In short: UGC platforms charge brands in four main ways: a price per video with the fee built in, a percentage on top of what you pay creators, a monthly subscription plus a smaller percentage, or a subscription with creator payments budgeted separately. The headline number rarely shows the total. Below are the figures four platforms print on their own pricing pages, the arithmetic for the same five videos, and the questions to ask before you choose.
What this article compares, and what it does not
Usicri publishes this article and is one of the platforms in it; we say so here so you can weigh what follows. It compares how platforms charge brands, using the numbers each platform lists on its own pricing page when we checked on October 30, 2026. It does not rank creator quality, pool size or turnaround time. Those matter just as much, so look at sample videos and ask about delivery times before you decide. Prices change: open the linked page before you rely on a figure.
How four platforms charge
JoinBrands
Pay-as-you-go at $0 a month with a 15% platform fee and one revision. Subscriptions at $99, $299 and $499 a month (the page offers 10% off for annual billing) with fees of 12%, 10% and 8%, and two, three and ten revisions. The page says there are no lock-in contracts on monthly plans.
Collabstr
A free plan with a 10% hiring fee added to the price of each hire, and Premium at $333 a month with a 5% hiring fee. The page also names a Pro plan, which its FAQ puts at the same 10% fee, but it shows no price for Pro, so we have not included one. Creators pay a separate 15% fee on their payout. The monthly subscription can be canceled at any time, and payments are held in escrow until the brand approves the work.
Insense
A one-month trial from $650 with a 20% marketplace fee, then Brand from $500 a month (billed quarterly at $1,500, or from $400 a month billed annually) with 10%, or Agency from $800 a month (billed quarterly at $2,400, or from $640 a month billed annually) with 7%. Creator payments are not included and are budgeted separately, and a separate transaction fee is added to each creator payment. Its FAQ says UGC campaigns start at $100 per video.
Billo
Videos from $99 each. The price depends on length, format, creator type and extras. You prepay in packs that load a balance valid for 12 months. Platform and transaction fees are part of the video price and are never deducted from creator pay. No subscription is needed. Two revisions and full usage rights after approval are included.
Usicri
You set the payout per video and pay only for the videos you approve, with no platform fee at the moment. No subscription and no minimum spend. Creators keep 100% of the payout. The license for an approved, paid video is part of the deal.
Subscription plans bundle other things the table does not price, such as seats, creator invitations, video resolution and content credits. We have left those out to keep the comparison to money.
The same five videos, worked out
Take five videos at $100 each, $500 in creator payments. This is our arithmetic from the figures above, applying each platform’s percentage to the creator payments as its pages describe. It is an illustration, not a quote. Insense also adds a separate transaction fee to each creator payment, and its page does not list the amount, so its total is a minimum.
| Platform and plan | Fees on top | Total |
|---|---|---|
| JoinBrands, pay-as-you-go | $75 (15%) | $575 |
| Collabstr, free plan | $50 (10%) | $550 |
| Insense, trial month | $750 ($650 plan + $100) | $1,250 or more |
| Billo | Built into the price | From $495 |
| Usicri | None at the moment | $500 |
Billo prices videos on its own scale, so five Billo videos are not an exact match for five videos at $100. The point is the shape: a monthly fee dominates the cost of a small campaign, a percentage fee grows with what you spend, and a built-in price is simple but leaves less room to set the amount per video yourself.
When a subscription pays for itself
A subscription lowers the percentage and adds a fixed cost. JoinBrands’ Start-up plan, for example, cuts the fee from 15% to 12%. Three percentage points of creator spend have to add up to the $99 monthly price before the plan saves money on fees alone: $99 divided by 0.03 is $3,300 in creator payments a month. Below that, pay-as-you-go is cheaper on fees; above it, the plan starts to win. The plan also lists Roll Over Cash of $30 a month, which the page says is applied to creator payments each month and so may lower the net cost; we have not netted it out. The extras may still justify a plan for you, but it is worth knowing the break-even point. The same arithmetic for the Pro and Max plans is in JoinBrands alternatives.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What is the total for my first campaign? Add the plan price, the percentage and any per-payment fee.
- Is there a commitment? Insense’s page says the quarterly Brand and Agency plans renew every three months, and the trial moves to a quarterly plan unless you cancel at least 48 hours before it ends.
- Who pays the processing and service fees? On Collabstr’s page the creator also pays 15% of the payout; on Billo’s the fee is never taken from the creator.
- When is the money taken and released? Escrow until approval, or a charge when you approve a video, protects you in different ways.
- What rights come with the video? How long, where, and whether paid ads are covered. See UGC usage rights explained.
- How many revisions are included? JoinBrands’ pay-as-you-go lists one, Billo two.
Where Usicri fits
Usicri is a marketplace for paid creator videos in Fashion, Beauty and Personal Care. You create a campaign, set the payout per video and choose how many videos you want. Creators see the price and the open spots before they start, you review every submission, and your card is charged only when you approve a video, for the payout, with no platform fee at the moment. There is no subscription and no minimum spend.
Approved, paid videos come with a non-exclusive, worldwide license without time limit that covers advertising (section 5 of the Terms of Service). Usicri is focused on those three categories rather than every niche, so it fits brands that sell in them. If you would like to look around first, open campaigns are listed publicly. More ways to find creators are compared in how to find UGC creators.
Quick checklist
- Compare totals for the same job, not headline prices.
- Count plan price, percentage fee and per-payment fees.
- Check the commitment and renewal terms.
- Check what rights the price includes.
- Start with a small campaign before you commit to a plan.
Looking at a move from one of these platforms? Each has its own page: Billo, JoinBrands, Collabstr and Insense.
For how platforms compare with agencies and freelancers on cost, control and your own time, see UGC agency vs marketplace vs freelancer.
Usicri’s own charges, with worked examples, are in Usicri pricing explained. Pay per approved video compares charging on approval with deposits, subscriptions and top-up balances, and here are eight questions to ask before you choose a UGC marketplace.
The costs beyond the headline price are listed in the hidden costs of UGC platforms.
Fees on gig platforms are covered in buying UGC on Fiverr or Upwork.