How Much Does UGC Cost in the UK?
A single UGC video from a freelance creator typically costs about £115 to £225 before extras, and less from newer creators. Using the video in paid ads, buying the raw footage or asking for extra versions usually adds to that, and an agency adds its own fee on top.
Here's what goes into the price, what's normal in 2026, and how paying per view compares if you want creators to post the videos too.
What You're Paying For
UGC (user-generated content) means short videos made by everyday creators rather than a production company. There are two ways to buy it:
- Content only: the creator films the video and sends it to you, to use on your own channels (and in your ads, if you buy the rights).
- Content and posting: the creator also posts the video on their own TikTok, Instagram or YouTube account, labelled as an ad, so it reaches their followers from someone they already follow.
The two are priced differently, so it's worth knowing which you need before you compare quotes. Our guide to UGC vs influencer marketing explains the difference.
Typical Prices in 2026
| What you get | Typical price |
|---|---|
| A simple video from a newer creator | Under £100 (from about £75) |
| A standard video: a strong hook, product shots, captions and editing | About £115 to £225 |
| An experienced creator, a script or more complex filming | £225 and up, and £375 or more for the most experienced |
| An agency that briefs, casts and edits for you | Creators' fees, plus the agency's own margin |
Prices vary with the creator's experience, the length and style of the video and how quickly you need it. Influee's 2026 UGC rates guide puts typical rates at $150 to $300 a video, with UK videos on its platform starting at under £100. We've converted its US dollar figures at about $1.33 to the pound, the Bank of England's rate on 19 October 2026. Agencies cost more because they manage everything for you, from finding creators to editing.
Extras That Change the Price
- Using the video in paid ads (usage rights): often 30 to 50% of the base price.
- Raw, unedited footage: often another 30 to 50%.
- Extra hooks or versions to test: a small extra fee for each one.
- Running ads from the creator's own account, such as TikTok Spark Ads or Instagram partnership ads: often around 30% of the base price a month.
- Rush delivery: commonly 25 to 50% more.
- Several videos at once: many creators give 5 to 25% off for a bundle.
Always agree in writing what you can do with each video, where, and for how long. A cheap video you can't use in your ads can end up costing more than one that comes with full rights.
What Creators Charge to Post to Their Followers
If you want creators to post the videos on their own accounts too, you're paying for their audience as well as the content. UK rates depend more on engagement and niche than on follower count alone, but as a rough guide:
- Nano creators (1,000 to 10,000 followers): about £50 to £150 for an Instagram post, £75 to £250 for a Reel and £75 to £200 for a TikTok.
- Micro creators (10,000 to 50,000 followers): about £100 to £500 a post.
These are 2026 figures from Lilach Bullock's guides to UK influencer pay. Fees for usage rights, exclusivity and products come on top, and a lot of work with the smallest creators is still paid in products alone.
Pricing a Campaign Per View Instead
Another way to buy is to price the campaign by views rather than by video. On Brief72, you set a budget and agree a cost per view before the campaign starts. Creators apply, you see each creator's predicted views before you approve them, and they post the approved videos on their own accounts.
We check every post's views for 5 days, and creators are only paid once those views are confirmed as real. Views we find to come from bots or fake engagement don't count. Once your campaign is paid in full, the approved videos are yours to keep and reuse in your own ads (check that any music in them is cleared for wherever you reuse them).
See how pay-per-view campaigns work, or find out more about Brief72 for brands.
How to Keep UGC Costs Down
- Write a clear brief: what to show, what to say and what to avoid. Fewer reshoots means a smaller bill.
- Decide on usage rights up front, so you don't pay twice.
- Order in batches, test different creators and hooks, then put more behind what works.
- If creators are posting too, spread your budget across more, smaller creators rather than one big name: their audiences tend to trust them, and each post costs less.
- Check the basics before you approve a video: the ad label, claims you can back up, and music cleared for brand use.
Is UGC cheaper than influencer marketing?
Not always. For the same creator, adding a post to their followers usually costs more (Influee puts the extra at 20 to 30%), but a small creator's post can cost less than a polished UGC video from someone else. If you want reach as well as content, compare the cost per view rather than the cost per video.
Do I need to pay extra to use UGC in ads?
Usually, yes: usage rights for paid ads often add 30 to 50% to the price. On Brief72, the approved videos are yours once the campaign is paid in full, so you can reuse them in your own ads.
How many UGC videos should I order?
Enough to test a few different creators and hooks. Ordering a batch and putting more budget behind the videos that perform is usually a better bet than one expensive video.
Do UGC videos need an ad label?
If a creator posts a video because a brand paid them or gave them something, UK rules say it must be clearly labelled as an ad at the start, for example with “#ad”. If you run the video on your own channels or in your own ads, it’s usually already clear it’s from you, but don’t present it as an independent customer review. Every Brief72 post must carry #ad or the platform’s paid partnership label, and we check each live post for it before the creator is paid.
