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 attribution platforms, fail to vet influencers, and tinker with obsolete campaign metrics that don't show real-time results. 

Untriggered and 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 planning to pitch your next influencer marketing campaign, you must measure the cost, budget, and ROI via an influencer marketing platform to ensure your campaign reaches the right audience.

That's exactly what I've tried to cover in this listicle.

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 shortlisting tools 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 learnt in this process is that handling influencer contracts, contacting an authentic and verified individual, and ensuring the strategy is compliant with advertisement 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 influencer campaigns' success rate and reach across social media platforms. I prioritized platforms that track tangible ROI metrics like sales conversions, referral code usage, traffic sources, and attributable revenue, not 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 influencer that can be disastrous for brand 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 API, CRM, analytics, and e-commerce tool connectivity for smooth 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 follows all ethical and security guidelines so it can't be maliciously used. 

Out of the several tools I initially started with, these top 8 tools stood out in all these parameters and gave the headroom to brands to invest in the right and authentic influencers.

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

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.

However, the platform has some challenges. Sometimes, it feels a bit sluggish, especially when multiple team members are logged in. While it's mostly user-friendly, there is a noticeable learning curve at the start, especially when transitioning from manual influencer marketing or another tool.

A few users also mentioned issues getting through the initial setup without needing to reach out to support. I’ve also noticed that the influencer database, while expansive, could use more frequent updates. There were a couple of instances where influencers had outdated stats or were no longer active.

I noticed that there were some complaints regarding the login issues. Once in a while, the site takes forever to load, which can throw off your workflow if you are trying to meet a campaign deadline. But customer support is usually pretty responsive, and the product team also genuinely seems to care about rolling out updates.

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:

• Although the overall experience was smooth, sometimes the interface is clunky. Working with larger companies or influencers will often cause the site to crash or not load all candidates. G2 reviews mention this as well.
• Another downside that users noticed is the dashboard, which I found very busy and confusing, with options and information that users didn't use. 

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

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 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.

That said, there is room to grow. Sometimes, you can't batch apply to multiple jobs, which feels unnecessarily manual. Also, there were moments when I felt like product inventory is limited, especially if you're in a niche that is not fashion or beauty.

Not all brands are upfront and transparent about their ideal influencer specifications, which can make the application process feel like shooting in the dark.

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:

• Some reviews highlighted that even though influencers can collaborate with top companies on this platform, some might find it challenging to register using a corporate email. Due to the availability of brands in tier-1 countries, partnerships will be scarce in tier-2 and tier-3 countries. 
• I also noticed that Afluencer's user interface is pretty basic; however, it may need some enhancement. As highlighted in G2 reviews, there might be some issues with collaboration filters, too.

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

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 users stated that they were juggling five influencer activations in different regions, and the Captiv8 team helped them track, pay, and optimize in one dashboard. They even appreciated the onboarding process, which was deep and hands-on and made the transition so 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.

However, there are some drawbacks to counting. The influencer recommendation tool sometimes missed the mark as users got odd suggestions, like a Twitch gamer for a luxury fashion brand.

And while the interface is solid, it could use a bit of a facelift. Some parts felt like they were built five years ago and haven’t changed much. Also, I wish more fraud detection were built, like a red flag system that spots suspicious influencer trends or activities.

I also want to talk about the content approval process. While it’s great that it exists, it can get clunky. I’ve had bulky email chains with multiple links floating around, which slows things down when dealing with enterprise-level campaign reviews. Plus, it’d be awesome if creators didn’t have to link their socials to share insights. Sometimes they’re hesitant, and it delays everything.

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 

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.

However, I did notice some potential areas for improvement. One is that while the platform boasts a ton of features, it can feel bloated at times.

It can have too many features, not all of which are easy to find or use without proper onboarding. The support team is amazing, attending to issues almost instantly, but you’ll need their help now and then to navigate updates or configure certain widgets.

One more thing that’s been a bit frustrating is the sentiment tool’s accuracy, especially when dealing with nuanced or polarizing topics like climate change. Sometimes, it pegs emotionally charged, but neutral statements as negative, which can skew the final reporting.

Also, the search results can be messy, as it can start pulling in your branded content or internal posts. You might have to spend time fine-tuning filters to keep the data relevant.

While the dashboard is great, it could use a bit more flexibility, like customizing the “previous period” settings when I’m doing comparisons. It feels like a minor thing, but it becomes noticeable when you're knee-deep in weekly or monthly reports.

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:

• Although there aren't too many downsides, the only thing some users wish they could improve is the API capabilities of some of the social platforms within the Explore features, such as Threads.
• I also noted some users mentioning that, compared to other platforms, Meltwater did not have the same amount of historical data available (1 year of social media data vs. 5, 10, or even 15 years). 

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

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.

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.

That said, there were a few areas where the tool can improve. I did notice that not all campaigns offer payment. Some are unpaid collaborations, which isn’t ideal if you try to turn this into a serious income stream.

On the technical side, few advanced tools were visible from the creator’s end. There wasn't in-depth analytics or content performance tracking, for example. I assume more of those features are available on the brand or agency side, possibly tied to their subscription or plan tier. Still, from where I was using it, the focus seemed to be on simplicity and smooth execution rather than technical depth.

Also, the interface could be more polished in places. It’s functional, but some parts feel a bit bare. A more transparent overview of paid vs. unpaid campaigns would also help creators make quicker decisions. And while my experience was smooth, having access to some creator insights or performance feedback would’ve been helpful for long-term improvement.

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:

• Although there aren't many drawbacks to the platform, some users expressed that having more companies to work with would be better over time. 
• I found that, like all large brands that service both marketers and brands, getting started and registering as an influencer can get a little confusing. G2 reviews have mentioned it as well.

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

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.

However, the platform has some drawbacks. The interface, while powerful, sometimes feels clunky and not entirely intuitive. I noted that users occasionally get stuck trying to figure out where to find specific features or how to complete a task that should be simple.

Discovery search can lag or return irrelevant results if the filters aren’t set up just right. And while users love the analytics dashboard, they noticed that some of the data, especially around influencer metrics, seemed outdated or off. There were also occasional glitches when uploading content or sharing reports externally.

There seems to be some divide among 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:

• Although CreatorIQ enables influencer collaborations, I found out that messaging creators with managers is the most difficult part. If they inform that they want a manager to be involved, the messaging isn't conducted in a chain, as mentioned by G2 users.
• I noticed that the sourcing feature could get a little bit more specific and a little bit more granular. Sometimes, the platform can be glitchy, and there can be bugs. 

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

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.

However, I encountered some issues with the platform. Honestly, the onboarding process was a bit heavy. It took a while to get fully comfortable. GRIN has a ton of features that can be a little overwhelming to the user.

I also noticed that the training sessions could have been faster and more tailored. There’s definitely a steep learning curve, and if you don't dedicate time to it upfront, the platform's potential can be locked behind a confusing interface.

When it comes to finding influencers, GRIN is effective on Instagram. It offers detailed insights like audience demographics, brand affinity, and engagement rates.

However, I noticed that TikTok and YouTube search functionalities were weaker. The search engine can sometimes feel finicky, and filters don't always yield the kind of niche creators users seek, especially if they have a particular target audience.

I wish GRIN updated creator profiles regularly across platforms, as the contact info sometimes felt outdated. 

Reporting and analytics also garnered mixed reactions. On a high level, campaign reporting is detailed, as it provides impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROI that are easy to track.

But if you want granular, influencer-specific reports across multiple campaigns, it’s more complicated. Users often wished for better cross-campaign analytics for individual influencers, like seeing their cumulative impact without stitching together data manually. Also, reporting exports could be more flexible, especially when slicing and dicing data for executive summaries.

There are some limitations on plan tiers, too. Some of the best features, like more advanced analytics and affiliate program integrations, seemed locked behind premium plans. 

For example, you must be on a higher subscription level if you want monthly influencer performance reports across multiple campaigns without messing with exports.

Also, the pricing is structured based on how many influencers you manage at once, so if you're a larger brand scaling fast, costs can escalate quickly. 

In addition, the platform reliability was solid most of the time, but there were some hiccups. Sometimes, cache issues popped up with Instagram integration, and the dashboards would lag or glitch during heavy reporting pulls. 

The GRIN support team swiftly resolved the issues, and the team genuinely listened to the feedback. It feels like they're constantly pushing out updates based on user input.

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:

• While GRIN overall had a positive experience, some users found a few minor issues, such as occasional difficulties on the creator's side when filling out fields or submitting content. 
• Using GRIN for long-term partnerships that renew at the end of the term can be frustrating. You would have to remove them from activation and restart them. 

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

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.

However, it is not perfect all the time. Sometimes, the platform can feel a little bit slow, especially if you are loading heavy dashboards or pulling extensive reports. 

It is not the end of the world, but this lag can get a bit annoying during peak crunch times. I also ran into a few hiccups where the features felt like "half there," like content library management, which can use more customization options. 

I definitely found myself wishing for better side-by-side influencer comparisons. Right now, it's functional, but it could use a lot more insights.

I also want to call out the pricing transparency issue. You usually have to go through a few sales calls to fully understand what features are to be included at each level. A detailed pricing matrix could have saved time.

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)

1. What is the best influencer marketing software for small businesses?

According to the latest G2 Spring 2025 reports, Afluencer is considered the best influencer marketing software and offers a wide range of influencer discovery, content creation, and campaign tracking features to help you spread the word and connect with broader audience segments.

2. 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.

3. 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, which is ideal for small businesses and startups.   

4. 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.

5. 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 smooth integration enables you to view your influencer campaign analytics or track engagement to determine future marketing objectives.

6. What types of influencers (micro, macro, celebrity) are available on an 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.

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

It depends on which plan you opt for. Enterprise-grade solutions usually offer onboarding, implementation, training, and customer support in their pricing packages. However, onboarding, implementation, and training are one-time processes that help you configure and onboard the software properly.

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 best to optimize your ROI and allocate spending wisely.