Updated , 6 min read, by the Probably team
Key takeaways
- Reported averages for one creator-made UGC video sit around $150 to $200, with most short-form rates between $50 and $500.
- Usage rights for paid ads are the biggest add-on: commonly 30% to 100% of the base fee, more for a buyout.
- Agencies add sourcing, scripting and management, and usually charge per video plus a monthly retainer.
- AI UGC tools replace the per-video fee with a subscription and credits, which makes testing many hooks cheap.
- Budget for a batch of variations, not a single video: the first version of an ad is rarely the winner.
How much does a UGC creator charge per video?
Most UGC creators charge somewhere between $50 and $500 for one short-form video, and the reported averages cluster around $150 to $200. The spread comes from experience, the product, the platform and, above all, how you plan to use the video.
| What was measured | Reported figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level creator, per video | $50 to $100 | Billo |
| Mid-level creator, per video | $150 to $500 | Billo |
| Established creator, per video | $500+ before licensing | Billo |
| Typical short-form asset | Around $198 | Billo |
| Common baseline, short-form video | $100 to $250 | Insense |
| Average UGC payout after negotiation (2025 campaigns) | $154 | Collabstr 2026 report |
One creator-made UGC video typically costs $150 to $200 before usage rights and add-ons; beginners charge less than $100 and established creators $500 or more.
These figures are asking prices and payouts gathered by marketplaces, so treat them as a guide to the market rather than a quote. A base rate usually covers one edited video of 15 to 60 seconds for organic use, with one round of small changes.
- Reported average for one creator video
- $150–$200
- Typical short-form range, before add-ons
- $50–$500
- Usually added for paid-ad usage rights
- 30–100%
What add-ons change the price of a UGC video?
Add-ons often cost as much as the video itself. Creators price each one separately, so two quotes with the same base rate can end up far apart.
| Add-on | What it is | How it is usually priced |
|---|---|---|
| Paid usage rights | Permission to run the video as an ad, for a set term such as 30, 90 or 365 days. | 30% to 100% of the base fee depending on term, per Insense; Billo notes licensing can double or triple the cost. |
| Buyout | Unlimited or perpetual use of the video. | 100% to 150% more than the base fee, per Insense. |
| Whitelisting or Spark Ads | Running ads from the creator's own account or handle. | Usually a monthly fee on top of the base rate; Influee puts it around 30% a month. |
| Raw footage | The unedited clips, so your team can re-cut them. | A flat extra per video; often sold in bundles. |
| Extra hooks | Alternate openings for the same video, for testing. | Priced per hook; one of the most common upsells. |
| Revisions | Changes beyond the included round. | Per round or folded into a higher package. |
| Rush delivery and exclusivity | Faster turnaround, or a promise not to work with competitors. | A premium that varies by creator. |
Bundles of several videos from one creator are usually discounted, which helps if you already know the angle you want.
Why do usage rights cost extra?
A creator's base rate assumes the video lives on organic channels. Running it as a paid ad puts the creator's face in front of far more people for longer, and it can stop them working with a competitor, so they charge for the term and the reach.
- Organic only: you can post the video on your own channels; this is what the base rate usually covers.
- Paid usage for a term: you can run it as an ad for 30, 90 or 365 days.
- Whitelisting: the ad runs from the creator's account, which usually costs a monthly fee.
- Buyout: you can use it anywhere, indefinitely.
Write the usage terms into the brief before filming. Agreeing them after a video starts winning puts you in a weaker position.
What makes a UGC video cost more or less?
Beyond experience and usage rights, a handful of practical things move a creator's quote. Knowing them helps you write a brief that gets a fair price.
- Length and complexity: one talking shot costs less than several scenes, locations or outfits.
- The product: you usually ship a physical product at your own cost, and creators rarely send it back; an app or software product only needs an account to try.
- Scripting: a creator who writes the script and hooks charges more than one who reads yours.
- Platform and placement: videos made for paid TikTok and Reels ads are priced higher than organic posts. Running them is a separate cost: see how much TikTok ads cost.
- Timing: rush turnaround and busy seasons such as Q4 raise rates.
- Volume: a bundle of several videos from one creator usually costs less per video.
How much does a UGC agency cost?
Agencies cost more per video because they do the work around it: finding creators, writing briefs and scripts, managing shoots, editing and reporting. Yap Factory, a UGC marketplace, gives an industry estimate of $300 to $1,000 or more per video, often alongside a monthly retainer of $2,000 to $10,000.
Marketplaces sit between the two: you pick creators and write briefs yourself, and prices start lower. An agency makes sense when you need volume and have no one in-house to run creators.
What does a first batch of UGC ads cost?
A realistic first test is several videos, not one, because you rarely know which angle will work. Here is an illustration built from the mid-range figures above; your quotes will differ.
| Item | Assumption | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Five videos | $200 each, a mid-level rate | $1,000 |
| Paid usage, 90 days | 50% of the base fee | $500 |
| Total | Before extra hooks, raw footage or whitelisting | $1,500 |
Add two extra hooks per video and the test grows to 15 openings, which is closer to how performance teams actually test. See how to test UGC ad creatives for how to structure it.
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How much does AI UGC cost?
AI UGC tools charge a subscription with a monthly allowance of credits instead of a fee per video. Published plans range from about $10 to about $200 a month; Creatify, for example, lists plans from $15 to $195 a month, with lower prices on annual billing.
- There is no creator to license from, so there is no separate usage-rights fee; read each tool's terms for what you may do with its output.
- Extra hooks and new versions cost credits rather than a new booking, so testing many variations is cheap.
- Turnaround depends on the tool and the length of the video, not on a creator's schedule.
- The trade-off: an AI actor has never used your product. For honest testimonials and real product use, you still need people. See AI UGC vs creator UGC.
For a side-by-side look at the tools, see the best AI UGC ad tools.
What do Probably's plans buy?
Probably is an AI video studio that makes UGC-style video ads: you describe what you're selling, and an AI crew writes the script, casts an AI actor, records the voice, films the scenes and edits the ad. Plans are monthly credits, where one credit is $0.01 of work.
| Plan | Monthly price | Credits each month | Videos in production at once |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19 ($199 a year) | 2,000 | 2 |
| Creator | $49 ($519 a year) | 5,500 | 5 |
| Studio | $149 ($1,599 a year) | 17,000 | 10 |
Worked example: the Creator plan costs $49 and gives you 5,500 credits, which is $55 of work each month, and lets five videos be in production at once. How far those credits go depends on the video's length and what you ask for, so the studio shows an estimate before any paid work starts. If you run out, top-ups start at $10 for 1,000 credits.
- Your first draft is free with a new account and needs no credit card: 480p, up to 30 seconds.
- Finished videos are 720p or 1080p and use credits, in 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9.
- Alternate hooks are made as variants, each its own version you can compare.
- Changing the captions on a delivered video re-renders it free.
Annual plans save over 10%, and credits still arrive monthly. You can cancel renewal at any time; see pricing for the details.
How should you split a UGC budget?
Spend cheaply to find the angle, then spend on people for the angles that already work.
On a tight budget, as at many small businesses, the first step can be all AI until one angle proves itself.
- Find the angle
Make many hooks and angles quickly, with AI or a low-cost creator, and run them as a test.
- Back the winners
Brief human creators on the two or three angles that held attention, especially where real product use matters.
- Refresh, don't restart
When a winner tires, make new hooks for it before you pay for a new concept.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a UGC video cost?
Reported averages sit around $150 to $200 per video before add-ons. Billo cites about $198 per short-form asset, and Collabstr reports an average UGC payout of $154 for 2025 campaigns.
Do UGC rates include usage rights for ads?
Usually not. A base rate typically covers organic use, and paid usage is priced by term, commonly adding 30% to 100% of the base fee.
How much do UGC creators charge for whitelisting?
Most creators charge a monthly fee on top of the base rate for running ads from their account. Influee puts it around 30% of the base rate per month.
Is AI UGC cheaper than hiring creators?
Per video, usually yes, because you pay a subscription instead of a fee and usage rights for each video. It can't replace a real person using your product, so many brands use both.
How much does Probably cost?
Plans start at $19 a month for 2,000 credits, and your first draft is free with a new account. The studio shows a credit estimate before any paid work starts; see pricing.
Are UGC ads legal?
Yes, when they follow advertising law and each platform's rules. In the US, the FTC requires paid creators to disclose the relationship and bans fake reviews and testimonials, including AI-generated ones, so an AI actor must never pose as a real customer. This is general information, not legal advice.
