Short answer
Most UGC jobs are posted on UGC marketplaces such as Billo, Insense, Sideshift, JoinBrands, Twirl and Clip, where brands pay per video through the platform. You can also find work on Backstage (with a subscription), through TikTok One and TikTok Shop's affiliate program (1,000 followers), or by pitching brands directly. Start with a 3 to 4 video portfolio, apply daily, and read what rights each brand gets before you accept. New to it? Start with what a UGC creator does and how to become one.
What are UGC jobs?
A UGC job is a brand paying you to make a video (sometimes photos) that looks like a real customer made it: an unboxing, a review, a problem and its fix (see what UGC means for the types brands use). Most of it runs as ads from the brand's account, so you don't need a big audience. Some jobs also pay you to post on your own account, or to let the brand run ads through it (TikTok Spark Ads, Meta partnership ads).
You're paid in one of three ways: a fixed fee per video, a fee you quote and negotiate, or a commission on sales. The rights the brand gets vary just as much, from a 6-month ad license to owning the video outright, and that's worth as much attention as the fee. UGC is one kind of creator work among several; the content creator jobs map covers salaried social roles, freelance gigs and brand deals too.
Where do you find UGC jobs?
- UGC marketplaces. Brands post briefs and you apply: Billo, Insense, Sideshift and JoinBrands in the US, and Twirl and Clip from the UK. Pay and payouts run through the platform, which is the safest way to start.
- Job boards and creator tools. Kora pairs a brand job board with deal tracking and invoices; pay is agreed with each brand.
- Influencer and gifting platforms. Aspire runs influencer campaigns for brands (with a Maven track for UGC), and Hummingbirds pays local Instagram posts in gift cards.
- Casting sites. Backstage lists UGC briefs next to acting jobs, behind a paid subscription.
- TikTok One (formerly TikTok Creator Marketplace). Brands find creators for paid projects. TikTok says you must be 18 or older in a launched region, and need at least 1,000 followers to join projects (TikTok One sign-up).
- TikTok Shop affiliate. You earn commission on orders from your videos and LIVEs. In the US you need 1,000 followers, to be 18 or older and US-based; under 5,000 followers you start in a pilot with posting limits (eligibility policy). Other countries' rules, payouts and samples are in our TikTok Shop affiliate guide.
- Amazon Influencer Program. A storefront and commission on qualifying purchases, for creators with a YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok account. Amazon publishes no follower minimum; our Amazon storefront guide has its rules, rates and payouts.
- Pitching brands directly. Email or DM brands whose products you already use, with a link to your portfolio and your rates. No platform takes a cut, but nothing protects your payment except your contract.
- Agencies and managers. Some agencies book UGC creators for brands and take a share of the fee; Playkit, for example, runs creators on new accounts made for each app brand. Get the percentage and the usage terms in writing before you sign.
How do the UGC platforms compare?
Every row is from the platform's own pages and terms, read on the same day. "Not published" means the platform doesn't state it. Pay is what each platform says, not what we earned.
| Where | How work is offered | Pay, as stated | How you're paid | Cost to creators | Who can join | Followers needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sideshift | Brands post campaigns, you apply or get invited; base fee per video plus optional view bonus | Median $7 to $9 per video (brand pages); $200 to $2,000 a month (creator page) | Through Sideshift after each campaign, via Whop; "within a few days" | Free to join; small bank withdrawal fee (amount not published); optional Pro subscription | US, Canada, UK, Australia; 18+ | None stated |
| Insense | Brands post campaigns or invite you; you apply with your own price and negotiate | You set it; "typical" $80 to $150 per modular UGC video (help center) | Wallet after brand approval, then PayPal (up to 5 business days) or bank (up to 7) | No fee on earnings (help center); $3 on withdrawals under $50 | 22 listed countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, much of Europe, NZ, Singapore) | 1,000 followers and 1,000 views per platform (help center) |
| Billo | Brands post offers with a fixed payout, you apply; brand ships the product | Per-video rates not published in text; "about $500 per month on average" | Stripe weekly per its payments article (its creator page still says PayPal twice a month); PayPal twice a month in Australia | Free app, no subscription | US, UK, Canada; Australia in the terms; 18+ | None ("no following required") |
| JoinBrands | Brands post jobs at set rates; you apply (or counteroffer) once certified | Default $60 per UGC video, $100 per social video, $15 to $25 per image (before fees) | PayPal only, up to 7 business days; 1 payout a week on the free plan | 20% per job (15% with Creator Pro, $49.95 a month) | US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany; 18+ | None |
| Backstage | Brands post UGC briefs or send you requests; you apply with your Content Creator profile | Set per listing; Backstage doesn't publish typical UGC pay | Stripe after the brand approves (up to 7 days), or off-platform if the brand pays elsewhere | Paid subscription to apply ($7.08 to $24.95 a month); 2.5% fee on secure payments | US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand; 18+ (or a parent-run profile) | None stated |
| Twirl | Open campaigns on your dashboard with brief and pay; you apply, Twirl handles the brand | $90 to $300+ per project (both $90 and $130 appear as the floor) | Lumanu or Stripe, within 10 to 14 days of approval | None; bank or FX fees may apply | Mainly UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UAE; 18+ | None |
| Clip | Brands post campaigns with the pay shown; you apply, brands pick | $20 to $100 per video (creator page) or $25 to $250 (creator FAQ) | PayPal: 5 to 7 or 7 to 14 business days after approval, by page (terms: within 30 days) | Free to join; no commission stated | Markets served: US, UK, Australia; 18+ | None |
| Aspire | Brands publish campaigns or invite you; you apply with your profile and rates | Your own rates; not published. Cash, affiliate commission or product | PayPal, on each brief's terms | None to creators (brands pay a 2% handling fee) | No list; US-centric, paid in USD; 18+ | 1K on any platform (creator page); "no requirements" (blog) |
| Kora | Job board: brands post briefs, you apply with a sample video, brands message who they pick | Agreed with each brand; Kora publishes no rates | Stripe Express for deals paid through Kora; off-platform deals are between you and the brand | Free (3 applies a day) or Creator Pro $29 a month; no creator commission | Not stated; 18+ | None ("not your follower count") |
| Hummingbirds | You mark interest in a campaign with a pitch; chosen birds buy the product and post on Instagram | Mostly gift cards: about $50 typical, $15 to $800+ | Gift card by email, usually on the campaign start date (some split in two); terms aim for 30 days | Free to join; terms allow fees or limits (none stated) | US, opening city by city (waitlist elsewhere); 18+ | None (public Instagram Creator or Business account) |
| Playkit (managed agency) | A managed agency: you pass a scored tryout, get an offer, then post on new accounts made for each brand | Flat rate plus a views bonus (Playkit's own claim, not reviewed by us: "most creators earn around $500 a week") | Not published | None stated | Not stated; 18+ | None ("no experience or big following needed") |
| TikTok One (Creator Marketplace) | Brands find you or invite you to projects; you list your rates | Set per project | Varies by project | Free | Where TikTok One has launched; 18+ | 1,000+ to join projects, more for some |
| TikTok Shop affiliate (US) | Commission on sales from your videos and LIVEs | Commission per order, set per product | Commission withdrawn after verification | Free | US-based, 18+ | 1,000 (under 5,000 starts in a pilot with posting limits) |
| Amazon Influencer Program | Commission on qualifying purchases through your storefront | Commission rate depends on the product | Paid by Amazon (payout terms not checked) | Free | Not checked | No published minimum; Amazon looks at followers and engagement |
| Pitching brands directly | You email or DM brands with your portfolio and rates | Whatever you negotiate | Invoice the brand (agree terms in writing) | None | Anywhere | None |
- Sideshift review: Sideshift pays a small base fee per video and, on posting campaigns, a bonus on views. Its own median is $7 to $9 a video, so the question is whether volume works for you.
- Insense review: Insense is one of the few UGC marketplaces where you quote your own price, and one of the harder ones to get into. Moderation checks your audience and your portfolio first.
- Billo review: To get onto Billo you record a 30-second pitch video; to get paid you hand the brand every right in what you film. Both are worth understanding before your first task.
- JoinBrands review: JoinBrands is the one platform here that prints its rates: a UGC video defaults to $60. What you keep depends on its 20% fee, and whether Creator Pro is worth paying to cut it.
- Backstage UGC review: On Backstage you pay before you can apply to anything, UGC briefs included. In return, a brief paid through it comes with the shortest license brands get on any platform we checked.
- Twirl review: Close to 6,000 people applied to Twirl in the first quarter of 2026, and it says only a fraction got in. Those who do get published pay per project and never deal with the brand directly.
- Clip review: Clip (useclip.com) approves about 7% of the creators who apply, then runs them on tight, written clocks: 7 days to deliver, 7 days for the brand to decide. You keep the products.
- Aspire review: Aspire is influencer software that brands pay for, with a free marketplace on the creator side. UGC-only work sits mostly in a separate sign-up called Maven.
- Kora review: Kora (koraugc.com) is half creator dashboard, half job board. Whether it protects your pay depends on one thing: whether the brand pays you through Kora.
- Hummingbirds review: Hummingbirds pays "almost exclusively" in gift cards, about $50 a campaign. You buy the product, post about it on your own Instagram and keep the post up for six months.
What are the best UGC platforms for creators?
The best UGC platform for you depends on what you have today: an audience, a portfolio, your country, and whether you want steady small gigs or fewer bigger ones. Our read, from the platforms' own rules:
- No audience, no portfolio: Billo. No following is needed and the product is shipped to you, but you record a 30-second pitch video first and the brand owns what you make.
- A small real audience and 4+ videos: Insense. You set your price and it lists 22 countries, but it asks for 1,000 followers and views.
- Lots of quick videos, happy to post on niche accounts: Sideshift. Free, no follower minimum stated, view bonuses, but a median of $7 to $9 per video.
- You want the price up front: JoinBrands. It publishes rates per job ($60 default per UGC video), then takes 20%.
- You're in the UK or Europe: Twirl or Clip. Both vet by hand; Twirl publishes $90 to $300+ per project, Clip $20 to $250 per video.
- You already act or model: Backstage. A subscription to apply, but the narrowest license: 6 months of paid ads and 12 months of organic use.
Joining two or three at once is normal. Billo says the first job takes about 30 applications on average; Insense says 20 to 30.
How do you get your first UGC job?
- Make 3 to 4 sample videos
Film products you own: one talking to camera, one unboxing, one problem and fix. The UGC ad formats guide breaks ten formats down beat by beat. Insense's moderation asks for at least 4 videos in 2 styles, with you speaking in one.
- Put them on one page
Brands open a link, not a camera roll. Build a one-page UGC portfolio with your samples, niches and contact.
- Script and record cleanly
Write a 3-second hook and keep to the brief. Read your lines from a teleprompter so you don't lose eye contact, and keep each take short.
- Know your rate and your rights
Decide what you charge per video and what usage costs extra (paid ads, 30 days of posting). Work out a number with the free rate calculator and put it in a contract.
- Apply every day for a few weeks
Billo suggests 10 or more applications a day, and 30 a day at the start. Tailor the first line of each one to the brief.
- Deliver on time
On-time rates and star ratings decide who gets picked next on Billo and Insense. Upload before the deadline and answer revisions inside the platform's window.
What are the red flags in UGC jobs?
- You're asked to pay to get the job. The FTC says honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job (FTC: job scams). A subscription to a job board you chose (like Backstage) is different from a "brand" asking you for a fee.
- A check for more than you're owed. If a brand sends a check and asks you to send part back, it's the FTC's classic fake check scam: the funds can show up and still bounce, and you owe the bank (FTC: fake checks).
- Gift cards or crypto. The FTC says anyone who demands payment by gift card is always a scammer, and "tasks" apps that show earnings and then ask for a deposit are a sure sign of a scam (FTC: task scams).
- "Ambassador" DMs with a discount code. BBB warns about Instagram DMs that make you a "brand ambassador" if you buy overpriced items with a code (BBB scam alert). Real UGC jobs pay you; they don't sell to you.
- Moving off the platform. Billo and Insense forbid taking a brand's work outside them, and Backstage's protections stop when a brand pays elsewhere. A brand pushing you to WhatsApp or private payment is a warning sign.
- No written terms on usage. If nobody says how long and where your video will run, assume forever and everywhere, and price it that way.
Report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if you're in the US.
What didn't we check?
- We read each platform's own pages and terms; we didn't sign up as creators, take jobs or withdraw money.
- We didn't check Amazon's country rules or payout terms, or Playkit's payout method.
- Platforms change rules often, and several contradict themselves (each review says where). Check the live terms before you sign.
