A customer pays $59 for one of our WordPress themes on ThemeForest. AnpsThemes now receives only $23.49. Envato keeps the remaining $35.51 before any VAT or sales tax paid by the customer.
This is not a theoretical calculation or an exaggerated percentage created for a headline. It is based on an actual AnpsThemes sale recorded in our Envato statement on 11 July 2026.
Before Envato introduced its new fee model, the same $59 sale earned us $41.13. From 1 July 2026, our earnings from that sale dropped to $23.49 — a reduction of almost 43% overnight.
The customer still pays $59. We perform the same development, maintenance, compatibility work and support. But our earnings fell by $17.64 per sale.
This is why we have changed our direction. AnpsThemes themes are now available directly through the official AnpsThemes Shop, where customers currently pay less, receive longer support and deal directly with the team that builds the products.
Current direct price: $39 before applicable VAT or sales tax.
First-purchase discount: Use the code WELCOME for an additional 10% off.
Browse AnpsThemes WordPress themes →
ThemeForest says the author fee is 50%. Why does Envato keep more than 60%?
The new Envato model is commonly described as a 50% author fee. Technically, that description is correct, but it does not tell customers or authors the complete story.
The 50% author fee is not calculated from the complete $59 price displayed on ThemeForest.
Envato first removes a fixed buyer fee. For a WordPress theme, the current fixed buyer fee is $12. The remaining amount is treated as the item price, and Envato then takes another 50% from that amount as the author fee.
Envato explains this structure in its official documentation about how item pricing works and its list of fixed buyer fees.
The real breakdown of our $59 WordPress theme sale
| Price breakdown | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| ThemeForest list price | $59.00 | $59.00 |
| Fixed Envato buyer fee | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| Remaining item and support price | $47.00 | $47.00 |
| Additional Envato author fee | $5.87 | $23.51 |
| Total kept by Envato | $17.87 | $35.51 |
| AnpsThemes receives | $41.13 | $23.49 |
Under the previous model, Envato kept approximately 30.3% of the complete $59 list price. Under the new model, Envato keeps approximately 60.2%.
Envato’s total share has therefore almost doubled, while the amount received by the theme developer has fallen by almost 43%.
Envato now earns more from the sale of our theme than the team that designs it, develops it, tests it, documents it, updates it and supports its customers.
The percentage depends on the theme price
We are not claiming that Envato keeps exactly 60% from every ThemeForest product. The effective percentage changes because the $12 WordPress buyer fee is fixed.
For lower-priced WordPress themes, the effective Envato share becomes even higher. For more expensive themes, the fixed $12 represents a smaller percentage of the complete price.
| ThemeForest list price | Approximate author earnings | Approximate amount kept by Envato | Effective Envato share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $39 | $13.50 | $25.50 | 65.4% |
| $59 | $23.49 | $35.51 | 60.2% |
| $79 | $33.50 | $45.50 | 57.6% |
The new author fee may be described as 50%, but a customer looking at the complete price shown on ThemeForest sees a very different result.
We had 50 days to react to a business-changing decision
Envato announced the proposed change on 12 May 2026. The new model became active on 1 July 2026.
That gave authors approximately 50 days to reconsider their pricing, revenue forecasts, sales channels, support systems and entire business strategy.
AnpsThemes did not receive an email explaining the change. We did not see a clear notification inside our author dashboard, and nobody contacted us personally.
We discovered the announcement through Reddit on 12 May.
Some authors have said that they received an email. We did not. A decision capable of reducing the income of an established author by more than 40% should not depend on whether someone happens to see a discussion on social media.
The change and reactions from other established authors were discussed publicly on Reddit and covered by publications including The Repository.
Seven weeks is not a serious transition period for businesses that spent years building their products around an exclusive marketplace.
We believe an announcement of this scale should have been made at least six months before implementation. Authors needed time to build alternative checkout systems, licensing, support portals, customer accounts, marketing channels and direct-sales infrastructure.
Instead, we had to change almost everything at once.
More than 14 years and 30,000 sales now count the same as one sale
AnpsThemes joined ThemeForest in November 2011. Since then, we have achieved Power Elite status and generated more than 30,000 sales through the marketplace.
You can verify our history on the official Anps ThemeForest profile.
For years, ThemeForest was our only theme sales channel. We accepted exclusivity and invested our development work, customer relationships and product catalogue into the marketplace.
Under the previous system, established exclusive authors could gradually qualify for a lower author fee. The system was not perfect, but it at least recognised long-term sales and loyalty.
That financial recognition has now disappeared.
Under the standard new model, a Power Elite author with more than 30,000 sales and a new author with a single sale are subject to the same 50% author fee on the item price.
The badge remains. The economic meaning behind it does not.
Power Elite status may still appear on our profile, but a badge does not pay developers, designers or support staff.
Removing exclusivity gives authors more freedom, and we welcome that freedom. But it should not be presented as a generous gift. It arrived together with a major reduction in earnings for the authors who had previously committed themselves to the platform.
What does ThemeForest still provide?
We want to be fair about this. ThemeForest still provides value.
- Marketplace traffic and customer discovery
- A familiar purchasing platform
- Payment processing
- VAT and sales-tax handling
- Product hosting and marketplace infrastructure
However, ThemeForest does not create our themes, design our demos, write our documentation or answer our support tickets.
AnpsThemes is responsible for:
- Theme design and development
- New demos, layouts and features
- WordPress and PHP compatibility
- WooCommerce and plugin compatibility
- Testing and quality assurance
- Bug fixes and security-related maintenance
- Documentation
- Demo website hosting and maintenance
- Customer support
- Long-term product maintenance
These are not one-time costs. A serious WordPress theme must be maintained for years as WordPress, WooCommerce, PHP, browsers, page builders and third-party plugins continue to change.
Our direct shop uses Paddle, which also processes payments and handles VAT and sales tax. Under our current setup, the approximate Paddle cost is 5% — significantly less than the effective amount retained from our ThemeForest sales.
Is ThemeForest dying or simply being left behind?
We cannot state as a fact that ThemeForest will close, and we do not know Envato’s long-term internal plans.
We can only describe what we are seeing as an established author.
Envato has increasingly focused its public marketing on Envato Elements. Its announcement about the new Market model also described Elements as its core focus. The historic Envato author forums have already been closed, removing the main central space where authors previously discussed marketplace problems and changes.
At the same time, our own ThemeForest sales during June were more than 60% below our average for 2026 and below the level we would reasonably expect based on previous performance.
One weak month does not prove the future of an entire marketplace. But a decline of that size cannot be ignored, particularly when marketplace traffic is the main remaining reason for accepting such a large fee.
Staying exclusively dependent on ThemeForest is no longer economically sustainable for AnpsThemes.
Why buying directly is better for customers and developers
Our WordPress themes are currently available through the AnpsThemes Shop for $39 before applicable VAT or sales tax.
A comparable ThemeForest purchase costs $59 before tax.
| Purchase option | Customer price | Approximate AnpsThemes revenue | Included support |
|---|---|---|---|
| ThemeForest | $59.00 | $23.49 | 6 months |
| AnpsThemes Shop | $39.00 | Approximately $37.05 | 12 months |
| AnpsThemes Shop with WELCOME | $35.10 | Approximately $33.35 | 12 months |
When you purchase directly for $39:
- You save $20 compared with our $59 ThemeForest price.
- You receive 12 months of support instead of six months.
- You receive 12 months of theme updates.
- AnpsThemes receives approximately 58% more than from the ThemeForest sale.
- More of your payment funds development, updates, testing and support.
Even after applying the 10% WELCOME discount, AnpsThemes still receives considerably more than we receive from a full-price ThemeForest sale.
You pay less. You receive more support. More of your payment reaches the people who actually build and maintain the product.
The $39 price will not remain forever
We also want to be transparent about our direct pricing.
The current $39 price is a launch price designed to introduce customers to the new AnpsThemes Shop and help us build our direct-sales channel.
It is not a sustainable long-term price for the level of development, compatibility work, support and product quality we want to provide.
During the coming months, we plan to increase individual theme prices gradually:
- Current launch price: $39
- Planned next price: $49
- Planned standard price: $59
We do not want to compete only by being the cheapest option. Our goal is to provide professional WordPress themes with reliable updates, useful new features, modern demos and support from an experienced team.
Quality development requires sustainable pricing. The important difference is that when you purchase directly, substantially more of the price funds the product and the people responsible for it.
What is included when you purchase directly?
A direct AnpsThemes theme purchase currently includes:
- The original AnpsThemes theme files
- All available demos included with the theme
- Documentation
- 12 months of theme updates
- 12 months of standard theme support
- Theme and licence management through AnpsThemes Club
- Direct access to the team responsible for the theme
- Priority access to new improvements, demos and features released through AnpsThemes Club
- The option to renew updates and support
- Access to additional setup, customization and custom WordPress development services
ThemeForest currently provides future item updates under its marketplace model, while standard support lasts six months. Direct AnpsThemes licences include 12 months of both updates and support, with renewal available afterward.
Our direct platform is now the priority for new features, improvements and demos. Customers purchasing directly will receive these developments through AnpsThemes Club first.
We are not abandoning existing ThemeForest customers
We are disappointed with Envato’s decision, but we are not blaming customers who previously purchased our themes through ThemeForest.
Existing ThemeForest customers can connect their purchase to AnpsThemes Club using Envato authentication and their valid purchase information.
Follow our instructions to claim your ThemeForest purchase inside AnpsThemes Club.
After claiming an eligible AnpsThemes purchase, we will provide six months of support through our new platform — even when the original ThemeForest support expired years ago.
That includes customers whose marketplace support may have expired five or even ten years ago. You do not need to purchase the same theme again simply to access our new customer portal.
This is our way of welcoming long-term customers to the new AnpsThemes platform and rebuilding the direct relationship that the marketplace previously controlled.
ThemeForest’s support model also needs to change
ThemeForest includes six months of support, but customers continue receiving available item updates after support expires. They can also continue commenting on and rating the product.
This creates an unhealthy long-term model. Authors remain publicly responsible for maintaining products and protecting their reputation, while customers have little reason to renew support.
A more sustainable system would connect active updates and active support more clearly. This would give authors the revenue required to maintain products properly instead of expecting indefinite maintenance from a one-time marketplace sale.
Our direct model includes 12 months of updates and support. Customers who need continued access can renew, helping fund future compatibility work, development and assistance.
What the Envato decision forced us to build
Instead of spending recent months exclusively on new themes, demos and product improvements, we had to invest substantial time and money into building a complete independent platform.
We developed:
- The AnpsThemes Club customer portal
- Paddle checkout and payment integration
- Customer accounts and order management
- Theme licence management
- Secure theme downloads
- Update and support-period management
- A new support-ticket platform
- ThemeForest purchase claiming through Envato authentication
- Customer migration tools
- Direct theme product and checkout pages
We also now need to invest in marketing, search visibility, social media and customer acquisition that ThemeForest previously handled for us.
All of this had to be prepared in approximately 50 days while we continued supporting customers and maintaining our existing themes.
We would rather have spent that time creating new demos, features and themes. However, relying on only one marketplace after such a sudden policy change would have been irresponsible.
A platform for other WordPress authors
Our experience is not unique. Other established ThemeForest and CodeCanyon authors are now considering direct sales, independent licensing and their own customer portals.
Because we already built the AnpsThemes platform from the ground up, we are preparing a version that may also be available to other digital-product and WordPress authors.
The planned platform can include:
- Self-hosted customer portal software
- Paddle payment integration
- Product and licence management
- Downloads and customer accounts
- Integrated support tickets
- Envato purchase claiming and customer migration
Depending on interest, we may also provide a hosted version running on our infrastructure for a monthly fee.
Authors interested in a self-hosted or managed version can contact AnpsThemes.
What Envato should have done differently
We understand that marketplaces need to earn money. We are not arguing that Envato should operate for free.
An all-inclusive marketplace share of approximately 30% would be commercially understandable to us. A lower rate would naturally be even better for authors, but we recognise the value of customer acquisition, infrastructure and payment handling.
What we cannot accept as reasonable is a structure where the marketplace keeps more from our core product than the team responsible for creating and supporting it.
Envato should have:
- Announced the change at least six months in advance.
- Sent a clear email to every affected author.
- Displayed a prominent notification in every author dashboard.
- Provided a transition period for established exclusive authors.
- Continued rewarding long-term sales and marketplace contribution.
- Presented a credible plan for rebuilding ThemeForest traffic and one-time product sales.
- Recognised that subscription marketplaces are not the right solution for every customer or every software product.
There will continue to be a market for customers who want to purchase one professional WordPress theme rather than subscribe to a large library of products they may never use.
ThemeForest helped create that market. Envato should be investing in its future, not treating it as a secondary product behind Elements.
Our message to Envato management
Authors are not interchangeable inventory.
They are independent businesses that employ developers, designers and support staff. They make long-term plans based on marketplace rules, expected revenue and commitments made over many years.
AnpsThemes helped generate more than 30,000 sales on ThemeForest. We supported customers, maintained products and remained committed to the marketplace since 2011.
A business-changing decision deserved better communication, a serious transition period and meaningful recognition of the authors who helped build ThemeForest.
We will continue selling selected products on ThemeForest for now, but it is no longer the centre of our business.
Our future is direct.
Buy AnpsThemes WordPress themes directly
Customers can now purchase our most popular themes directly through the official AnpsThemes website:
Constructo — Construction WordPress Theme
Our best-selling WordPress theme for construction companies, contractors, renovation businesses and building professionals. Constructo includes ready-made demos, project layouts, lead-generation sections and support for modern page-building workflows.
Industrial — Manufacturing and Factory WordPress Theme
A professional theme for factories, manufacturing businesses, engineering companies and industrial service providers, with ready-made services, projects and company layouts.
Accounting — Finance and Consulting WordPress Theme
A business-focused WordPress theme for accountants, tax advisors, financial consultants, bookkeeping firms and professional service companies.
Need themes for multiple websites?
The AnpsThemes All Themes Package provides access to all eligible AnpsThemes business themes for unlimited websites while the package is active. It is designed for agencies, freelancers and customers building multiple client projects.
View all AnpsThemes WordPress themes →
Use the voucher code WELCOME for 10% off your first direct purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AnpsThemes Shop official?
Yes. AnpsThemes products are sold through anpsthemes.com, while customer accounts, purchases, downloads, licences and support are managed through club.anpsthemes.com. You can verify these addresses on our official domains page.
Are the direct themes genuine?
Yes. They are the same original WordPress themes created and maintained by the AnpsThemes team. Direct purchases are not third-party copies or modified versions.
Why are AnpsThemes themes currently cheaper in the direct shop?
Direct sales have significantly lower platform costs. This allows us to charge customers less while still receiving more revenue for development, maintenance and support.
Will the $39 price stay permanently?
No. The $39 price is an introductory launch price. We plan to increase individual theme prices gradually to $49 and later to $59 as we continue investing in new features, demos, updates and professional support.
What happens after 12 months of updates and support?
You can renew your theme licence to continue receiving new updates and support. The renewal price is currently the same as the applicable theme price at the time of renewal.
I already purchased through ThemeForest. Do I need to buy again?
No. You can claim your eligible ThemeForest purchase inside AnpsThemes Club and receive six months of support through our new platform, even when your previous ThemeForest support expired years ago.
