UGCStarsThe short version
Choose JoinBrands if you want a steady supply of photos and videos of a product you can ship, with JoinBrands running the jobs and payments. Choose UGCStars if you want to choose creators yourself, contact them directly and pay no fee on what you pay them.
JoinBrands has a free plan with a 15% fee, and subscriptions from $99 a month that lower it. UGCStars costs $245 a year.
| UGCStars | JoinBrands | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A database of reviewed UGC creators | A marketplace for UGC, influencer and affiliate jobs |
| Price | $245 a year | Free, or $99, $299 or $499 a month |
| Fee on creator payments | None | 15% on the free plan, falling to 8% on Max |
| Creator prices | Each creator shows a starting rate, and you agree the final price | You set the price for each job |
| Finding creators | Search with 20+ filters, or post a free brief | Post a campaign for creators to apply to, or invite creators |
| Payment | You pay the creator directly | JoinBrands pays the creator for each completed job |
| Job types | Whatever you agree with the creator | Content, content with posting, retainers, social blasts, live streams and local jobs |
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.
JoinBrands
JoinBrands is a marketplace for UGC, influencer and affiliate work. You create a campaign, set the price per job and choose from the creators who apply. Jobs range from UGC photos and videos to posts on the creator’s account, retainers and live streams.
For product content, you ship the product to the creator, who films once it arrives. JoinBrands handles payment and adds its platform fee to what you pay 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.
JoinBrands combines a monthly plan with a platform fee on each completed job. Higher plans cost more each month and take a smaller fee.
| Plan | Price | Platform fee | Monthly credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | $0 | 15% | None |
| Start-up | $99 a month | 12% | $30 |
| Pro | $299 a month | 10% | $90 |
| Max | $499 a month | 8% | $150 |
Published prices from joinbrands.com/pricing and the JoinBrands help center, checked 12 October 2026. JoinBrands calls the credit Roll Over Cash and applies it to creator payments each month. Annual billing is discounted.
Paid plans also add more revisions, creator invites and team seats. On the free plan, the 15% fee on about $1,630 of creator payments comes to $245, the price of a year of UGCStars.
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 lists the checks every profile passes before it’s listed.
On JoinBrands, creators mostly find you: they apply to the campaigns you post, and you choose from the applicants. You can also invite creators to a campaign, and higher plans allow more invites.
Applications work well when many creators could make the content you need. Searching works better when the brief needs a particular person, such as a creator with a certain skin type, a dog or young kids.
Briefs, payment and usage rights
On JoinBrands the brief is part of the campaign, and creators see the price you set before they apply. JoinBrands pays creators for completed jobs and adds its fee to what you pay. Read JoinBrands’ terms on usage rights before you run the content in ads.
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.
When JoinBrands is the better fit
- You want a large volume of low-cost photos and videos of a product you can ship.
- You want creators to come to you through applications.
- You also run influencer posts, retainers, affiliate deals or live streams and want them in one place.
- You want the platform to handle payment for each job.
When UGCStars is the better fit
- You don’t want a fee added to every creator payment.
- You want to search for and contact specific creators rather than wait for applications.
- You want to see each creator’s own starting rate.
- You’d rather pay one fee a year than a monthly plan.
- You want to work with the same creators again on your own terms.
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 JoinBrands you apply to campaigns at the price the brand sets, and JoinBrands pays you for each completed job. Check JoinBrands’ creator terms for any fee it takes from your pay.
Sources and corrections
- JoinBrands pricing, checked 12 October 2026.
- Brands: Is there a fee for using JoinBrands?, JoinBrands help center, checked 12 October 2026.
- UGCStars pricing, for the UGCStars side.
UGCStars wrote this page, so it compares our own product with JoinBrands. We describe JoinBrands from its own website and link to each source. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.