Choose a replacement by how you want to find creators. If you'd like creators to come to you, a post-and-apply platform keeps things simple. If you'd rather search and vet them yourself, a discovery database gives you more control, and a full programme platform suits brands working with many creators at once.
Brands work with creators in three broad ways: they post a brief and wait for applications, they search a database and reach out, or they run a whole programme with dozens of creators at once. Collabstr mixes searching and booking in one place. If you're looking elsewhere, the eight platforms below cover all three, in no particular order, and the right one depends on which way you want to work.
Who finds, vets and pays the creator
Your current platform's homepage pitches search, campaigns, content tracking and secure payment from one place. That's a useful bundle, and it hides the three questions that decide whether a replacement works for you.
How are creators found? Some platforms let creators apply to your brief. Others give you a search tool and expect you to do the finding. Both work, but they need very different amounts of your time.
How are they vetted? Every platform says its creators are real and vetted. Ask what that means in practice: what's checked, by whom, and what you can see about a creator's audience before you commit.
Who pays them, and who owns the relationship? If payment runs through the platform, so does the relationship, and moving a creator you love to a direct deal may be limited by the terms. If you pay creators yourself, the relationship is yours but so is the admin. Read the terms before you build a roster you can't take with you.
All eight platforms, A to Z
Alphabetical and in no particular order. Each line reflects how the vendor describes its own platform.
Afluencer
Best for: Brands who'd rather post a collab and let verified creators come to them, across a wide range of interests; a free plan is named.
CreatorIQ
Best for: Large brands running creator programmes at scale, where the vendor's pitch is AI-driven intelligence and joined-up workflows.
Grin
Best for: Brands growing a creator programme without growing the team, which is the vendor's headline promise; a free trial is named.
Heepsy
Best for: Small brands searching for influencers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn; the vendor says you can start free.
Influencity
Best for: Agencies and brands that want creator search, relationship management and campaign measurement in one place, per the vendor.
Insense
Best for: UGC and creator ads, sourced from what the vendor describes as a vetted creator network.
Modash
Best for: Marketing teams that find, analyse and monitor influencers in many countries, per the vendor; a free trial is named.
Popular Pays
Best for: Teams running content and influencer campaigns end to end, managing collaborations and tracking return in one platform, as the vendor describes it.
Creator platforms compared
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Afluencer | Creator collab platform | Posting a collab and letting creators apply |
| CreatorIQ | Enterprise creator platform | Large brands running creator programmes at scale |
| Grin | Creator programme management | Growing a creator programme without growing the team |
| Heepsy | Influencer search | Finding influencers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn |
| Influencity | Influencer marketing platform | Search, relationships and campaign results in one hub |
| Insense | UGC and creator ads | Sourcing UGC and creator ads from vetted creators |
| Modash | Influencer discovery and tracking | Finding and monitoring influencers in many countries |
| Popular Pays | Creator campaign platform | Running content campaigns end to end |
Post a brief, search a database or run a programme
Creators come to you. Afluencer, Insense and Popular Pays let you set out what you need and work with creators who respond, which suits small teams that want content without hours of outreach. The UGC-led ones are handy when you mainly want videos and photos for your own ads.
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You do the searching. Heepsy, Modash and Influencity give you discovery tools to find and check creators yourself. They suit brands and agencies that know exactly who they want to reach and prefer to pick by audience rather than wait for applicants.
You run a full programme. Grin and CreatorIQ are built for brands managing many creators, with workflows for relationships, content and reporting. They make sense once creator marketing is a channel in its own right rather than an occasional campaign.
My advice for brands booking creators
Be honest about how much time you have. If nobody on your team can spend a few hours a week on outreach, a search tool will sit unused, and a post-and-apply platform will get you further. If you've got a clear picture of the creators you want and the time to chase them, discovery tools give you more say over who represents your brand.
Run one small campaign before you sign anything long. Brief three or four creators through your shortlisted platform, see how quickly they respond, how clear the process is and how easily you can reuse the content. My guides to influencer CRMs and UGC platforms cover the next step once you're managing more creators.
Whatever you choose, make sure every creator post is clearly marked as an ad where the rules require it. Disclosure rules vary by country, so check guidance from your advertising regulator, such as the ASA in the UK or the FTC in the US, before content goes live.
Do you make influencer or creator marketing software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an influencer platform and a UGC platform?
An influencer platform helps you work with creators who post to their own audience. A UGC platform focuses on content you use in your own ads and channels. Many tools now offer both.
Should I let creators apply or search for them myself?
Letting creators apply saves time and suits small teams. Searching gives you more control over audience fit. Many brands start with applications, then move to search as they learn what works.
Can I keep working with a creator if I leave a platform?
It depends on the platform's terms. Some limit direct deals for a period, others don't. Read the terms before you build a long-term roster on any platform.
Do creator posts need to be labelled as ads?
In many countries, yes. Disclosure rules vary, so check your advertising regulator's guidance and make the label part of every brief.
How do I check a creator's audience is real?
Look at engagement on recent posts, comment quality and audience location where the platform shows it. Ask each platform what it checks before calling a creator vetted.
Who owns the content a creator makes for my brand?
That depends on your agreement with the creator and the platform's terms. Agree usage rights in writing, including where you can use the content and for how long, before any work starts.
