Hire UGC creators
Hire UGC creators from verified applicants
Three steps. Post a job with your pay and your floor: country, language, minimum followers, minimum average views. Creators who clear it apply, and their numbers are read from the platform API. You hire one, they post through Socialync, and you pay the creator directly. Socialync charges you a 5% fee, figured on agreed creator pay and counted at delivery on organic jobs. No plan, no subscription.
Updated October 2026
Creators come to you
You post a campaign with your floor. Creators who clear it see the job and apply, and you pick from who applies. Creators who chose to be listed are also in a directory you can browse and invite from, in plain order with no ranking. If you already have a creator in mind, invite them by their exact Instagram or TikTok handle, or re-invite someone who applied to you before. An invite still goes through the floor.
How selection works
The floor decides who can apply. After that you decide who to hire. Each application shows the creator's follower count, 30 day average views and engagement, up to 6 portfolio pieces and their niches. Read them, filter your applicants by niche, and pick the creator whose work fits your product. Creators can apply to any job they clear, whatever their niche.
Niches creators work in
Creators pick up to 3 of 21 niches: beauty, fashion, fitness, health and wellness, food and drink, travel, tech, software and apps, gaming, finance, business, education, parenting and family, home and DIY, pets, sports and outdoors, automotive, music, entertainment, art and design, and lifestyle. Every job you post is filed under one product category from the same list.
Set your floor
Country, language, minimum followers, and minimum average views per platform. Creators who clear it see the campaign. Everyone else never does.
Review verified applicants
Every applicant's numbers come from the platform API through their own connected account, with portfolio pieces attached. No media kit to take on faith.
Hire and pay the creator
Choose who to hire and watch the post go live on their account. Confirm delivery, then pay the creator directly on the terms in the listing.
Where to hire UGC creators
You have five options. They differ on who finds the creator, what you pay on top of the creator's rate, and who holds the money until the work is done.
| Where | How it works | What it costs | Creator's pay | Good fit when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGC agency or managed serviceInsense alternatives | The agency picks the creators, writes the brief and hands you finished videos. | Insense managed UGC: from $3,500 for 8 custom videos, creator cost included.insense.pro | Inside the agency price. You pay the agency. | You want finished videos and no hiring work. |
| Subscription UGC platformSideShift UGC alternativesInfluee alternatives | Pay a monthly plan, post jobs, and hire from the creators who apply. | SideShift UGC: $299, $499 or $999 a month ($210 to $699 billed yearly), creator pay on top. Influee: from $229 a month plus a 10% fee on creator payments.sideshift.app/plans/brands, sideshift.app, influee.co/pricing | Held by the platform until you approve the work. | You test many videos a month and want payouts run for you. |
| Pay-as-you-go marketplaceJoinBrands alternatives | No plan. The platform adds a fee to each creator payment. | JoinBrands free plan: a 15% platform fee on each creator payment. Paid plans from $99 a month cut it to between 8% and 12%.joinbrands.com/pricing | Paid through the platform. | You hire now and then and want no monthly bill. |
| Do it yourself | Find creators on TikTok and Instagram, message them, send a contract, pay by invoice. | The creator's rate and no platform fee. Your time goes into outreach, contracts and chasing posts. | You pay the creator directly. | You already know the two or three creators you want. |
| Socialync job board | Post a campaign with your floor. Creators who clear it apply. Invite a creator by exact handle if you already know them. | No plan. 5% of agreed creator pay on organic jobs, counted at delivery. Ads deals: 1.5% of attributed sales or 1.25% of ad spend. | You pay the creator directly. Socialync never holds it. | You want posts on real creator accounts, stats read from the platform API, and no monthly plan. |
Prices and policies come from each vendor's own page, checked October 23, 2026. Some brands want the platform to hold the creator's pay until they approve the work. SideShift UGC and Influee work that way. On Socialync you pay the creator yourself. SideShift UGC also publishes case studies. Socialync has none yet: the board opened November 1 at 12:01 PM ET.
Side by side pages for SideShift UGC, Trybe UGC, Billo, Insense and more: UGC platform alternatives. To find creators yourself, how to find UGC creators covers the outreach and the UGC contract template covers the paperwork.
What it costs to hire a UGC creator
Two parts: the creator's pay and whatever the platform charges you. Reported creator rates vary widely. Influee lists an average of $92 for a 30 second UGC video in the US (influee.co/pricing), and SideShift UGC reports a median of $7 to $9 a video across its platform (sideshift.app), both checked October 23, 2026. More reported ranges are in UGC rates for 2026, and the UGC rate calculator prices a single job.
On Socialync you pick one of four pay structures for an organic job. The examples show the math, and the fee is 5% of the agreed pay.
| Structure | How it pays | Use it for | Example | Socialync fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | One amount per creator for the whole job. | One fixed deliverable. | $400 for one TikTok video | $20, at delivery |
| Per post | An amount for each post, times the posts you ask for. | A series of posts. | $150 a post, 3 posts: $450 | $22.50, at delivery |
| Flat plus a view bonus | A base, plus a bonus if the post passes a view count you set within 30 days of delivery. | Rewarding reach on top of a fixed base. | $300 base, plus $200 at 100,000 views | $15 at delivery, plus $10 if the bonus is earned |
| CPM | A rate per 1,000 verified views, with a payout cap you set. | Paying per view, with a ceiling. | $20 per 1,000 views, capped at $600. 25,000 views pays $500 | $25, when the window closes |
View bonus and CPM need the creator's own post to count views. They are not offered when you post the video yourself, and they cannot pay out on X, LinkedIn or Bluesky, which report no view counts. Ads deals pay a commission on results, explained under performance-based UGC. Every fee, organic and ads, is on the brand pricing page.
How applicants are vetted
Vetting starts before anyone applies. You set a floor, and every field you fill in is a hard filter. Creators who do not clear it never see the job and cannot apply.
Where and who
Countries and languages. Creators also pick up to 3 of 21 niches, which you see on each application and can filter your applicants by.
Reach
Minimum followers per platform, read from the creator's connected account.
Views
Minimum average views per platform over the last 30 days, from posts they published through Socialync.
Engagement and activity
Minimum 30 day engagement rate, and a recent post within a number of days you choose.
Follower counts come from the creator's connected account, and average views come from the posts they publish through Socialync, read from the platform API. No screenshots, no self-reported numbers. A creator who has not posted through Socialync on a platform shows as unmeasured there. There is no age or gender filter on creators, by design.
You still judge the work. Every application carries up to 6 portfolio pieces, and both sides rate each finished job. Then the delivery is checked too: the creator publishes through Socialync on their own account and attaches the live post. On TikTok and Instagram the paid partnership label is forced on every campaign post.
For a creator you hire off platform, how to verify a creator's followers and views walks through the checks by hand.
Four ways to structure the deal
Organic post
Organic creator posts on their own accounts. Pay flat, per post, with a view bonus or by CPM.
Sponsored posts
Whitelisting and partnership ads
Meta partnership ads and TikTok Spark Ads run from the creator's handle, paid as a commission on results.
Influencer whitelisting
UGC video for your ads
The creator delivers the file and never posts it. You run it from your own handle and ad account.
UGC ads
Retainers
Bring back a creator who already delivered, on a monthly guarantee against commission, once you have paid them.
Creator retainers
TikTok Spark Ads have their own walkthrough: Spark Ads on Socialync. Whitelisting and Ads deals run on a licence clock, explained on the UGC ads page.
Questions brands ask about hiring UGC creators
How do I hire a UGC creator?
Post a job with your pay, deliverables and floor. Creators who clear the floor apply. You pick one, they publish through Socialync on their own account, and you pay the creator directly. Socialync charges the brand a 5% fee, figured on agreed creator pay and counted at delivery on organic jobs.
Where do I find UGC creators?
Post a job on Socialync and let them come to you, ask a UGC agency, use a subscription or pay-as-you-go platform, or message creators yourself on TikTok and Instagram. The table above compares the four routes and what each costs. If you already know a creator, invite them by exact handle.
Are there UGC creators for hire without a monthly plan?
Yes. Socialync has no plan and no subscription for the marketplace. You pay creators the pay you agreed in full, and Socialync charges you a 5% fee figured on that pay once you confirm delivery on organic jobs. Ads deals pay 1.5% of attributed sales or 1.25% of ad spend instead.
Where can I hire UGC creators?
Four places: a UGC agency, a subscription UGC platform, a pay-as-you-go marketplace, or your own outreach on TikTok and Instagram. On Socialync you post a campaign with your floor and creators who clear it apply. The table on this page compares what each costs and who holds the creator’s pay.
How much does it cost to hire a UGC creator?
Two parts: the creator's pay and the platform's fee. Reported creator rates vary widely. Influee lists an average of $92 for a 30 second UGC video in the US, and SideShift UGC reports a median of $7 to $9 a video across its platform (both checked October 23, 2026). On Socialync you set the pay as flat, per post, flat plus a view bonus, or CPM, and pay Socialync a 5% fee on organic jobs.
Should I pay flat, per post, CPM or a view bonus?
Flat for one fixed deliverable. Per post for a series. Flat plus a view bonus to reward reach on top of a fixed base. CPM to pay per verified view, with a cap you set. View bonus and CPM need the creator’s own post to count views, so they are not offered when you post the video yourself.
Do I search or browse creators?
You can browse the creator directory: creators who chose to be listed, in plain order, filtered by niche, country, language and platform. Socialync does not rank or recommend anyone. Most creators reach you by applying: post a campaign with your floor, and creators who clear it apply. If you already know a creator, invite them by their exact Instagram or TikTok handle. An invited creator still applies and still has to clear your floor.
What does "verified" mean on an applicant?
Follower counts come from the creator's connected account, and average views come from the posts they publish through Socialync, read from the platform API. No screenshots, no self-reported numbers.
How is delivery confirmed?
The creator publishes through Socialync on their own account and attaches the live post. You confirm delivery, or it confirms itself after 14 days with no answer. The creator confirms payment, and both sides keep the record.
How and when do I pay the creator?
You pay the creator directly, on the terms stated on the listing: within 14 days of confirming delivery, unless you set other terms. US creators are paid on Socialync’s pay page through Stripe. Elsewhere you and the creator settle directly and Socialync verifies the delivery. Socialync takes nothing from creator pay.
Can I hire creators outside the US?
Yes. Creators can be anywhere outside Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk. Set the countries you want in your floor. Everyone on the job board, brands included, is 18 or older.
Can I hire the same creator again?
Yes, as a re-hire once you have paid that creator. It runs as a repeat listing to that one creator, with the same deal type as before.
What if nobody who qualifies applies?
Adjust the floor or the payout any time, and the campaign stays live while you do.
You pay the creator directly
Socialync takes nothing from creator pay. Reimbursement deals, where a creator buys the product and waits to be paid back, are banned on Socialync entirely.