# UGCStars vs Collabstr: pricing, fees and when to use each

UGCStars is a database of reviewed UGC creators that you pay $245 a year for, and then contact creators directly. Collabstr is a marketplace where you buy creator packages and pay through the platform, which adds a 10% fee to each order on its free plan.

Prices checked 12 October 2026 · Written by UGCStars

## The short version

Choose Collabstr if you want to buy a fixed-price package and have the platform hold your payment until you approve the work. Choose UGCStars if you hire creators regularly and want to deal with them directly, with no fee on each order.

The costs work differently. Collabstr is free to start and adds a fee to every order, 10% on its Free and Pro plans and 5% on Premium. UGCStars costs $245 a year, and you pay creators directly with nothing added.

**At a glance**

|  | UGCStars | Collabstr |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | A database of reviewed UGC creators | A marketplace for influencer and UGC packages |
| Price | $245 a year | Free, or $249 to $333 a month billed annually |
| Fee on each order | None | 10% on Free and Pro, 5% on Premium |
| Creator prices | Each creator shows a starting rate, and you agree the final price | Creators list packages at set prices |
| Finding creators | Search with 20+ filters, or post a free brief | Search and hire from profiles, or post campaigns on paid plans |
| Payment | You pay the creator directly | Through Collabstr, held in escrow until you approve the work |
| Post tracking | Not included | Live tracking of published posts on paid plans |

_Published prices, checked 12 October 2026._

## How each one works

### UGCStars

UGCStars is a searchable database of UGC creators. A person on our team reviews every profile before it’s listed. Searching and viewing profiles is free, and annual access, $245 a year, unlocks contact details, sample videos, shortlists and saved searches.

You contact creators yourself, agree the brief, price and usage rights with them and pay them directly. UGCStars isn’t part of the deal or the payment.

### Collabstr

Collabstr is a marketplace for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and UGC creators. Creators list packages at their own prices, and you buy a package straight from a profile. On paid plans you can also post a campaign for creators to apply to and chat with them before you hire.

Collabstr holds your payment in escrow and releases it to the creator when you approve the content. Paid plans add live tracking for published posts and audience reports on creators.

## What you pay

UGCStars charges $245 a year for full access, renewing yearly until you cancel. Nothing is added to what you pay creators, and creators who join during your year are included.

Collabstr adds a fee to each order. Its subscriptions lower the fee and add campaigns, chat before hiring and reporting.

**Collabstr plans**

| Plan | Price | Fee per order | What it adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | 10% | Search, hire from profiles and pay through escrow |
| Pro | $249 a month billed annually, or $299 monthly | 10% | One campaign a month, chat before hiring, tracking for 5 posts, 20 audience reports |
| Premium | $333 a month billed annually, or $399 monthly | 5% | Unlimited campaigns, tracking for 15 posts, 50 audience reports, priority support |
| Enterprise | From $1,000 a month on an annual contract | Not listed | Sub-accounts, team permissions, custom reporting and billing |

_Published prices from collabstr.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. The fee is added to the order total._

Which costs less depends on how much you spend on creators. On Collabstr’s free plan, the 10% fee on $2,450 of orders comes to $245, the price of a year of UGCStars. If you spend less than that in a year, Collabstr’s fees cost less. A Pro subscription costs more than $245 within two months.

## Finding and vetting creators

On UGCStars you search with more than 20 filters, including age, location, languages, interests, skin type, pets and kids, and there’s no follower minimum. Each profile shows the creator’s starting rate, sample videos and social accounts. [How we review creators](https://ugcstars.com/how-we-review-creators) lists the checks every profile passes before it’s listed.

Collabstr lets you search by platform, niche, location, follower count and engagement rate, with more filters on paid plans. Profiles show follower count, engagement rate and the creator’s packages. Collabstr says it verifies every creator before they join.

Follower count and engagement matter when a creator posts on their own account. For UGC, where you run the video on your own accounts and in your ads, sample videos tell you more.

## Briefs, payment and usage rights

On UGCStars you can post a brief for free, and we email it to the creators who match. Creators who are interested send you their profile, and you contact the ones you want. You agree the deliverables, price, deadline and usage rights with each creator and pay them on the terms you agree. Members get templates for outreach emails, briefs, NDAs and creator agreements.

On Collabstr you agree deliverables, timelines and usage rights in chat before you pay. The payment stays in escrow until you approve the work, and Collabstr handles creator payouts and tax forms.

Escrow protects you if a creator doesn’t deliver. Dealing directly lets you set your own terms and rebook a creator with nothing added. With a creator you haven’t worked with before, a written agreement and part payment up front cover some of the same risk.

## When Collabstr is the better fit

- You want the platform to hold your payment until you approve the work.
- You hire creators now and then, and your total spend stays below about $2,950 on the free plan.
- You want creators to post on their own accounts and want to track those posts live.
- You’d rather buy a fixed package than agree a price with each creator.

## When UGCStars is the better fit

- You hire creators often and don’t want a fee added to every order.
- You want to contact creators directly and work with the same ones again.
- You want to agree the price, deliverables and usage rights yourself.
- You need filters such as skin type, pets or kids to match a product.
- You’d rather pay one fee a year than a monthly subscription.

## For creators

UGCStars is free for creators and takes no commission. You set a starting rate on your profile, brands contact you directly, and you keep everything they pay you.

On Collabstr you list packages at your own prices, and Collabstr takes a 15% fee from your payout. Brands pay through escrow, so the money is released when they approve your work.

You can be listed on both. [How to price your first UGC videos](https://ugcstars.com/creator-hub/pricing) helps you set a rate you can use on any platform.

## Sources and corrections

- [Collabstr pricing](https://collabstr.com/pricing), checked 12 October 2026.
- [UGCStars pricing](https://ugcstars.com/pricing), for the UGCStars side.

UGCStars wrote this page, so it compares our own product with Collabstr. We describe Collabstr from its own website and link to each source. If something here is out of date, [tell us](https://ugcstars.com/contact) and we’ll correct it.

## Search the database free

Searching and viewing profiles is free. Contact details need annual access, $245 a year. [Find Creators](https://ugcstars.com/creators) · [See pricing](https://ugcstars.com/pricing)

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