authors, and that non-exclusive authors go from 55% down to 50%.
No more exclusivity
The same article says exclusivity requirements were removed and the split between exclusive and non-exclusive accounts disappeared. Authors may sell through their own store, a subscription service or other marketplaces without taking their items off Envato Market. The Market Author Terms, last revised 1 July 2026, now say items are offered on a non-exclusive basis.
New authors by invitation only
A help centre article updated on 29 October 2026 says open applications are paused and new Envato Market author accounts cannot be created unless Envato invites the creator. It lists Theme and Code among the categories it is not inviting at this stage, and says existing authors in those categories will keep being supported.
See the templates we sell direct
What did not change for template buyers
The 2026 announcement deals with author terms and does not touch these four buyer-side points:
- Licences. The Standard Licences page still splits Regular (one end product, free to end users) from Extended (one end product that end users pay for). The Regular License terms show a last revision on 11 March 2025.
- Buyer fee. The list price is the author's item price plus Envato's fixed buyer fee. For CodeCanyon's HTML5 category, Envato's fee table lists $3 on a Regular License and $15 on an Extended License.
- Support. A supported item still includes 6 months of support from purchase, extendable to 12 months at checkout. The Author Terms require authors who mark an item as supported to provide that support.
- Refunds. The refund rules are still version 1.2 from October 2023, with the 180-day limit for supported CodeCanyon items and 30 days for unsupported ones.
Will template prices change?
Envato does not set prices for most code items. Its Author Terms call this Author Driven Pricing: each author sets the item price, and Envato adds the buyer fee on top. Envato's earnings example shows the arithmetic: an item price of $13 plus a $3 buyer fee gives a list price of $16, and the author pays 50% of the $13 as the author fee, before tax.
So any price move after 1 July 2026 is an individual author's decision. Envato's announcement does not mention buyer prices, and we have no market-wide data, so we will not tell you prices went up or down. Some authors may keep prices, some may change them, and some may offer the same item elsewhere at a different price.
Where authors may now also sell, and why it matters to you
Non-exclusivity means you may find the same template on Envato, on the author's own site and on other marketplaces. That gives you choice, and it gives you homework, because each channel has its own licence, support window and refund rule. An Extended License on one marketplace does not mean the same thing as an Extended license on another.
- Check the seller is the author. A real author can point you from one channel to the other, for example from their site to their Envato profile.
- Compare the licence wording, not the label. Look for how many end products, whether players may pay, and whether a client project is covered.
- Compare support: how many months, what is excluded, and who steps in if the author goes quiet.
- Compare refunds: on most channels the window closes when you download.
For our own items the answer is simple. On CodeCanyon they follow Envato's rules. In our store they follow our published terms: one perpetual licence per end product for you or one client, white label allowed, 6 months of support or 12 with the extension, and a refund before download or for a defect we cannot fix. Each licence comes with a certificate that anyone can check.
See how our licence certificate is verified
Fewer new authors: what it means for the catalogue
With Code not among the invited categories, new code items on CodeCanyon will come from existing authors for now. Envato says this is not a sign that a category is being phased out, and that it keeps working with its current authors. For a buyer, the practical point is that an item's history matters more than ever: how long the author has been active, how often the item is updated and how they answer questions.
How to check that an item is still maintained
These checks work on any CodeCanyon item page and take about ten minutes. They work on other stores too, with different labels.
- Read the Last Update date in the item's details, next to Created. A recent date is a good sign; a date years old means you should ask before buying.
- Check the purchase box. It says whether support is included and from whom, and whether you can extend it to 12 months. Some items say the author does not support them.
- Open the Comments tab and see whether recent questions got answers, and how fast.
- Read Compatible Browsers, Files Included and Software Version. If the game needs an editor such as Construct 3, that is where it shows.
- Look for a changelog in the description and see whether the fixes match the problems people raise in comments.
- Watch for a vacation notice. Envato lets authors pause support and shows that notice on the comment form and the support tab.
- After you buy, download straight away. Envato's User Terms say items may not remain available, and its refund rules exclude items that were removed or whose author is no longer active.
Buying the same kind of template outside Envato
If you decide to buy direct from a studio, run the same checks there. In our store each of the 28 templates has a playable demo, a manual and a list of files and libraries. Prices are list prices in US dollars, and orders of 2, 3, 4 and 5 or more templates get 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% off. Changes to a game, hosting and SDK or portal integration are separate work, quoted before we start.
Read our licence, support and refund terms
FAQ
What changed on Envato Market on 1 July 2026?
All authors moved to a 50% author fee, exclusivity requirements were removed, and the exclusive and non-exclusive account types were merged. Authors may now sell the same items on other channels.
Did Envato raise prices for buyers?
Envato's announcement is about the author fee and does not mention buyer prices. Authors set their own item prices, and Envato adds a fixed buyer fee, which for CodeCanyon HTML5 items is $3 on a Regular License. Any price change is the author's decision.
Is a licence I bought before July 2026 still valid?
The 2026 announcement changed author terms, not buyer licences. The Regular License terms, last revised in March 2025, describe an ongoing licence that can end if its terms are breached. Keep your purchase code and download your files.
Will authors stop supporting their items?
We cannot predict individual choices. The Author Terms still require authors who mark an item as supported to provide support for the included period and any extension you buy. The purchase box shows the current status of each item.
Can I still become an Envato author?
Not by applying. Envato's help centre says new author accounts can only be created by invitation, and Code is not among the categories it is inviting at this stage.
Are Polar Games templates still on CodeCanyon?
Yes, under the author name polargames, and they follow Envato's terms there. Our own store sells under the terms published on polargames.com.br.
Next step
Whichever store you pick, play the exact demo, read the live licence and download the moment you buy. If you want to compare our direct terms against Envato's, our templates are a click away.