ComparisonUpdated
UGC agency vs UGC platform: choose the creators yourself, with no retainer fee.
A UGC agency picks the creators for you and usually charges a retainer fee or a project fee, while a UGC platform such as Octoclip lets you choose the creators yourself. Octoclip has no monthly fee: you post jobs free, choose from the creators who apply and pay only when a creator accepts your offer.
- Free until you hire
- Fixed price per video
- You approve every video
In short
| Point | OCTOCLIP | A UGC agency |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A UGC marketplace where creators apply to your job | A company that runs creator content for you |
| Monthly fee | €0 | Often a retainer fee |
| How you pay | Per hire, when a creator accepts your offer | A retainer fee or a project fee, on top of creator fees |
What they are
What is a UGC agency, and what is Octoclip?
A UGC agency is a company that plans, sources and manages creator-made content for a brand, usually for a retainer fee or a project fee. Octoclip is a UGC marketplace where brands hire creators directly at a fixed price per approved video.
Octoclip is built for brands that want to start without a commitment. It costs €0 a month, posting jobs and reviewing applicants are free, and you pay only when a creator accepts your offer. Creators keep 100% of their price. Creators apply to your job, every applicant shows a delivery record, and each creator confirms your must-include points before sending a video.
UGC agencies typically brief and manage creators on your behalf and often charge a retainer fee every month or a project fee, with creators chosen from the agency’s roster. Terms differ by agency, so confirm them with each.
Octoclip (octoclip.io) is a UGC marketplace and is not related to the clipboard app of the same name.
How a hire works on Octoclip
The first three steps are free.
- 01FreePost a job
Type, price per video, volume, deadline and the brief, with the must-include points every video is checked against.
- 02FreeReview applicants
Creators apply with a note. You see their profile, connected account and record on Octoclip.
- 03FreeSend offers
The contract is generated from your job’s terms. Hire one creator or twenty from the same brief.
- 04You pay hereHire and approve
When a creator accepts, you pay and they start. You approve every video before the creator is paid.
Side by side
UGC agency vs Octoclip, side by side on 10 points
Octoclip is ahead on 7 of the 10 points compared, and equal on the other 3.
Showing all 10 pointsShowing 7 of 10 pointsShowing 3 of 10 points
| Point | OCTOCLIP | A UGC agency |
|---|---|---|
| PriceOctoclip ahead on 2 | ||
| Octoclip aheadAgency retainer feesA fee you pay an agency every month to keep it working for you, whether or not you get any videos that month. | Yes: None, €0 | No: Often, or a project fee instead |
| Octoclip aheadPay only for the videos you hireEach hire is priced on its own, with no minimum. | Yes: Yes, a fixed price per approved video | No: Usually a retainer fee or package |
| CreatorsOctoclip ahead on 4 | ||
| Octoclip aheadCreators apply to your jobThe creators who want the job come to you. | Yes: Yes | No: The agency picks for you |
| Octoclip aheadYou choose every creatorSend offers only to the people you want on your brand. | Yes: Yes, you send offers to the ones you want | No: From the agency’s roster or shortlist |
| Octoclip aheadYou keep the creator relationshipRehire the creators who delivered, directly. | Yes: Yes, on Octoclip’s roster | No: The relationship sits with the agency |
| Octoclip aheadDelivery record before you hireVideos delivered, on time and approved first time, counted from real jobs. | Yes: On every profileVideos delivered, on time, approved first time | Not published: Rarely shared |
| Briefs and reviewOctoclip ahead on 1 · Equal on 1 | ||
| EqualOne brief for many creatorsWrite it once. Every creator gets the same brief and terms. | Yes: Yes, each with their own dates | Yes: Yes, the agency briefs creators |
| Octoclip aheadMust-include checklistCreators confirm each point before sending, so fewer videos miss the brief. | Yes: Confirmed by each creator | Not published: Varies by agency |
| Rights and paymentsEqual on 2 | ||
| EqualA contract on every hireBuilt from the job’s terms and accepted by the creator. | Yes: Automatic, built from your job’s terms | Yes: Handled by the agency |
| EqualPayments and receipts handledCreators are paid as you approve, with a receipt in your history. | Yes: Secured before work startsA receipt for every payment | Yes: One invoice from the agency |
Posting a job is free. You’re charged only when a creator accepts.
Post a job freeThe figures for UGC agencies are typical terms, not any one provider’s. Terms differ, so confirm them with each. Tell us if anything here is out of date.
Cost
How much does a UGC agency cost compared with Octoclip?
Octoclip costs €0 a month, with no retainer fee: you pay only when a creator accepts your offer. UGC agencies often charge a retainer fee every month or a project fee, on top of the creators’ fees, and the amount varies by agency.
Octoclip pricing
No plan and no minimum. You pay only when you fund a hire, and you see the full amount before you send an offer. Creators keep 100% of their price.
Always free
- Posting jobs
- Reviewing applicants
- Sending offers
- Revisions
- Contracts and receipts
Every hire includes
- A contractBuilt from your job’s terms and accepted by the creator
- Payment secured before work startsThe creator is paid for each approved video
- Must-include points, confirmedEach creator ticks every point before sending
- 5 days to reviewThen the video approves itself
- Usage rights worldwide, with no end dateSpark Ads and partnership ads included
- A receipt for every paymentIn your history
How does each way of working differ?
An agency is a service: it manages the creators for you, for a fee. A platform is a tool: you hire the creators directly and the platform runs the contracts and payments.
This describes how agencies typically work, not any one agency. Confirm the terms with each.
| The difference | OCTOCLIP€0 plan, pay per hire | A UGC agencyTypical terms |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per hire, when a creator accepts | Often a retainer fee or project fee |
| Who picks the creators | You, from the ones who apply | The agency, from its roster |
| Who manages the creators | You, with the platform running contracts and payments | The agency |
| Starting small | One creator, one video | Depends on the agency’s minimum |
How much does a UGC agency cost?
UGC agency pricing varies widely. Many charge a retainer fee every month or a project fee on top of creator fees. Ask each agency for its minimum, what the fee covers, and who owns the creator relationship.
Who each one suits
Why choose Octoclip instead of a UGC agency?
Choose Octoclip instead of a UGC agency if you want to stay in control, pay only when you hire, and keep the creators who deliver.
- €0No plan to pay for
Post jobs and review applicants for free. You pay when you hire, not every month.
- 100%Creators keep what they charge
So the good ones keep applying to your jobs.
- 5 daysEvery review has a deadline
Approve in one click, and a video you do not review within 5 days is approved for you.
An agency is the right shape when you want someone else to run the programme. Octoclip is for brands that want to stay in control: you write the brief, choose the creators, approve every video and rehire the ones who delivered, while the platform runs the contracts and payments. There is no retainer fee, and creators keep 100% of their price.
Octoclip suits you when…
Look elsewhere when…
If something goes wrong
Built for the parts that usually go wrong.
The same rules run on every Octoclip hire, for brands and creators alike.
- 01
A video misses the brief
Ask for one revision, tied to the must-include point it missed. The creator has 3 days to send the new version.
1 revision - 02
You can’t review in time
You have 5 days, and we remind you 24 hours before they’re up. After that the video approves itself, so the creator is paid on time.
5 days - 03
A creator doesn’t answer your offer
Nothing is charged. You give every offer an answer-by date of 1 to 7 days.
Nothing charged - 04
You want to turn a video down
Only for an objective reason, such as a missed deadline or a must-include point still missing after the revision. Low views or a change of mind don’t count.
Judged on the brief - 05
You and the creator disagree
A person at Octoclip looks at both sides and decides within 5 business days.
A person decides - 06
You want to stop
Stop posting jobs. A month with no hires costs €0, and there’s nothing to cancel.
€0 a month
FAQ
UGC agency vs UGC platform: common questions
Straight answers on who does what, what you pay and when.
Weighing Octoclip against UGC agencies? Write to us and someone at Octoclip replies.
Talk to usWhat is the difference between a UGC agency and a UGC platform?
A UGC agency plans, sources and manages creator content for you, usually for a retainer fee or project fee, and picks the creators from its roster. A UGC platform such as Octoclip lets you hire creators directly: you post a job, creators apply, you send offers, and the platform runs contracts and payments. On Octoclip there is no monthly fee.
How much does a UGC agency cost?
UGC agency pricing varies widely: many charge a retainer fee every month or a project fee on top of creator fees, and the amount depends on the agency and the volume. Octoclip has no retainer fee: a month with no hires costs €0, and you pay only for the hires you fund.
Is a UGC platform cheaper than a UGC agency?
Octoclip has no retainer fee and no minimum, so a month with no hires costs nothing and you pay only for the hires you fund. An agency’s fee covers managing the creators for you, so compare what each includes before you decide.
What are the best UGC agencies?
The right UGC agency depends on your product, your budget and how much management you want. If you would rather hire creators yourself, Octoclip is the alternative: creators apply to your job, every applicant shows a delivery record, and you send offers to the ones you want.
What is a UGC company?
A UGC company supplies UGC content or creators to brands, usually as an agency with a retainer fee or a fee per project. Octoclip is a UGC marketplace rather than a UGC company: you post a job, creators apply, and you hire the ones you want.
What do UGC services include?
UGC services usually include finding creators, briefing them, collecting the videos and handling usage rights. On Octoclip you brief once, creators apply, every hire comes with a contract and secured payment, and you approve each video before the creator is paid.
Can I hire UGC creators without an agency?
Yes. Octoclip is a UGC marketplace where you post a job, see who applies, and hire UGC creators directly. There is no agency fee, no retainer fee and no minimum.
What is the main difference between Octoclip and UGC agencies?
Both get you creator videos. An agency manages the creators for you, usually for a retainer fee. On Octoclip, brands pay €0 a month and pay only when a creator accepts your offer, creators apply to your job, every applicant shows a delivery record, and each creator confirms your must-include points before sending a video.
How do I hire UGC creators on Octoclip?
Post a job by choosing a creator post or a UGC video, the platform, how many videos and the fixed price per video, and write the brief once. Creators apply, and you send offers to the ones you want. When a creator accepts, the hire is paid and work starts once payment is secured. Review each video within 5 days, ask for one revision if a brief point is missed, and approve.
Can I choose my own creators on Octoclip?
Yes. Creators apply to your job and you send offers to the ones you want. Nobody is assigned to you.
How do revisions work on Octoclip?
Octoclip includes one revision per video, tied to the must-include point of the brief that the video missed, so the feedback stays specific. The creator has 3 days to resubmit. If you do not respond within 5 days, the video is approved.
Does Octoclip have a minimum spend or a contract?
No. Octoclip has no monthly plan, no minimum spend and no contract. You can start with one creator and one video, and you pay only when a creator accepts your offer.
Can I use Octoclip and a UGC agency together?
Yes. Octoclip has no minimum, so you can keep an agency for strategy and hire creators on Octoclip for volume, or post one job and compare the results.
Weighing Octoclip against UGC agencies? Write to us and someone at Octoclip replies.
Talk to usSources
Where the UGC agency figures come from.
The figures for UGC agencies on this page are typical terms, not any one provider’s. Terms differ, so confirm them with each.
Octoclip’s own figures come from its Terms. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
More comparisons
Compare Octoclip with others.
Each page sets Octoclip against one platform, with the other side’s figures dated and sourced.
See all comparisonsFree to post
Try Octoclip on your next brief.
Posting is free and no card is needed. You only pay when a creator accepts your offer.