What does a creator cost at each size?
Third-party figures, not Kiko data. Post medians are inBeat's, across platforms. YouTube ranges are our arithmetic: SponsorRadar's median views per sponsored long-form video in each subscriber tier, times SponsorRadar's niche CPMs.
| Creator size | Creator post, median fee across platforms (inBeat, Jan 2025–Jun 2026) | YouTube integration, lifestyle CPM $15–$30 | YouTube integration, education CPM $20–$40 | YouTube integration, health and fitness CPM $25–$45 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10K–50K | $150 | $77–$154 | $103–$205 | $128–$231 |
| 50K–250K | $417 | $140–$280 | $186–$373 | $233–$419 |
| 250K–1M | $517 | $428–$856 | $571–$1,141 | $713–$1,284 |
| Over 1M | $2,727 (53 deliverables) | $1,462–$2,925 | $1,950–$3,900 | $2,437–$4,387 |
inBeat's tiers are follower counts and its dataset skews to sports, wellness, food and lifestyle. SponsorRadar's YouTube tiers use subscribers and these median views: 5,128 (10K–50K), 9,322 (50K–250K), 28,527 (250K–1M) and 97,490 (over 1M). Price on a creator's recent median views where you can. For usage rights and Spark Ads, add the uplifts in the third-party table below.
Why do public rate figures for consumer apps disagree so much?
They measure different markets. A marketplace where brands book small creators at listed prices produces low averages. A payments platform that brands, agencies and platforms use to pay creators, where Lumanu says about 80% of partnerships are repeat collaborations with multiple deliverables, produces high ones. Neither is wrong, but only one matches your buying.
| Source (2025 data) | What it measures | TikTok | YouTube | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collabstr 2026 report | Average payout on its marketplace, 21,000+ collaborations | $186 | $193 | $255 |
| Lumanu payouts analysis | Average payment, about 255,000 payments made through Lumanu | $2,049 | $1,429 | $2,228 |
Both are averages, which large deals pull upward. Kiko's tables use medians for that reason.
How to use this: if you're seeding many small creators for installs, the marketplace figures are the closer guide. If you're buying a handful of creators with 100,000+ views per short video, managed-deal figures are closer. In both cases, convert the fee to an implied cost per 1,000 views, then to cost per activated user with the creator CAC and payback calculator.
What do Kiko's own deals show?
Pooled, anonymized fees from 276 paid deals Kiko negotiated or reviewed between November 2025 and October 2026. Fees are cash fees in USD per deliverable, excluding gifted product, ad spend and agency fees. A cell is published only with at least 10 deals from at least 5 creators and 3 brands; cells below that say "insufficient data". Creator-level and brand-level rates are never published.
Fee by format and creator size band
Short-form bands use the creator's median views across their last 20 short videos. Long-form bands use median 30-day views across the last 10 videos.
| Format | Size band | Median fee | p25–p75 | Implied CPM (median) | Deals / creators / brands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok video | A (under 50K views) | $300 | $180–$450 | $12 | 38 / 26 / 14 |
| TikTok video | B (50K–250K) | $900 | $600–$1,300 | $8 | 59 / 38 / 18 |
| TikTok video | C (250K–1M) | $2,400 | $1,700–$3,400 | $5 | 22 / 14 / 10 |
| TikTok video | D (over 1M) | $6,500 | $4,800–$9,000 | $4 | 11 / 7 / 6 |
| Instagram Reel | A | $350 | $200–$500 | $14 | 21 / 15 / 10 |
| Instagram Reel | B | $1,000 | $700–$1,400 | $9 | 18 / 12 / 9 |
| Instagram Reel | C–D | $3,200 | $2,200–$5,500 | $5 | 12 / 8 / 7 |
| YouTube Short | A–B | $500 | $300–$800 | $8 | 13 / 9 / 7 |
| YouTube Short | C–D | $2,000 | $1,400–$3,000 | $4 | 10 / 6 / 5 |
| YouTube integration (60–90 s) | A–B (under 100K long-form views) | $1,400 | $900–$2,100 | $35 | 16 / 11 / 9 |
| YouTube integration (60–90 s) | C–D | $6,000 | $4,200–$8,500 | $27 | 10 / 6 / 6 |
| Creator-made ad, not posted (UGC) | All | $250 | $150–$400 | n/a | 46 / 31 / 12 |
Implied CPM uses each band's median views (TikTok: A 25K, B 110K, C 450K, D 1.8M; Reels: A 25K, B 110K, C–D 600K; Shorts: A–B 60K, C–D 500K; YouTube integration: A–B 40K, C–D 220K).
Fee by app category (TikTok, band B)
One format and band, so the categories can be compared on like-for-like deals.
| App category (Kiko slug) | Median fee | p25–p75 | Deals / creators / brands |
|---|---|---|---|
Consumer AI apps (consumer-ai-apps) | $950 | $650–$1,350 | 14 / 10 / 5 |
Health and fitness (health-fitness-apps) | $850 | $600–$1,200 | 11 / 8 / 3 |
Education (education-apps) | $800 | $550–$1,100 | 10 / 7 / 3 |
Dating (dating-apps) | Insufficient data (4 deals) | : | 4 / 4 / 2 |
Productivity (productivity-apps) | $900 | $650–$1,250 | 10 / 7 / 4 |
Creator tools (creator-tools) | $1,000 | $700–$1,400 | 10 / 6 / 3 |
Uplift for usage rights and exclusivity
| Add-on | Median uplift on base fee | p25–p75 | Deals / creators / brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spark Ads authorization, 30 days | 0% | 0–10% | 64 / 41 / 16 |
| Partnership Ads permission, 30 days | 0% | 0–10% | 37 / 25 / 12 |
| Paid usage on the brand's handle, 90 days | 0% | 0–15% | 29 / 20 / 11 |
| Paid usage beyond 90 days (whitelisting) | 25% | 20–30% | 21 / 14 / 9 |
| Raw footage and edit rights | 30% | 20–50% | 18 / 13 / 8 |
| Category exclusivity, 30 days | 20% | 10–30% | 15 / 11 / 7 |
Kiko negotiates 90 days of paid usage (Spark Ads or Partnership Ads) into the base creator fee where possible, which is why those medians are 0%. Whitelisting beyond that is priced separately, typically 20–30% of the creator fee.
For the clause language, see the usage rights and whitelisting template.
Which platform rules affect particular app categories?
From the platforms' own pages. Take each to your legal or compliance team.
| Category affected | Rule | Source | Question for your team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dating apps | TikTok's Branded Content Policy lists dating services among prohibited industries for branded content | TikTok Branded Content Policy (updated November 2023) | Does the restriction cover our app in our markets? If so, should TikTok spend go to paid ads instead of creator posts? |
| Health and fitness apps | The same policy lists pharmaceuticals, healthcare and medicine products (including vitamins), and weight-loss products and services (with region-specific exceptions) | Same | Is any feature we'd show (meal plans, weight goals, supplements) in a listed category? |
| All categories | Branded content needs the commercial content disclosure setting turned on | Same | Who checks the setting on each post before it goes live? |
| All categories | Material connections must be disclosed "clearly and conspicuously" | 16 CFR § 255.5 | What wording do we require, and where? |
These rules keep the dating cell thin on TikTok. That reflects the policy, not low demand. For claims in health content, see health and fitness claims compliance.
What do third-party rate reports say?
These figures are third-party, not Kiko data.
| Report (publisher, date) | Data basis, as described | Relevant figures | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report (inBeat, 2026-10-09) | Tier medians from 1,527 completed paid deliverables on OpenSponsorship, Jan 2025–Jun 2026, cash fees only | Median per post: under 10K followers $134; 10K–50K $150; 50K–250K $417; 250K–1M $517; 1M+ $2,727 (53 deliverables) | The report warns the dataset skews to sports, wellness, food and lifestyle |
| Same report, usage-rights section | Summarises impact.com practitioner guidance and inBeat's own pricing guide; no sample sizes | Usage rights +20–30% for 3 months, +30–50% for 12 months, +100–150% perpetual; boost fees 5–20% of the ad spend behind a post; exclusivity 20–100% of base rate | Guidance, not measured deals |
| Collabstr 2026 report (Collabstr, 2025 data) | Marketplace data: 21,000+ collaborations, 472,000+ packages | Average payouts: TikTok $186, Instagram $193, YouTube $255, UGC $154. Education averages $307, among the highest niches | Averages; small-creator marketplace |
| Breaking down $1 billion in creator payouts (Lumanu, 2026-01-06) | About 255,000 payments in 2025 | Average payment: TikTok $2,049; Instagram Reels $3,618; Instagram Stories $1,333 | Averages; no category split |
| Creator Rate Report 2026 (Elev8or, June 2026) | Modeled planning ranges | TikTok rate index 0.85× Instagram; lifestyle micro (10K–100K) $250–$1,500 per post before platform adjustment | Not deal data; no app categories |
| YouTube Sponsorship Rates (SponsorRadar, updated November 2026; CPMs reviewed July 2026) | Median views from 1.7M detected sponsorships; CPMs from published deals and agency rate cards, described as benchmarks | CPM: health and fitness $25–$45; education $20–$40; lifestyle $15–$30 | Benchmarks, not measured payments; YouTube only |
| YouTube Sponsorship Rates (1of10, 2026-08-24) | Creator-reported rates and listings | YouTube CPM: education $20–$35; health and fitness $18–$30 | YouTube only |
| YouTube Sponsorship Rates for Brands in 2026 (Creators Agency, 2026-05-16) | Planning ranges; method not stated | YouTube health and fitness CPM $15–$40 | YouTube only |
Which consumer app creators should you price first?
Start with these five, one per category. The tier range applies SponsorRadar's median views for the channel's subscriber tier to its CPM for that niche; these are tier benchmarks, not any creator's rate.
| Creator | Platform | Audience | Public YouTube benchmark for that tier | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Su (@JeffSu) | YouTube | 1.94M subscribers (SponsorRadar) | $1,462–$2,925 (over 1M, lifestyle CPM) | Working professionals; shows AI assistants inside real work tools. Fits productivity and consumer AI apps. |
| Kevin Stratvert (@KevinStratvert) | YouTube | 4.49M subscribers (SponsorRadar) | $1,462–$2,925 (over 1M, lifestyle CPM) | Beginners learning software step by step; runs sponsored "how to use" tutorials. Fits apps that need a walkthrough to activate. |
| Skill Leap AI (@SkillLeapAI) | YouTube | 343K subscribers (SponsorRadar) | $428–$856 (250K–1M, lifestyle CPM) | Non-technical users learning new AI features. Fits a consumer AI app's feature-launch walkthrough at a mid-size price. |
| Abbey Sharp (@abbeyskitchen) | YouTube | 715K subscribers (SponsorRadar) | $713–$1,284 (250K–1M, health CPM) | A dietitian's non-diet nutrition audience. Fits food-logging and nutrition apps that avoid weight-loss promises. |
| English with Lucy (@EnglishwithLucy) | YouTube | 14.2M subscribers (SponsorRadar) | $1,950–$3,900 (over 1M, education CPM) | English learners worldwide. Fits English-learning apps in a lesson-led integration. |
Full lists: consumer AI app creators, health and fitness creators and education creators.
Plan your campaign with Kiko
Kiko runs consumer app creator programs through creator sourcing and UGC, and turns the best posts into ads through paid amplification. A first program books 8–12 creators in the first 30 days. Each post gets 7 days of organic data before Kiko decides whether to put spend behind it. Creator fees and ad spend pass through at cost, with no markup.
You don't need us if you're seeding product to many small creators on a marketplace with listed prices. The Collabstr-style figures above are your benchmark, and the work is volume, not negotiation.
Related: creators for app installs, TikTok creators for education apps, health and fitness creators, consumer AI app creators, productivity tutorial campaigns and the app demo creator brief.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a TikTok creator charge to promote an app?
As of November 2026, inBeat's benchmark puts the median creator post at about $150 for 10K–50K followers, $420 for 50K–250K, $520 for 250K–1M and $2,700 for 1M+. Marketplace and managed data differ: Collabstr's 2025 marketplace averaged $186 per TikTok payout, while Lumanu's 2025 payments averaged $2,049. In Kiko's own deals, a TikTok video costs a median of $300 under 50K views, $900 at 50K–250K and $2,400 at 250K–1M.
Should we pay app creators per install instead of a flat fee?
Pay a flat fee. Per-install deals move risk to the creator, so creators with steady views ask for a flat fee or a hybrid. Compare any offer on cost per activated user, not cost per install, using the creator CAC and payback calculator.
How much extra do creators charge for Spark Ads or whitelisting?
In Kiko's deals, Spark Ads for 30 days add nothing to the median fee, because Kiko negotiates 90 days of paid usage into the base fee where possible; usage beyond 90 days adds a median 25%. inBeat's October 2026 report, summarising impact.com guidance, gives boost fees of 5–20% of the ad spend behind a post and usage-rights uplifts of 20–30% for three months. These are practitioner guidance, not measured deals.
Are UGC creators cheaper than posting creators?
On Collabstr's 2025 marketplace, the average UGC payout ($154) was lower than TikTok ($186) or Instagram ($193) payouts. UGC buys a video you post yourself, so you pay for reach separately through ads.
Why do dating and health apps get fewer TikTok creator deals?
TikTok's Branded Content Policy, last updated November 2023, lists dating services and several health categories among prohibited industries for branded content, with regional exceptions for some, such as weight loss. Ask your legal team how it applies to your app and markets.
Sources
- inBeat, 2026 Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report.
- Collabstr, Annual Influencer Marketing Report 2026.
- Lumanu, Breaking down $1 billion in creator payouts.
- SponsorRadar, YouTube Sponsorship Rates.
- Elev8or, Creator Rate Report 2026.
- 1of10, YouTube Sponsorship Rates.
- Creators Agency, YouTube Sponsorship Rates for Brands in 2026.
- TikTok, Branded Content Policy.
- Federal Trade Commission, 16 CFR § 255.5.
This page explains common practice and isn't legal advice.