The short answer
- Under 5,000 followers
- $150$100 to $250, 74.1% of creators
- 5,000 to 25,000
- $225$150 to $350
- 25,000 to 100,000
- $375$250 to $600
- 100,000 and over
- $650$400 to $1,000
- Most UGC creators sit in the cheapest band. 74.1% of the 33,029 creators in our index have under 5,000 followers, where a video typically costs $150.
- Ad rights cost as much as the video. Twelve months of paid usage adds about the video fee again ($150 for a small creator, $650 for a large one), and whitelisting adds $45 to $195.
- Location moves the price. Creators in Western Europe, Japan and the Gulf price at about 85% of US, UK, Canada and Australia rates; in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa about 55%.
- Niche matters less than size. Averaged per niche, typical fees run from $165 to $253, with gaming the most expensive of 19 niches.
- High-volume app programs pay far less. Public reporting puts base pay at Cal AI and Anara at about $25 a video, a quarter of the model's lowest small-creator figure.
UGC rates by creator size
| Followers | Share of creators | Video | Paid usage, 12 months | Whitelisting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano (under 5,000) | 74.1% | $150 ($100 to $250) | $150 ($100 to $250) | $45 ($30 to $75) |
| Micro (5,000 to 25,000) | 17.7% | $225 ($150 to $350) | $225 ($150 to $350) | $70 ($45 to $105) |
| Mid (25,000 to 100,000) | 5.6% | $375 ($250 to $600) | $375 ($250 to $600) | $115 ($75 to $180) |
| Established (100,000 and over) | 2.6% | $650 ($400 to $1,000) | $650 ($400 to $1,000) | $195 ($120 to $300) |
Usage and whitelisting are add-ons on top of the video fee. Organic posting on the brand's own account is usually included; paid ads are not. Product, shipping and any marketplace fee come on top.
UGC rates by creator location
| Creator market | Factor |
|---|---|
| US/UK/CA/AU | 1x |
| Western Europe, Japan, Gulf | 0.85x |
| LATAM, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa | 0.55x |
The factor applies to the whole card. A brand selling in the US can still hire outside it when the audience and language fit, which is how many app programs keep volume affordable.
How brands keep UGC costs down
- Hire smaller creators for content, not reach. You are buying the video, and 74.1% of UGC creators are under 5,000 followers. See do UGC creators need followers.
- Buy ad rights only for videos that work. Test organically first, then license the winners for paid use.
- Skip the marketplace percentage. Marketplaces add a fee on top of creator pay; contacting creators directly does not. See UGC platforms compared.
- Price each quote before you reply. The free UGC rate calculator uses the same card, and the engagement rate calculator checks whether a creator's posts land.
Method
Rates are modelled, not collected quotes: our published UGC rate model priced each of the 33,029 Instagram and TikTok UGC creators in the UGC Agent index (31 October 2026 snapshot) by follower count, niche and market. Typical is the model's central figure; low and high bracket what two similar creators commonly quote. Reported pay for Cal AI and Anara comes from public reporting. Full method: UGC rates by niche, Q4 2026.
Download the numbers on this page as a CSV file. Free to reuse with a link to this page under CC BY 4.0.
Cite this answer: UGC Agent, "How much does a UGC video cost a brand in 2026?", UGC Agent answers, published 9 November 2026, https://ugcagent.app/answers/how-much-does-ugc-cost/
Limitations
- Every dollar figure except the reported app pay is modelled, not an observed quote or invoice.
- Creators set their own prices; a strong portfolio or inbound demand can put a quote well above the high figure.
- The model prices one video; bundles and ongoing retainers usually come with a discount.