Start by sorting platforms into types
The most common mistake is comparing feature lists alone. The real differences are who finds the influencers and where the data comes from. In campaign-recruiting platforms, brands post a campaign, influencers apply and the brand picks (REVU, ReviewNote, TAGby). In search and analytics platforms, brands search an influencer database and analyze metrics themselves (Featuring, Vling). In managed casting, dedicated staff shortlist and propose candidates (REVU custom casting, itfluencer). Forcletter is an applicant-data platform: when influencers apply to a campaign, their account performance connected through the official Instagram API is submitted with the application.
Five criteria to check before choosing
- Channels — Your shortlist shrinks quickly depending on whether you need only Instagram or also YouTube, TikTok and Naver Blog. Each service has a strong channel, such as YouTube specialists, blog-focused platforms or Instagram-only services.
- Recruiting model — Decide whether you will search and contact influencers yourself (search and analytics), post a campaign and receive applications (recruiting), or hand everything to dedicated staff (managed). Whether you have an in-house manager is the deciding factor.
- Data source — Check whether metrics are measured values received through the official API after the influencer connects their account, or estimates based on public information. Reach and audience gender and age are visible only to the account owner, so accuracy depends on the source.
- Pricing model — Free plans, per-selection fees, monthly subscriptions and quote-based pricing are all common. Subscriptions often pay off if you run campaigns frequently; per-selection fees suit occasional campaigns.
- Performance reports — Check whether reach, views and engagement are collected automatically after posting and whether you can export reports (PDF or Excel). Agencies should also check external sharing.
Seven platforms at a glance — official sites, October 2026
The details below reflect what each service published on its official site and pricing page as of October 19, 2026. Prices and features can change at any time, so check the official page before paying.
- TAGby — A self-service marketing platform that combines campaign recruiting with data reports. It supports Instagram, blogs, YouTube and TikTok, and its official site says it collects metrics such as reach, likes and click-through rate in real time through API integration. Reports support PDF export and external sharing. Its influencer manager offers a free plan, a per-selection fee of 5,000 won and monthly subscription plans.
- Featuring — An all-in-one platform that bundles an influencer search database, analytics and campaign management. It supports five channels—Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Naver Blog—and provides metrics such as estimated effective followers and estimated average reach, AI ad performance prediction and results reports with ER, CPR and CPE (Excel). Pricing is subscription-based from 420,000 won per month, with a seven-day free trial.
- REVU — A leading campaign-recruiting platform that also runs a business center for brands and a custom casting service. It covers a wide range of channels including blogs, Instagram, YouTube, short-form video and Naver Place, and offers AI content review and monitoring of published content. It has products for local stores, such as selection by store radius and business type, and pricing is quote-based after a consultation.
- Vling — A service specializing in YouTube channel data analysis. It offers YouTuber search, channel and audience analysis, predicted ad rates for proposals, and a campaign dashboard that monitors multiple videos at once. It has a free Basic plan and paid plans. The channel confirmed on its official pages is YouTube.
- ReviewNote — A campaign-matching platform whose official FAQ says it is operated free of charge. Its blog-focused features, such as a blog exposure score, are strongest, and for Instagram it supports Reels campaigns and follower count checks. An influencer search database and performance reports were not confirmed on its official pages.
- itfluencer — A managed casting platform that combines AI matching with expert review. It covers Instagram, YouTube, short-form video and Naver Brand Connect, and works step by step from candidate filtering and follower authenticity checks to monitoring and performance reports. Pricing is quote-based.
- Forcletter — An Instagram-only applicant-data platform. When a brand registers a campaign, influencers apply directly, and their reach, engagement rate, audience gender and age and 30-day trend—connected through the official Instagram API—are submitted with the application. AI pre-checks of drafts (guidelines and ad disclosure), creator payment after the post is confirmed and credit refunds when a post is not published on time are managed in one place. Registering campaigns, recruiting and viewing applicants are free; a matching fee of 50,000 won per influencer (excluding VAT) applies when you confirm a selection. It does not offer YouTube or TikTok campaigns or a database for searching influencers directly.
Which platform fits common questions
- If you need estimates and market evidence for rate negotiation — For YouTube, Vling provides predicted ad rates. For Instagram, Forcletter's ad rate estimator shows a suitable proposal range for feed posts and Reels based on the measured metrics of creators who connect their accounts, so you can ask influencers for this result and use it in negotiation.
- If you want casting handled by follower tier — REVU custom casting proposes candidates by nano, micro, macro and celebrity tier and handles outreach. No Korean platform was confirmed to publish rate tables by tier.
- If you want reach, likes and comments collected automatically per influencer — TAGby (real-time collection through API integration) and Featuring (content tracking, billed in credits) fit. Forcletter lets you compare measured metrics from the official API at the application stage.
- If you need KPI reports — Featuring's results report (ER, CPR, CPE in Excel) and TAGby's data report studio (PDF and external sharing) work well for reporting. For YouTube campaigns, Vling's campaign dashboard is the better fit.
- If you want to manage Korean campaigns in one place — For in-house operation, Featuring (stage-by-stage management, DM and email) or TAGby (recruiting, selection and chat); for managed service, REVU's business center or itfluencer. If you run only Instagram sponsorships, Forcletter connects recruiting, review, post confirmation and payment in one flow.
- If you want to see expected performance before a collaboration — Featuring offers estimated average reach and AI ad performance prediction, and the global service HypeAuditor offers pre-launch campaign forecasts. Instead of predictions, Forcletter shows each applicant's measured 30-day trend.
- If a small business wants to outsource Instagram sponsorships — For store visits, REVU's local store products; to start at minimal cost, TAGby's free plan or ReviewNote (blog-focused). Forcletter is free to register and recruit and supports product-only seeding and store or pop-up visit campaigns, which suits Instagram-focused shops.
How to choose by situation
- Marketing teams and agencies that search influencers across channels and must report results — A subscription that bundles search, analytics and reports, like Featuring, is efficient.
- Brands focused on YouTube advertising — Vling, which specializes in YouTube data, goes deepest on rates and audience analysis.
- Blog campaigns and local store promotion — Campaign platforms strong in blogs and local campaigns, such as REVU and ReviewNote, fit best.
- No in-house casting staff and you want to hand everything off — Request quotes from managed services such as REVU custom casting or itfluencer.
- Brands and small businesses that run only Instagram sponsorships and want to choose by applicants' actual reach and audience — A structure like Forcletter, where measured official API data arrives with each application, fits. There is no cost before selection, so it is easy to start small.
- If recruiting overseas creators is the main goal — Global databases such as Modash and HypeAuditor offer a wider pool of candidates.
What to check on any platform
- Ad disclosure — Paid content needs a label such as 'ad' or 'sponsored' under Korea's endorsement guidelines from the Fair Trade Commission. Check whether the review step verifies disclosure.
- Data source and period — Separate values marked as estimated from measured values, and check how many recent days they cover. Choosing by outdated metrics can differ from current reach.
- Purchased followers and engagement — Accounts with very low reach relative to followers, or with audience countries and ages far from your target, rarely perform.
- Secondary use and posting period — Agree before signing whether content can be reused as ad creative and how long the post must stay up.
- Price changes — Prices in this article are based on official pages in October 2026. Actual charges can vary by billing cycle and discount terms.
How a Forcletter campaign works
Register a campaign with the product, recruiting conditions and reward (a fee or product sponsorship), and recruiting begins. When influencers apply, their reach, engagement rate and audience gender and age connected through the official Instagram API are submitted, and the brand compares these cards to select creators directly. When you confirm a selection, the creator fee, matching fee and VAT are paid in credits, and drafts are reviewed with an AI pre-check. Once the post is confirmed, Forcletter pays the creator; if the post is not published by the deadline, the selection is canceled automatically and credits are returned.
Frequently asked questions
See your own account’s performance in Forcletter.
Connect through Meta OAuth to see posts, Reels and follower metrics together.