UGC Platforms: Where Brands Find UGC Creators
A UGC platform is one of two things: a marketplace where brands hire creators to make photos and videos the brand then posts or runs as ads, or software that collects content real customers already shared and shows it on the brand’s site. Both serve the sourcing step of an influencer marketing strategy; choose by the job:
| You want | Use | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| New videos or photos made to your brief | A UGC creator marketplace | Nine below |
| Customer photos and reviews as social proof on your store | A UGC curation platform | Four below |
| Creators posting to their own audience | An influencer platform | Influencer marketing platforms |
| Creators paid by commission on sales | Affiliate software or networks | Affiliate marketing tools |
Products are described from their own pages, dated by the stamp beside each, and listed alphabetically, not ranked. The creator’s side is in what a UGC creator is.
Table of Contents
- Which UGC platforms do brands use to hire creators?
- Which platforms collect and display customer UGC?
- Do you need usage rights to repost customer content?
- Do paid UGC creators have to disclose it?
- Can you get UGC without a platform?
- Can Outfeed schedule UGC on your own accounts?
- UGC platform FAQ
Which UGC platforms do brands use to hire creators?
These nine marketplaces connect brands with creators who make content to order, and several charge a percentage fee on hires as well as, or instead of, a subscription. Prices are in US dollars, as each site showed them:
| Platform | What it says it does | Price it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Billo | Produces, tests and scales creator video ads, with optional posting on creators’ own profiles, Partnership ads from creator handles and a managed service Checked against Billo home page | None: its pricing page redirects to a login Checked against billo.app/pricing/ (redirect to login)Not verified |
| Cohley | UGC, influencer, product-seeding and text-review briefs, with brand safety and compliance built in and an AI agent in beta Checked against Cohley home page | Platform and Managed Services plans with no published prices; perpetual usage rights across all channels; optional paid 3-month pilot Checked against Cohley: Pricing & Plans |
| Collabstr | Search vetted creators, post briefs, negotiate deliverables and pay through escrow released only when you approve the content Checked against Collabstr home page | $0/month with a 10% hiring fee; $249 or $333 a month billed annually (the $333 plan cuts the fee to 5%); custom from $1,000/month Checked against Collabstr: Pricing |
| Insense | UGC videos, influencer posts, product seeding, Meta Partnership Ads, TikTok Spark Ads, affiliate and TikTok Shop collaborations Checked against Insense home page | Brand from $400/month billed annually (10% fee), Agency from $640/month billed annually (7%), a one-month Trial from $650 (20%); creator payments extra Checked against Insense: Choose a plan |
| JoinBrands | UGC creators, influencers and TikTok Shop affiliates for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Amazon content, plus sampling, gifting and seeding Checked against JoinBrands home page | Free pay-as-you-go with a 15% platform fee; $99, $299 or $499 a month with 12%, 10% or 8% fees Checked against JoinBrands: Pricing |
| minisocial | Micro-influencer and UGC campaigns; each creator vetted twice; fully licensed content Checked against minisocial home page | Pay per project, no long-term commitment; no price shown |
| Popular Pays | Hire creators for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook content while it handles legal, payments and contracts Checked against Popular Pays home page | None of its own: its pricing page redirects to another Lightricks product Checked against popularpays.com/pricing (redirect to LTX Studio pricing)Not verified |
| Social Native | AI trained on its past collaborations predicts creative direction and matches creators; runs collaborations end to end Checked against Social Native home page | No price shown |
| Trend | A curated network of vetted UGC creators who make photos and videos Checked against Trend home page | Prepaid credits, from $550 for 60 to $3,872 for 560; a hire costs 20, 40 or 60 credits; credits expire after 12 months Checked against Trend: UGC pricing |
Which platforms collect and display customer UGC?
Curation platforms gather photos, videos and reviews customers have already shared, handle rights requests and show the content in shoppable galleries on your site. Four, alphabetically:
- Bazaarvoice says its Social Commerce product turns social content into shoppable experiences, such as on-site galleries of shopper, creator and influencer photos and videos; it has no public price. Checked against Bazaarvoice: Social Commerce
- Dash Social, an enterprise social media management platform, offers on-site UGC galleries and shoppable links; its Advance and Enterprise plans include unlimited UGC and rights requests, with no public prices. Checked against Dash Social: Pricing
- Emplifi curates customer photos and videos from social channels into shoppable on-site galleries, sold in its Convert package with Ratings & Reviews and Live Commerce at a custom quote. Checked against Emplifi: UGC product tour
- Yotpo shows customer photos, videos and reviews in shoppable galleries across store pages, within its Reviews & UGC plans: Starter $89/month and Pro $169/month, each for up to 500 orders a month (the price rises with order volume), with Premium and Enterprise on custom quotes. Checked against Yotpo: Visual UGC
Do you need usage rights to repost customer content?
Yes: get written permission before reusing anyone’s content. Instagram says the best way to avoid copyright problems is to post only content you created yourself, and that posting someone else’s can infringe even if you give credit, add a disclaimer or don’t profit; it suggests written permission, such as a license. Checked against Instagram Help Center: How to make sure content you post to Instagram or Threads doesn't violate copyright law
For content you commission, put the terms in writing: organic posts only or paid ads too, for how long, on which channels, whether raw files are included, and when the creator is paid.
Running a creator’s post as an ad from their handle needs a separate permission. Meta partnership ads need the partner’s permission, for one post or account-wide, and creators can revoke it at any time. Checked against Instagram Help Center: About partnership ad permissions On TikTok, the creator authorizes a Spark Ad by generating a code and sending it to the advertiser:
In the app: Creator: get the authorization code (TikTok app, as TikTok Ads Help describes it):
- Go to the video you want to share.
- Tap the three dots on the video.
- Tap the Ad settings icon.
- Tap Generate to retrieve the TikTok post code.
Checked against TikTok Business Help Center: About Spark Ads.
Do paid UGC creators have to disclose it?
Yes, when the audience wouldn’t expect the connection. In the US, the FTC says a material connection the audience wouldn’t expect, such as payment or free products, must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously, Checked against eCFR: 16 CFR § 255.5(a) Disclosure of material connections and influencers can’t talk about experience with a product they haven’t tried. Checked against FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers What sponsored posts must disclose explains the labels. This is regulator guidance, not legal advice.
Can you get UGC without a platform?
Yes, if you ask first. Get written permission from customers who post about you before you reuse their content. On Instagram, a creator can invite your account to a Collab post: once you accept, the co-authored post shows on your profile and is shared with your followers. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Create collaborative posts on Instagram To find creators, TikTok One Checked against TikTok Business Help Center: How to find creators who work with TikTok One (last updated June 2026) and Meta’s Creator Marketing Hub Checked against Meta Business Help Center: Eligibility requirements for businesses on Meta Creator Marketing Hub are the networks’ own routes.
Can Outfeed schedule UGC on your own accounts?
UGC platform FAQ
What is a UGC platform?
A UGC platform is either a marketplace where brands hire creators to make photos and videos the brand then posts or runs as ads, or software that collects content customers have already shared, requests the rights to it and displays it on the brand’s site.
What are the best UGC platforms for brands?
It depends on the job. To commission new content, compare creator marketplaces such as Billo, Collabstr, Insense, JoinBrands and Trend on pricing model, fees and usage rights. To show existing customer content on your store, look at curation platforms such as Bazaarvoice, Emplifi and Yotpo. Neither list is a ranking.
How much do UGC platforms cost?
It depends on the model. Collabstr has a $0/month plan with a 10% hiring fee, JoinBrands a free pay-as-you-go plan with a 15% platform fee, Insense plans from $400 a month billed annually, and Trend prepaid credit packs from $550. Several others publish no price, and Insense says creator payments are extra.
Do I need usage rights to repost customer content?
Yes. Instagram says posting someone else’s content can infringe copyright even if you give credit, add a disclaimer or don’t profit, and it suggests getting written permission, such as a license. Agree in writing where you may use the content, for how long and whether it can run as a paid ad.