8 Best Influencer Marketing Software: My Top Picks

As brands strive to build product visibility in a tough market, it's still hard to think through their influencer marketing strategy.For someone who consistently keeps her pulse on innovative marketing trends, I see the zeal of brands that hire influencers, but with all the wrong means. 

Running campaigns with influencer marketing software without guidance leads to underperforming outcomes. Marketers cannot collate data across content distribution platforms, can't verify the authenticity of the influencer or check their previous work experience to confirm whether they can really lead to conversions. 

Unsegmented influencer marketing approaches can negatively impact the brand in the market. That's why I turned to G2 and delved into the 8 best influencer marketing platforms that segment influencers, verify authenticity, and attribute ROI in real time.

If you are wondering where can I find the best influencer marketing platform, you're at the right place. Read on.

8 best influencer marketing platforms, according to me

Navigating the ups and downs of influencer strategy is crucial before investing your dollars in an influencer marketing platform. Running background authentication checks on influencers, establishing direct key performance indicators (KPIs), and ensuring you convey proper messaging are foundational in shortlisting an influencer marketing platform.

My experience as a content and prior brand marketer helped me cut through the noise of various influencer marketing platforms. My research led to leading service for managing influencer campaigns that targeted the right influencers, optimized campaign management, automated content approvals, and converted influencer promotions into real-time actionable metrics.

In this process, I utilized internal G2 Data to segment these chosen products based on factors like ease of use, ease of admin, market relevance, customer satisfaction, and ease of implementation. I centered my research on tools that offered ROI models, advertising structures, campaign attribution, and influencer personas for brands to use ethical means to promote their products.

What makes an influencer marketing platform worth it: My opinion

Businesses don't have to dive soullessly into influencer marketing. What I learned in this process is that handling influencer contracts, contacting authentic and verified individuals, and ensuring the strategy complies with advertising rules and guidelines are equally contributing to the success of the overall influencer strategy.  

According to me, businesses should be wary of these factors while shortlisting an influencer marketing platform:

• Robust influencer discovery engine: I shortlisted the influencer marketing tools that help identify suitable influencers that align with your particular industry or niche. These tools have advanced filtering, browsing, and searching options to shortlist relevant influencer profiles based on the nature of content and expertise. It offers filtering options by follower count, audience demographics, engagement quality, and even brand affinity. This level of granularity is crucial to find influencers who genuinely resonate with your ideal customer.
• End-to-end campaign workflow management: These tools also provide features to track, optimize, and tweak influencer campaigns to monitor real-time return on investment. They offer a response metrics dashboard to manage digital or offline influencer advertisements. They stood out because they had seamless tools for planning, collaborating, briefing, approving content assets, and overseeing delivery and payments all in one platform. This removes dependency on scattered spreadsheets and back-and-forth emails.
• Authentic performance tracking (beyond vanity metrics): These platforms also track the success rate and reach of influencer campaigns across social media platforms. I prioritized platforms that track tangible ROI metrics, such as sales conversions, referral code usage, traffic sources, and attributable revenue, rather than just likes and comments. Marketers need real proof to impact and justify influencer budgets, and these metrics allow them to interpret the response of influencer-backed content promotions.
• Audience authenticity and fraud detection: This is a non-negotiable functionality that differentiates authentic from fake influencers. I looked for platforms that can flag fake followers, suspicious spikes in engagement, or bot activity. Tools with these features ensure that you don't encounter any fraud or disingenuous influencers, which can be disastrous for your brand's reputation.
• Integrated content rights management: These tools also ensure that influencer contracts or agreements protect the originality of content. Buyers sometimes overlook this, but platforms with built-in tools to secure and reuse influencer-generated content (and track usage rights by campaign) stood out to me. This is a game-changer for repurposing content across paid, owned, and earned channels.
• API and CRM integration: I also evaluated the connectivity between the API, CRM, analytics, and e-commerce tools for seamless data transfer and format compatibility. These tools can integrate with any existing tech stack to transfer campaign metrics and take the next possible action. This ensures influencer data can plug directly into broader marketing campaigns and attribution models, which is essential for scaling.

All in all, these features can prove a boon if you want to contact the right influencer, monitor advertisements, and ensure your content adheres to all ethical and security guidelines, preventing it from being maliciously used. 

Out of the several tools I initially started with, these eight top-rated apps for influencer marketing stood out in all the mentioned parameters.

The list below contains genuine reviews from the influencer marketing platform category page. To be included in this list, a software must:

• Provide tools that enable users to search for social influencers within an influencer network across social networks.
• Allow users to filter through and segment influencers according to various factors.
• Offer campaign management and communication tools for users to communicate and manage influencers.
• Provide a dashboard through which users can visualize and evaluate influencer campaign performance.
• Facilitate the importing and exporting of influencer data, including contact information.

*This data was pulled from G2 in 2025. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.  

1. Later Influence: Best for influencer recruitment and campaign analytics

Later Influence is an inclusive platform that helps you shortlist niche influencers, optimize your campaign management workflows, and offer seamless integration with broader content attribution and social media platforms.

What pulled me in from the start was how seamless the platform feels. From finding influencers to managing campaigns, everything flows.

The UI is intuitive, and navigating through influencer profiles or campaign dashboards is seamless. I especially appreciate how Later Influence categorizes creators and influencers. The filtering and search capabilities make it easy to shortlist niche influencers based on engagement rates, follower count, or content types.

One of my favorite parts is the influencer discovery tool. It feels like you have access to an entire ecosystem of vetted, quality influencers, and what’s better is how Later Influence automates outreach.

It sends out personalized collaboration invitations via email, and most of the time, influencers actually respond, which says a lot about the platform's credibility on both ends. 

Another win for me is that later Influence integrates content rights and legal documentation right from the campaign workflows. 

Everything from application to content approval and payments happens inside the tool, so you don't have to manage ten different platforms.

If you are on one of their premium tiers, you get deeper insights into influencer metrics. I’m talking detailed performance data like click-through rates, conversion metrics, and social reach per post. These analytics are presented in a pretty clean dashboard, which I geek out over because I can track ROI without spreadsheets.

Higher-tier plans also offer better support access, custom onboarding, and multi-user collaboration features, which are critical for agencies and larger teams.

There were a few trade-offs I noticed, even though the platform handles live campaigns well overall. In busier moments, when multiple teammates were working simultaneously, the platform could feel slower than I expected. I ran into this when jumping between influencer profiles and campaign dashboards. I later saw similar feedback from G2 users who mentioned performance dips during high-activity periods, though most agreed it didn’t consistently block core workflows.

The onboarding experience also took some adjustment. While the interface itself is fairly intuitive, the initial setup required more hands-on effort, particularly when configuring campaigns for the first time or migrating from manual processes. I ended up leaning on support early, which mirrors what several G2 reviewers pointed out about needing guidance during setup. On the plus side, once everything is configured, managing campaigns day to day feels much more straightforward.

Another thing I paid attention to was the influencer database. It’s broad and generally useful, but I did come across a few profiles with outdated stats or limited recent activity, which meant doing quick verification before outreach. I noticed similar patterns mentioned in G2 reviews, especially for teams working across fast-moving creator niches. That said, the discovery and filtering tools still reduced the overall sourcing effort compared to manual research.

Finally, there were occasional login and page-load delays that disrupted my flow when switching quickly between tasks. This wasn’t constant, but it was noticeable during time-sensitive work. Feedback from G2 users suggests these hiccups come up intermittently, and many also note that the support team is responsive and that performance-related fixes are rolled out regularly.

All in all, Later Influence is an agile influencer marketing tool that optimizes email communication with influencers, handles content projects and workflows, and establishes proper guidelines for regulatory compliance to prevent content bottlenecks.  

What I dislike about Later Influence:

• The platform generally performs well, but when working with larger influencer lists, I occasionally notice longer load times or incomplete search results. G2 reviewers mention similar slowdowns in high-volume workflows, though they don’t seem to affect everyday campaign execution. 
• The dashboard provides broad visibility, which is helpful, but I sometimes had to dig a bit to surface the most relevant metrics. G2 users echo this, noting that the interface takes time to get used to, especially early on.

What do G2 users dislike about Later Influence:

"While Later Influence offers a vast pool of influencers, it's important to note that there can be some low-quality options within the platform. Additionally, shipping can sometimes be complicated, especially when dealing with international influencers or products with specific shipping requirements."

- Later Influence Review, Pieper J.

2. Afluencer: Best for e-commerce influencer discovery

Afluencer helps organizations target influencers within their domain of expertise. It provides actionable and real-time campaign metrics and external payment support in a consolidated platform to strike the right deals and grow your base.

What initially pulled me in was how ridiculously easy it was to get started. The UI is clean, intuitive, and you don’t need a manual to figure things out. Everything from browsing collabs to applying for them is streamlined, a lifesaver when juggling multiple platforms and partnerships.

I like that Afluencer bridges the gap between influencers and brands with a kind of matchmaking precision that doesn’t feel robotic. They’ve nailed the discovery process.

You can find influencer collabs that match your niche, follower count, and vibe. As a creator, I loved the ability to apply directly to collabs and even get invites from brands actively looking for someone like me. This proactive approach is a huge win. 

One thing that stands out is how responsive and human their support is. I’ve had questions pop up mid-campaign, and I got quick, helpful answers every single time. It feels less like dealing with a software provider and more like being part of a well-run creator community.

I also noticed that Afluencer isn't bloated with features. It's lean but innovative. You get job listings tailored to your profile, and if you're on a premium plan, you get access to more exclusive collabs and higher-tier brands.

Some G2 users mentioned the lack of advanced targeting options, which I agree with. If you're a brand trying to filter to hyper-specific audiences, the filters might feel a bit surface-level. But for creators? It gets the job done without overwhelming you.

I also love that Afluencer offers a subscription model, where premium users get more visibility and perks. That includes better job prioritization, increased profile reach, and early access to brand campaigns. The tiers aren't overly expensive and help your brand value if you are serious about building partnerships.

There were a couple of considerations I noticed as a creator, even though Afluencer keeps the application process fairly straightforward. One limitation is that you can’t batch-apply to multiple collaborations, which makes the process feel more manual when exploring several opportunities at once. I noticed this during active application periods, and similar feedback shows up in G2 reviews from creators managing multiple brand pitches, though individual applications remain easy to complete.

Another challenge is clarity around brand expectations. Not all brands clearly outline their ideal creator profile or requirements upfront, which can make applying feel uncertain at times. G2 reviewers point out the same issue, though expectations usually become clearer once conversations with brands begin.

That said, Afluencer helps you find the right authentic creator, analyzes and optimizes content creation workflows, and tracks your ROI in real time from campaigns across various attribution channels to fit into a larger marketing attribution model.

What I dislike about Afluencer:

• The platform offers access to recognizable brands, but registration can be limiting for some creators, particularly when a corporate email is required. G2 reviewers also note that opportunities are more concentrated in tier-1 regions, which can reduce visibility for creators in other markets.
• The interface is easy to use, but it offers limited depth when filtering collaborations. G2 feedback reflects a similar need for more refined filtering when narrowing down opportunities.

What do G2 users dislike about Afluencer:

"I don't like that I haven't gotten any brand deals. I have created my profile. When I apply for a particular brand, it's either that I don't qualify, or I am declined, or ignored, and I do want to work with brands and showcase what I can do to them. They should change how they do things. They should accept new people to work with, and they shouldn't choose based on their huge following but on what they can bring. Everyone is talented out there.

- Affluencer Review, Nobuhle N.

3. Captiv8: Best for enterprise-scale influencer campaigns

Captive8 is an AI-powered branded content platform that helps brands connect with authentic influencers with genuine follower counts, ideate and brief content proposals, and align with data governance and digital rights management.

When I first started with Captiv8, I sought a streamlined way to find influencers and manage a campaign or two. But the platform went way beyond that. The influencer discovery engine lets you drill down into the nitty-gritty, like audience engagement rates (ER), specific follower demographics, and content categories.

I’ve found everything from beauty creators in LA to fitness influencers in Mumbai, and it’s wild how precise the filtering is. You can sort by audience psychographics, brand affinity, and even fake follower detection, which is crucial today.

The best part is that it feels like a community. If you need support, you'd get it. I found actual campaign strategists and account managers who hopped on calls, offered creative input, and helped me troubleshoot in real time.

One of the G2 users stated that they were juggling five influencer activations in different regions, and the Captiv8 team helped them track, pay, and optimize all of these activations in one dashboard. They even appreciated the onboarding process, which was thorough and hands-on, making the transition incredibly easy. 

Another feature I loved was campaign reporting. Their automated reporting dashboard tracks everything from impressions and engagement to cost-per-click (CPC) and conversions.

You can slice the data by individual content pieces or compare influencers side-by-side. I loved how creators and clients could log in separately to approve content and talent lists. The platform even manages payments globally right after the campaign is wrapped. This eliminates the constant follow-ups for payments.

There were a few considerations that stood out while testing Captiv8, even though the platform is built for large-scale influencer programs. The recommendation engine is generally useful, but I encountered cases where suggested creators didn’t fully align with the campaign context, such as seeing influencers from unrelated content categories appear in the results.

When I later reviewed feedback on G2, similar experiences came up around recommendations needing an extra layer of manual review. The positive here is that once filters are refined, discovery becomes far more reliable.

From a usability perspective, the interface does the job, but some sections feel less modern than expected for an enterprise-grade platform. This didn’t block execution, but it was noticeable during longer reporting and campaign sessions. Feedback on G2 reflects a similar sentiment, with users calling out the need for UI refreshes while still acknowledging that navigation remains consistent.

The content approval workflow was another area that required patience. While it’s valuable to have approvals built into the platform, managing reviews across multiple stakeholders sometimes leads to longer email threads and scattered links. I noticed this especially when creators hesitated to connect their social accounts to share insights, which slowed reviews. That experience aligns with patterns discussed in G2 feedback, even though most users still prefer a centralized approval system over handling everything externally.

I’ve used both standard and premium plans in terms of pricing and tiers. The base tier gives you access to discovery, basic campaign tools, and standard analytics. But the premium or enterprise-level unlocks way more, like affiliate marketing integration, in-depth reporting, creative support, and white-glove service.

If you wish to scale, you would need a premium upgrade. They also recently rolled out updates to support affiliate workflows and multi-campaign analytics, which is crucial for brands running seasonal campaigns or A/B tests across regions.

So, I feel Captiv8 leverages AI to build high-quality external collaborations, prevent risky or malicious influencer activity, and help with influencer campaign tracking all in one platform.

What I dislike about Captive8:

• While Captiv8 allows genuine collaborations, users would like to see more about fraud/bot data, and if that would discount an influencer from being recommended for a potential campaign. 
• I also found that some information isn't readily available for influencers, which is a downside for teams that have 24 hours to compile the list. G2 reviews also discuss this. 

What do G2 users dislike about Captiv8:

"There have been a few instances where we have been caught behind the 8 with influencers that had been approved, content approved, only to find out right before launch, an exclusivity clause was missed. Additionally, we received a few vegan influencers for my fish-based CPG client. A closer attention to these minor details would be helpful, especially when onboarding clients with a new influencer process for the first time."

- Captiv8 Review, Amy D

4. Meltwater: Best for influencer identification and media intelligence 

Meltwater is an all-in-one influencer, PR, and media platform that contributes to social collaborations, influencer partnerships, and outbound marketing activities to improve brand visibility. It helps you shortlist top-ranked media engagement platforms and provides real-time quantitative and qualitative metrics for campaigns.

I noticed that Meltwater's user interface is surprisingly intuitive, especially considering how complex the backend capabilities are. You might think a tool that pulls in real-time data from social media, online news, print, broadcast, and even podcasts would be clunky, but Meltwater is just the opposite.

Once you get the hang of it, it offers clean dashboards and smooth navigation. I can create custom dashboards, toggle between engagement metrics and sentiment scores, and even plug in widgets that help me visualize year-over-year shifts in media tone.

The graphs and visualizations are pivotal when I need to present findings to clients or internal stakeholders. They are clean, exportable, and surprisingly flexible, making them useful in my daily workflows.

One feature I appreciated is the AI-powered sentiment analysis. It’s not perfect, but it does a decent job of flagging whether a conversation's tone is positive, neutral, or negative. It’s beneficial when I need a quick snapshot of how a brand or campaign performs in the wild.

I also like their “Search” tool, which lets me filter down to the nitty-gritty of who’s saying what, and where. From tracking competitor mentions to scouting potential influencer collaborations, Meltwater gives me a detailed view of the media landscape.

Speaking of detailed views, their premium solutions offer them, which aren't cheap. But they unlock some robust features. For example, you can get access to automated media briefings, API integrations, and advanced Boolean search capabilities.

You can even build newsletters from search results, which saves you a ton of time when putting together weekly updates for your team. This neat “Impact Reports” feature also evaluates media reach and ROI from your campaigns. It's incredible, accurate, and reliable for PR analytics.

While Meltwater is extremely capable once configured, I did notice that the sheer breadth of features can slow things down initially. Some tools and widgets aren’t immediately obvious without onboarding, which means you may need time or support to fully unlock value. This isn’t a dealbreaker, and many G2 users note that once workflows are set, the platform becomes much easier to navigate.

I also spent time validating the sentiment analysis, and while it’s useful for directional insights, it doesn’t always handle nuanced or polarizing topics well. In practice, I saw emotionally charged but neutral mentions get classified as negative, which required manual review. G2 reviews surface similar caveats, especially for teams analyzing sensitive or complex narratives.

Search is powerful, but it benefits from careful setup. When running broader queries, I occasionally had to refine filters to avoid pulling in internal or branded content. This extra step shows up in G2 user feedback as well, though most agree the flexibility of the search engine outweighs the tuning required.

Finally, the dashboards are strong for visualization, but comparison controls could be more flexible, particularly when adjusting previous-period views for recurring reports. It’s a small limitation, yet it becomes noticeable during weekly or monthly analysis. Even so, G2 users consistently highlight reporting depth as one of Meltwater’s strengths.

Overall, Meltwater is a great assistant for social media managers and brand managers in identifying, shortlisting, and authenticating content creators, providing them with the framework or briefing and optimizing conversion potential.

What I dislike about Meltwater:

• The platform covers a wide range of channels, but I noticed that API support is more limited for certain newer social platforms, such as Threads, which can affect how much data flows into Explore features. This limitation is also surfaced in G2 user feedback, particularly from teams relying on deeper API access.
• I also found that historical social data is more limited compared to some alternatives, particularly for long-term analysis. G2 users mention this as well, noting that access to only about a year of historical data can be a constraint when running multi-year or trend-based reporting 

What do G2 users dislike about Meltwater:

Unfortunately, most of Meltwater's features go beyond what we need for our smaller organization. We do not use Meltwater for our social media listening, so those features go unused. As a smaller organization that is not consumer-facing, our media monitoring needs are a bit different, and we have found that Meltwater's growth, while fantastic, is outpacing us.

- Meltwater Review, Ashley S.

5. inBeat: Best for performance-driven UGC campaigns

inBeat is a user-generated content tool that helps influencers connect with brands, sign content deals, and collaborate ethically and securely without violating intellectual property guidelines. It is one of the most user-friendly platforms for influencer marketing, with 98% of G2 users rating it positively for ease of use.

According to G2 Data, InBeat was also a recommended influencer marketing platform with a good ROI, boasting the lowest payback period of just 4 months, the shortest on this list.

I found the UI straightforwardly built for UGC creators like me who work on TikTok and Instagram. What stood out to me first was how organized everything felt. Campaigns were easy to understand, communication with the team was consistent, and payments came through quickly. That kind of reliability makes a big difference when you're juggling multiple projects.

The user interface is clean and functional. It’s not overloaded with features you don’t need. Navigating through campaigns, uploading content, and tracking brand communication was easy. You wouldn't have to dig through menus or figure things out alone, which helped me focus more on creating content than managing logistics.

What I appreciated most was the team's responsiveness. They were professional, quick to reply, and respectful in almost every interaction. They seemed to value the creators they were working with, which is not something you see often in influencer platforms.

While inBeat makes it easy to collaborate and move quickly through campaigns, I noticed that compensation isn’t guaranteed across the board. Some collaborations are unpaid, which can be limiting if you’re trying to build a reliable income stream rather than treat campaigns as one-off opportunities. This distinction also appears in G2 feedback, where creators emphasize the importance of balancing paid versus unpaid work according to their goals.

The platform also takes a deliberately lightweight approach on the creator side. During my time using it, I didn’t have access to deep analytics or detailed performance breakdowns, which makes it harder to evaluate long-term impact. From what I gathered through G2 reviews, those insights tend to live on the brand or agency side, reinforcing that creators trade depth for simplicity here.

Visually, the interface is clean and easy to navigate, but decision-making could be faster with more context provided upfront. I found it difficult to quickly differentiate between paid and unpaid campaigns. Access to basic performance feedback could help creators improve over time. G2 users express similar expectations, particularly those seeking to expand beyond occasional collaborations.

Overall, inBeat is a safe and reliable content management and campaign optimization tool that can not only help sign high-value influencers but also gather real-time intel on your paid and organic content deliverables.

What I dislike about inBeat:

• The platform is easy to work with, but the number of available brands can feel limited over time, especially if you’re looking to scale collaborations consistently. G2 users echo this, noting that broader brand variety would improve long-term value.
• Getting started is straightforward overall, though creator registration can take more effort than expected due to the platform serving multiple audiences. G2 reviews mention similar onboarding friction, which tends to ease once accounts are fully set up.

What do G2 users dislike about inBeat:

"Unfortunately, the rates offered for the deliverables were significantly lower than my usual rates for such content and collaborations. Due to the time, effort, and expenses that go into my business, it isn't easy to create content sustainably. However, I am still open to future opportunities as I appreciate the communication and effort."

- inBeat Review, Lyla S.

6. CreatorIQ: Best for enterprise influencer operations

CreatorIQ is a great marketplace for discovering, engaging, and communicating with influencers within your niche. It can also help you structure and tweak your marketing campaigns and eliminate content approval bottlenecks between brands and creators.

CreatorIQ is the go-to command center for all things influencer marketing. It handles almost every workflow you need, from finding creators who perfectly match my brand to managing full-fledged campaigns.

One of the things I immediately loved was how robust the discovery feature is. You could dive into a massive database of influencers, filtering them by niche, audience insights, engagement metrics, or demographics.

The way CreatorIQ surfaces relevant data makes identifying the right talent intuitive and efficient. Based on G2 reviews, it has saved countless hours scrolling through Instagram profiles manually.

The platform also makes it ridiculously easy to visualize data. The reporting dashboards are customizable, detailed, and presentation-ready. You can quickly pull insights and show stakeholders real ROI with metrics like reach, engagement, earned media value, and campaign performance, all just a few clicks away.

I also appreciated its integration with CRM systems and third-party tools. You can plug in my existing marketing stack, and CreatorIQ will make your workflows smoother.

The campaign workflow is also streamlined. Everything from outreach to approvals to content tracking happens inside the platform. And the collaboration tools? They're an absolute game-changer when working with internal teams or external clients. I especially appreciated how I could keep notes, upload contracts, and assign tasks right in the system.

The interface is powerful, but at times it requires extra effort to locate specific features or complete simple actions, particularly in the early stages. I noticed similar experiences referenced in G2 reviews, where users mention a learning curve before workflows feel second nature. Once familiar, navigation improves, but the ramp-up is real.

I also paid close attention to discovery and reporting accuracy. Search results occasionally lagged or surfaced less relevant profiles if filters weren’t precisely configured. I came across moments where influencer metrics seemed slightly outdated. G2 feedback also reflects this, along with mentions of intermittent glitches when uploading content or exporting reports. That said, once queries are refined, the analytics dashboard remains one of the platform’s strongest assets.

There seems to be some divide among G2 users when it comes to plans and pricing. Some reviewers mentioned differences in access depending on your subscription tier, particularly around advanced analytics, CRM integration, and dedicated support.

The premium tiers include advanced features like automated campaign tracking, advanced segmentation, and deep-dive reporting. In contrast, base tiers might feel limited if you scale up operations or manage multiple clients.

Overall, CreatorIQ helps you support data-driven marketing campaigns, create contextualized content, and manage project timelines with influencers.

What I dislike about CreatorIQ:

• CreatorIQ handles complex influencer workflows well, but messaging becomes less streamlined when creator managers are involved, since conversations don’t always stay in a single thread. G2 users note the same challenge, even though the platform still supports structured collaboration overall.
• Discovery is powerful at a high level, yet filters could be more granular when sourcing very specific creators. G2 feedback also mentions occasional bugs, though these tend to be minor and don’t disrupt core campaign execution. 

What do G2 users dislike about CreatorIQ:

"I wish sourcing new creators were a bit more of a platform feature. There is so much information as part of the platform, but not a seamless way to find new creators."

- CreatorIQ Review, Madeline M. 

7. GRIN: Best for influencer relationship management

GRIN is a user-friendly and agile influencer marketing tool where you can build an authentic base of influencers, send content briefs,  and convey the right messaging to help them connect contextually with their audience.

What impressed me about Grin is that it is a one-stop shop for everything you need to manage, track, and scale your brand’s influencer collaborations.

I also noticed how centralized everything was. From influencer discovery to relationship management, affiliate tracking, campaign reporting, and even product shipping, GRIN honestly consolidated all these moving parts into one sleek dashboard.

The influencer CRM is one of my favorite features. It acts like a hub where you can store influencer data, track deals, and manage contracts in one place. That prevents you from the hassle of digging through email threads or spreadsheets. 

I also noticed that GRIN integrates super smoothly with Shopify (if that's your store backend), so you can automate sending products, generate discount codes, and track sales back to the correct influencer. That automation saved me so much manual work.

I also want to call out their content management system, which automatically pulls every piece of content an influencer posts (once properly connected) into GRIN.

I could then approve it and track engagement metrics like impressions, clicks, sales, and export reports. This was a game-changer for scaling campaigns without drowning in spreadsheets.

GRIN is built to support large, sophisticated influencer programs, which is evident in the extensive functionality it packs into the platform. That depth does come with a heavier onboarding experience, and it took time before everything felt intuitive. G2 users echo this, noting that once teams get past the initial ramp-up, workflows become far more efficient.

Influencer discovery performs well on Instagram, where audience insights and engagement data are reliable. The experience is less consistent on TikTok and YouTube, where filters don’t always surface niche creators as precisely as expected. G2 feedback reflects this gap, particularly for teams running cross-platform campaigns with tight targeting requirements.

At a campaign level, reporting is clear and actionable, with impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROI easy to track. The limitation shows up when trying to view influencer-specific performance across multiple campaigns, which requires extra manual work and less flexible exports. G2 reviewers mention this trade-off as well, especially when preparing executive or long-term performance summaries.

GRIN offers strong capabilities for scaling influencer programs, but feature access is closely tied to plan tiers. Advanced analytics and affiliate functionality sit behind higher subscriptions, and pricing scales with the number of active influencers. G2 users often frame this as something to plan for early, rather than a blocker once programs grow.

From a reliability standpoint, the platform is generally stable during day-to-day use. I did run into occasional lag and integration hiccups, particularly during heavy reporting pulls or Instagram syncs. Both my experience and G2 feedback point to a responsive support team that addresses issues quickly and continues to roll out improvements.

Overall, GRIN proved to be a reliable platform for extracting real-time campaign analytics from various social media platforms, integrating with content management tools to monitor campaign metrics, and running various ads via influencer briefing. 

What I dislike about GRIN:

• GRIN supports detailed creator workflows, but creators can hit small snags when submitting content or completing fields, which slows execution at times. G2 users note this as minor friction that usually smooths out once workflows are familiar.
• The platform works well for active partnerships, though renewing long-term collaborations requires restarting activations, which adds manual effort. G2 feedback reflects this as a workflow gap for teams managing recurring influencer relationships. 

What do G2 users dislike about GRIN:

"Sometimes it takes a while for their customer support to get back to us. We used to have someone from the platform who checked in with us monthly and asked if we needed any help, and now we don't have that anymore. Sometimes emails also don't sync timely."

- GRIN Review, Diana M.

8. Sprout Social Influencer Marketing: Best for cross-team influencer collaboration

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing is a monumental tool for discovering, managing, and contacting influencers in your niche. It also tracks real influencer campaign metrics, influencer briefs, and payments.

With the affinity engine, you can easily shortlist influencers that operate in the same industry domain and whose target audience aligns with your needs to create meaningful campaigns.

What I found out about Sprout Social's Influencer Marketing platform (specifically the version powered by their acquisition of Tagger) was that it was easy.

The user interface is highly digestible, making it super simple for users who can't learn software quickly to dive right in and start exploring.

Ease of use is one of Sprout’s biggest strengths. Everything from the dashboard layout to the influencer search functionality feels intuitive and thoughtfully designed.

What I truly loved was how powerful the search and discovery tools were. Sprout’s Tagger integration gives you advanced filtering options. You can drill down based on engagement rates, audience demographics, past brand partnerships, and content types.

Finding the right influencer didn't just feel easier; it felt smarter. And trust me, that precision saves hours when managing multiple campaigns.

Also, the platform's analytics dashboard is a lifesaver. It’s super detailed without feeling overwhelming. They emphasize "what gets measured gets managed," and it shows. They offer real-time campaign tracking, ROI analysis, and even audience authenticity scores to sniff out fake followers.

You can even tag different influencers into specific campaigns and track side-by-side comparisons across multiple partnerships, though I wish that comparison feature were a bit more robust.

I was also surprised by the collaboration tools. Sprout Social makes it easy for internal teams to communicate about influencer selections, contract statuses, and content approvals within the platform.

It also cuts down on unnecessary email back-and-forth. They integrate directly with Slack and Google Drive, which makes exporting reports and sharing updates a breeze.

Regarding subscription tiers, Sprout's influencer marketing solutions aren't cheap, but you get premium offerings depending on your plan.

I noticed entry-level plans offered robust influencer discovery, reporting, and basic campaign management. Mid-tier subscriptions unlock audience analysis, social listening, and more detailed sentiment tracking. Enterprise tiers bring features like full-time API access, customizable white-label reporting, and predictive analytics for campaign planning. If you manage campaigns for multiple brands or big-budget accounts, this is your area to play.

The platform offers strong analytics depth, but I did notice performance slowdowns when loading heavy dashboards or pulling large reports. This tends to show up during peak crunch times, which can interrupt momentum, though day-to-day usage feels smooth once reports are set up. G2 users surface similar experiences, especially around data-heavy workflows.

Core features are well thought out, yet some areas feel less fully realized, particularly content library management, which lacks deeper customization. I also found side-by-side influencer comparisons functional but limited, making it harder to quickly evaluate partners at scale. G2 feedback reflects this gap, noting that comparison insights could be more robust.

From a commercial standpoint, the platform delivers enterprise-grade capabilities, but pricing clarity takes effort upfront. Understanding what’s included at each tier often requires multiple sales conversations, which slows early decision-making. G2 users mention this as well, suggesting clearer pricing breakdowns would streamline evaluation.

Overall, Sprout Social Influencer Marketing helps you track, modify, and measure real-time audience engagement and performance of influencer campaigns. It also reduces content back-and-forth by approving briefs or campaign copies faster.

What I dislike about Sprout Social Influencer Marketing:

• Although it has a user-friendly and intuitive UI, a learning curve is associated with its extensive customization options. While powerful, users can take time to grasp new features, as mentioned in G2 reviews.
• I also found out in my review of user feedback that it can be a little complicated for first-time users. More often than any other site, it loses the credentials, and one has to log back in and provide authentication that it is their social media account. 

What do G2 users dislike about Sprout Social Influencer Marketing:

"While my experience with Tagger has been predominantly positive, a few areas could benefit from enhancement. The software's advanced features can sometimes be somewhat overwhelming for beginners, and a more comprehensive onboarding process or tutorials would be appreciated."

- Sprout Social Influencer Marketing Review, Elizabeth W. 

Best influencer marketing software: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Got more questions? We have the answers.

Q1. What is the best influencer marketing platform for small businesses?

According to G2's Spring 2025 Grid Report, Afluencer and inBeat are the top influencer marketing software solutions for small businesses, offering features such as influencer discovery, content creation, and campaign tracking to reach broader audiences. G2 Data shows 86% of Afluencer reviews and 97% of inBeat reviews come from small businesses. 

Q2. What are the best influencer marketing platforms for creators?

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing and LTK (LiketoKnow.it) are among the top platforms for creators today. Sprout Social offers AI-powered discovery and price transparency, while the latter provides monetization through partnerships and affiliate contracts.

Q3. What is the best free influencer marketing software in 2025?

In 2025, Afluencer stands out as a free influencer marketing software. It offers 100% free access to over 1 million Instagram and TikTok influencers, with AI-powered matching and campaign management tools, making it one of the most popular influencer marketing platform among startups and small businesses.   

Q4. How does influencer marketing software measure campaign ROI?

Most influencer marketing platforms offer real-time dashboards tracking engagement, conversions, and revenue attribution. To validate ROI, look for features like UTM tracking, sales integration, and custom reporting.

Q5. Can an influencer marketing platform integrate with our CRM and e-commerce tools?

Yes, an influencer marketing platform integrates with CRM and e-commerce tools via API and webhook automation. The seamless integration enables you to view your influencer campaign analytics and track engagement to inform future marketing objectives.

Q6. What types of influencers (micro, macro, celebrity) are available on influencer marketing software?

Leading platforms allow access to a broader pool of influencers. From nano (1K+) to celebrity (1M+) influencers, these tools help you search for relevant profiles to align with brand and content strategy.

Q7. Are onboarding, training, and customer support included in the price of the influencer platform?

It depends on the plan you choose. Enterprise-grade solutions typically include onboarding, implementation, training, and customer support within their pricing packages. However, onboarding, implementation, and training are one-time processes that help you configure and onboard the software properly.

Q8. Which influencer marketing tool is most effective?

Effectiveness depends on your goals. Captiv8 and CreatorIQ are most effective for enterprise-scale programs, while inBeat stands out for performance-driven UGC and ROI-focused campaigns.

Q9. What’s the best influencer marketing software for businesses in the tech industry?

Based on G2 Data, Afluencer demonstrates strong adoption in Information Technology and Services, making it a solid choice for tech teams seeking a simple influencer discovery and audience analysis solution.

Q10. What's the best influencer marketing platform for mobile users?

Mobile users benefit most from platforms with lightweight workflows for discovery, collaboration, and approvals, rather than tools built around complex dashboards and reporting. Afluencer and inBeat are better suited for straightforward processes, as they focus on simple creator matchmaking, clear collaboration flows, and execution without relying on complex dashboards.

Hashtag influence!

The most evident outcome of my analysis is the prior focus on brand and audience alignment for brands, which is crucial for running the right influencer campaigns. Apart from verifying your shortlisted influencer's authenticity and contextual relevance, keeping a steady track of real-time campaign metrics, relatability of content, regular performance reporting, and elimination of potential bottlenecks or negative sentiment are crucial parameters of running a successful influencer marketing strategy.

Before you delve into positioning your brand with a new face and visualizing your brand agenda, take a step back and evaluate whether your influencer marketing shortlisting criteria meet these parameters.

Learn how to track performance across multiple influencer campaigns with my colleagues' analysis of the best affiliate marketing software to optimize your ROI and allocate spending wisely.