With ever-increasing ad costs and customer acquisition costs, eCommerce brands are turning to influencer marketing to increase brand awareness and decrease overall CAC. Marketing budgets are spent more on building long-term relationships with influencers and generating authentic UGC, rather than spending it on in-house creative production and social media ads.
But, in order for brands to focus more on building relationships rather than the manual and menial tasks of influencer marketing, they turn to tools and platforms to help them save time with boring tasks. Among which is Upfluence. An influencer marketing platform that designed to help brands & agencies manage their influencer campaigns effectively. It offers tools for discovering influencers, managing relationships, and tracking campaign performance.
While Upfluence has become a great platform for managing influencer partnerships and campaign metrics, many brands seek alternatives that better match their needs. Let's explore the top 10 Upfluence alternatives, but first, let's understand why brands are looking beyond Upfluence.
Drawbacks and Limitations of Upfluence:
Platform Usability: Some users find the system confusing and not user-friendly, leading to difficulties in navigation and utilization.
Customer Support: Some users have expressed concerns about the responsiveness and effectiveness of Upfluence's customer support, describing it as horrendous and slow to address issues.
Data Accuracy: There have been mentions of outdated or inaccurate influencer data, which can affect campaign planning and execution.
Contractual Obligations: There are reports of users feeling locked into contracts, with challenges in exiting agreements even after expressing dissatisfaction early on.
Some users also complain about a lack of clarity regarding their pricing; to know about their price you need to set a time to discuss with a team member.
They don't offer any free trials either, so you don't really know if they can help you with your campaign goals or not.
Upfluence Alternatives: All Tools at a glance
1. SARAL
Who Should Use This?
This platform is designed for Ecommerce and DTC brands of all sizes, as well as influencer marketing agencies at any scale. It’s built with influencer managers, CMOs, and founders in mind—but anyone can use it to launch and grow ambassador programs.
Pricing:
SARAL offers flexible annual pricing to support you at every stage of your influencer marketing journey:
Starter – $12K/year: Great for brands just getting started with influencer marketing.
Business – $15K/year: Ideal for growing teams looking to scale their existing influencer programs.
Professional – $25K/year: Built for large brands running high-volume campaigns and ambassador programs.
The interface is intuitive and designed specifically for seeding and ambassador programs.
Built-in CRM makes it easy to manage and nurture influencer relationships.
Onboarding is guided, and you get monthly performance reviews with SARAL’s success team.
Time-saving automations handle repetitive tasks like follow-ups and shipping.
24/7 customer support is available whenever you need help.
You keep 100% of your affiliate commissions—SARAL doesn’t take a cut.
Powerful influencer search engine with access to over 100 million creators.
Flexible contracts and dynamic pricing make it accessible for eCommerce brands of all sizes.
Cons:
SARAL is not a creator marketplace or a platform with a limited influencer database.
It’s not the best fit for brands running passive affiliate programs.
It doesn’t support influencer whitelisting features.
It’s not built to track conversions from creator-run paid ads.
User Reviews on G2:
Upfluence Vs. SARAL:
If you want a CRM-style database with extensive filters, then Upfluence is a solid choice. But suppose you want a simpler, more intuitive way to find the right influencers quickly, reach out with personalized messages that get real responses, and manage collaborations without unnecessary complexity. In that case, SARAL is the best platform to go with. Plus, unlike Upfluence, SARAL lets you connect with influencers directly. No extra hoops to jump through.
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Best suited for medium-to-large eCommerce brands with teams of 5 or more and large influencer marketing budgets who can afford highly-priced annual contracts.
Pricing:
Starts a $25K - $40K per year. Custom plans are provided upon request only after a demo.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
Recruit influencers and analyze their audience with advanced scoring and segmentation tools.
Collaborate with creators to run smooth and effective campaigns.
Manage user-generated content (UGC) from influencers in one place.
Handle influencer payments and compensation easily.
Access dashboards and reports to monitor campaign performance.
Dive into campaign analytics to understand what’s working.
Import and export data seamlessly to stay organized.
Pros:
Influencer management tools make it simple to keep relationships organized.
Helps you stay structured and efficient with built-in organization features.
Campaign management is streamlined from start to finish.
Responsive customer support is available when you need assistance.
Cons:
Annual contracts can be restrictive, with little flexibility to cancel if things don’t work out.
The onboarding process is slow, and training the team can take a lot of time.
Customer support is often unresponsive or unhelpful when issues arise.
The platform feels outdated and clunky, making it frustrating to navigate.
Features are limited, with unexpected fees and constant pressure to upgrade.
Instagram search tools are missing, making it harder to find creators on that platform.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence vs GRIN:
If you're seeking a platform with advanced influencer discovery tools and extensive search filters, Upfluence is a strong choice. If you're a small to mid-sized brand doing $3M–$10M in GMV with a lean team, GRIN might not be the best fit. While it offers e-commerce integrations, its complex tools and hefty pricing might not be ideal for teams seeking simplicity and efficiency
3. Aspire:
Who Should Use This?
Ideal for enterprise brands that need advanced tools to handle large-scale campaigns, as well as brands with large marketing budgets looking for a premium, feature-rich solution to optimize their influencer marketing efforts.
Pricing?
They have 3 plans: Essentials, Pro, and Enterprise. The average cost is about $31,000 annually. Custom plans will be provided only after a demo.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
The platform enables easy influencer recruitment with advanced audience analysis, scoring, and segmentation tools.
It facilitates seamless collaboration with influencers, helping you manage and execute campaigns effectively.
You can effortlessly track and manage user-generated content (UGC) from influencers.
The platform simplifies influencer payments and compensation, ensuring smooth transactions.
Access detailed reports and dashboards to monitor the performance of your campaigns.
In-depth campaign analytics provide valuable insights into campaign effectiveness.
Additionally, data import and export features keep your information organized and accessible.
Pros:
Influencer discovery is fast and efficient, making it easy to find the right creators for your campaigns.
The platform is user-friendly, allowing teams to get up and running quickly without a steep learning curve.
Customer support is responsive and helpful, ensuring any issues are resolved promptly.
The user interface is clean and intuitive, providing a seamless experience for managing campaigns and influencers.
Cons:
Aspire’s influencer database is often outdated, with missing profiles and limited search functionality, making it difficult to find relevant creators.
The platform has an unintuitive user interface, requiring extensive training and making the onboarding process lengthy and challenging.
Aspire’s pricing structure involves high upfront costs and locks users into 12-month contracts, which may be too expensive for smaller or lean teams.
The platform prioritizes one-time influencer deals over long-term ambassador or seeding programs, limiting campaign flexibility.
Users often face hidden fees and upsells, and experience slow customer support, which can hinder overall platform use.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence Vs. Aspire:
Choose Aspire for easier content scheduling, intuitive influencer collaboration, and efficient follow-ups. But if you need stronger campaign analytics, influencer compensation management, and superior UGC handling, Upfluence is the better choice.
4. Tagger Media(Now Sprout Social):
Who Should Use This?
Large-sized eCommerce brands and influencer marketing agencies that manage high-volume social media & influencer integrated campaigns.
Pricing:
No public pricing or monthly plans are available. All prices will be provided upon request after a demo.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
Enables influencer recruitment along with in-depth audience analysis, scoring, and segmentation.
Facilitates seamless collaboration with influencers throughout the campaign lifecycle.
Supports management of user-generated content (UGC) and overall campaign coordination.
Handles influencer compensation and payouts directly within the platform.
Provides detailed reporting and dashboards to track performance metrics.
Offers monitoring tools to track campaign activity and influencer engagement.
Delivers comprehensive analytics for campaign optimization and ROI measurement.
Allows easy import and export of campaign and influencer data.
Pros:
Simplifies influencer discovery with robust filtering and search capabilities.
Designed with ease of use in mind, reducing the learning curve for new users.
Backed by responsive and helpful customer support.
Features a clean and intuitive user interface that’s easy to navigate.
Cons:
Influencer management and onboarding are complex, often requiring weeks to fully set up and train teams.
The search functionality is unreliable, making it difficult to discover and filter the right creators.
Pricing is high and inconsistent, with many users noting declining value over time.
Customer support is unhelpful, slow to respond, and lacks strategic guidance.
The platform’s inbox is cluttered, with low influencer reply rates and limited outreach support.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence Vs. Sprout Social:
Upfluence is the better choice if your priority is end-to-end influencer marketing—especially for managing UGC, streamlining collaboration, and tracking performance. While Sprout Social’s Tagger offers influencer tools, it’s primarily built for broader social media management and lacks the depth needed for brands focused solely on influencer growth. Its high price tag and scattered features make Upfluence a more focused and cost-efficient option for serious influencer programs.
5. CreatorIQ:
Who Should Use This?
Global eCommerce Brands and Enterprise brands having large influencer marketing budgets with cross-functional campaigns.
Pricing:
While specific pricing details are not publicly disclosed, reports suggest that plans typically start at approximately $2,350 per month with an annual commitment, totaling around $28,200 per year. Other sources indicate that pricing may begin at $36,000 per year, depending on the selected features and services.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
Access to a database of over 20 million creators for influencer discovery and recruitment.
Robust audience analysis, scoring, and segmentation to identify the right influencers.
Tools for influencer collaboration and end-to-end UGC and campaign management.
Influencer whitelisting and comprehensive compensation management capabilities.
Advanced reporting dashboards, deep data analytics, and seamless integrations with social media platform APIs.
Built-in support for social commerce and tools for data import/export.
Pros:
Strong influencer management capabilities make it easier to build and organize creator relationships.
Smooth campaign management features streamline planning and execution.
User-friendly interface ensures ease of use for teams.
Provides detailed influencer and campaign data for better decision-making.
Reliable customer support enhances the overall user experience.
Cons:
The platform can feel clunky and overly complex, with a steep learning curve for new users.
Users report frequent technical issues and a lack of intuitive navigation.
Annual contracts are expensive and may not justify the value for all users.
Some influencer data and audience analytics are inaccurate or outdated, affecting campaign quality.
Creator collaboration tools are limited, with users relying heavily on email instead of an integrated dashboard.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence Vs. CreatorIQ:
Choose Upfluence for an all-in-one solution to manage high-volume campaigns and discover influencers within your customer base. It’s ideal for brands and agencies needing a user-friendly platform. However, if you're a large business or agency seeking AI-driven search and a private influencer network, CreatorIQ offers advanced features, though with a hefty annual contract.
Getting authentic, high-converting UGC from influencers—without the high price tag is highly possible with the right tactics. Check out this FREE guide to learn proven strategies for sourcing cost-effective but authentic influencer content that feels real and drives tangible results.
6. Hypeauditor
Who should use this?
Ideal for small and medium-sized ecommerce brands with limited influencer marketing budgets.
Pricing:
Basic plans start from $399/month. Custom plans will be provided upon request after a demo call.
Free Trial? Yes.
Key Features:
Access a database of creators for influencer recruitment.
Collaborate seamlessly with influencers throughout campaigns.
Track and manage UGC and full campaign execution.
Streamline influencer compensation and payments.
Use reporting dashboards to track campaign performance.
Approve influencer content for brand consistency.
Measure key metrics to optimize future campaigns.
Easily import and export campaign data.
Integrate with eCommerce platforms for sales tracking.
Pros:
Access to a database of 50M+ influencer accounts.
Detect fake followers for more accurate campaign targeting.
Gain smart insights into influencer performance and engagement.
Detailed audience analysis to ensure influencer alignment with brand goals.
Cons:
Influencer data inaccuracy can affect campaign planning.
Missing helpful features for efficient management.
Lack of Facebook data limits cross-platform insights.
Creator issues, including inaccurate profiles or engagement.
Technical issues can disrupt campaign execution.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence vs. Hypeauditor:
Choose Upfluence for easier UGC management, influencer collaboration, and advanced campaign analytics. It helps you with content scheduling, influencer whitelisting, and customizable reporting. But if you prefer a simpler tool, HypeAuditor is an option, though it lacks depth in key influencer marketing features.
7. Captiv8
Who should use this?
Large-sized eCommerce brands and marketing agencies with larger marketing budgets running high-volume influencer campaigns.
Pricing:
Reports have said that basic plans start from $2000/month with a commitment period of 6 months. Custom pricing plans will be provided after a demo call.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
Recruit influencers with advanced audience analysis, scoring, and segmentation tools.
Streamline influencer collaboration and manage UGC and campaigns in one platform.
Manage influencer compensation with built-in tools for tracking and payouts.
Access detailed reporting and dashboards for campaign performance insights.
Leverage influencer whitelisting to approve and manage trusted creators.
Analyze campaign data and optimize strategies with advanced analytics.
Import and export data seamlessly for easier campaign tracking and reporting.
Integrate with ecommerce platforms for smoother influencer program management.
Support for social commerce tools to boost sales through influencer partnerships.
Pros:
Track hashtags and locations to improve influencer discovery.
Analyze hourly posts to identify the optimal times for posting.
AI-driven tagging and categorization of influencers for more accurate results.
Streamline campaign management with intuitive tools for organization.
Cons:
Onboarding process is limited, making learning slower.
New features are launched with minimal guidance.
Data accuracy issues can affect campaign performance.
Technical issues may disrupt platform usage.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence vs. Captiv8:
Choose Captiv8 for top-tier support, advanced audience analysis, and highly customizable link management. It also offers strong influencer collaboration and detailed campaign analytics. But if you need better UGC management and a slightly stronger influencer collaboration tool, Upfluence is the better choice.
8. Later
Who Should Use This?
Global/Enterprise Brands running high-volume influencer and customer loyalty campaigns.
Pricing:
No set prices. Custom pricing plans will be provided upon request after a demo.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
Influencer recruitment with advanced audience analysis, scoring, and segmentation.
Tools for influencer collaboration and managing user-generated content (UGC) and campaigns.
Customer loyalty engine to foster long-term relationships.
Comprehensive influencer compensation management.
Detailed reporting and dashboards for campaign tracking.
In-depth campaign analytics for performance evaluation.
Data import and export tools for easy data management.
Social commerce capabilities to integrate with online shopping platforms.
Pros:
Efficient influencer management tools to streamline collaborations.
Comprehensive campaign management features for end-to-end control.
Effective communication tools for smooth interactions with influencers.
Responsive customer support to assist with any issues.
Cons:
Small creator database with limited influencer options.
Frequent technical issues that hinder platform performance.
Bugs and glitches that affect user experience.
Complex and difficult-to-navigate technical interface.
Poor user interface that makes the platform challenging to use.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence vs Later:
Choose Later Influence for top-tier content scheduling and responsive customer support. But if you need stronger UGC management, influencer collaboration, and in-depth campaign analytics, Upfluence is the better choice.
9. #paid
Who should use this?
DTC brands, Marketing Agencies, and B2C brands of all sizes.
Pricing:
There are three plans:
Just Content – $499/mo:
Grow – $699/mo:
Advanced – $999/mo
Free trial? No
Key Features:
Influencer recruitment with detailed audience analysis, scoring, and segmentation.
Tools for influencer collaboration and campaign management.
Customer loyalty engine to foster long-term relationships.
Comprehensive influencer compensation management.
Advanced reporting and dashboards for tracking campaign performance.
In-depth campaign analytics for data-driven decisions.
Easy data import and export tools.
Social commerce capabilities for seamless eCommerce integration.
Pros:
Whitelisted ads for influencer content promotion.
Messaging feature for streamlined communication with influencers.
Vetted creator marketplace for reliable partnerships.
Post-campaign analysis to measure performance and impact.
Choose Upfluence if you need strong content management and user-generated content management, offering easier organization and effective customer content leverage. Choose #paid if you prioritize the quality of support and slightly better influencer collaboration features. While its UGC and analytics features are competent, they may lack some advanced tools found in Upfluence.
10. Traackr:
Who Should Use This?
Large Enterprise Brands, Brands Focused on Influencer Spend Compliance, Agencies Managing Enterprise Clients, and Data-Driven Marketing Teams.
Pricing:
Growth Plan - $25K/year, Standard Plan - $32K/year, Plus Plan - $55K/year.
Free Trial? No.
Key Features:
Discover and recruit influencers with detailed audience insights, scoring, and segmentation.
Collaborate with influencers and manage campaigns from start to finish.
Manage influencer whitelisting and streamline compensation processes.
Access detailed reports and performance analytics for campaign tracking.
Leverage social commerce features to boost influencer-driven sales.
Gain valuable insights with in-depth data analytics.
Import and export data easily for smooth platform integration.
Pros:
Simple and intuitive platform for easy navigation and use.
Efficiently manage influencer relationships and campaigns.
Comprehensive tools for organizing and overseeing campaigns.
Access detailed information on influencers to make informed decisions.
Track key metrics to measure campaign performance and success.
Cons:
Slow platform performance with delayed loading times.
Inaccurate or outdated influencer data that affects campaign planning.
Lack of automation for influencer outreach processes.
Search functionality is limited and difficult to use.
Clunky interface that can be hard to navigate and manage.
User Review on G2:
Upfluence vs Traackr:
Choose Upfluence if you prioritize user-generated content management, influencer recruitment, content approval, and in-depth campaign analytics for better workflow and performance tracking. Choose Traackr if you need a comprehensive blogger database and strong influencer segmentation, making it easier to find and categorize influencers, though it comes at a hefty pricing plan.
Which Platform To Choose?
If you’re exploring Upfluence alternatives, the most important thing to remember while choosing a tool is that one that fits your budget, bandwidth, campaign goals, and priorities. Different tools cater to different needs. Tools like CreatorIQ, Aspire, and GRIN are best suited if you run multiple, high-volume influencer campaigns with big budgets. Tools like #paid, Hypeauditor, and Upfluence are best suited if you are on a small budget starting with influencer marketing, but you do have a third and a better option.
You can use SARAL, which has one of the largest influencer search engines(100M+), bulk outreach automation tools, influencer management features, social listening, and advanced reporting & analytics tools, making it an excellent choice to launch and scale your influencer marketing efforts at a brand-friendly pricing.
Learn what’s working in real-time with influencer marketing for other brands.
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