Where a creator lists decides two things: who can find them, and how much of each deal reaches their bank account. The fees below were read from each platform's own pricing or help pages on October 6, 2026. The short version: marketplaces take between 0% and 15% from the creator's side, and some take a further cut from the brand that the brand prices into your fee.
In short
- Collabstr: free to join; creators pay 15% on their payout; brands pay a 10% hiring fee (5% on Premium).
- Onlure: 0% commission, "keep 100% of your earnings"; paid for the content and again for performance; no follower minimum; Interac e-Transfer or Stripe.
- Shopify Collabs: commissions on tracked online sales; the merchant pays a 2.9% processing fee on each payment.
- Insense: the brand pays a 20% marketplace fee on creator payments; built for UGC for ads.
- #paid: no public pricing; brands book a demo.
What each platform takes
Collabstr. Free for creators to join and list packages. The pricing FAQ says "creators pay a separate 15% fee on their payout", while brands pay a 10% hiring fee on the free plan and 5% on Premium. Payment sits in escrow until the brand approves the work. With 1.2 million creators listed, discovery depends on filters and price; local deals exist but are not the design. Best for creators selling packages to brands anywhere.
Onlure. A Toronto marketplace for local businesses. The creators page says "0% commission. Keep 100% of your earnings", that creators earn "once for creating the content" and "again for performance", that there is no follower minimum, and that payouts go by Interac e-Transfer or Stripe once content is approved. Businesses book creators for campaigns and see the walk-ins each creator sends, which means a creator who brings customers has proof the next time. Best for creators whose followers live where they do.
Shopify Collabs. Creators earn a commission on online sales tracked through their links for Shopify merchants. The fee is on the merchant's side: Shopify's help centre states a 2.9% processing fee on every automatic commission payment. Best for creators who sell products online rather than visits in person.
Insense. A UGC platform where brands pay a subscription from $500 a month plus a 20% marketplace fee on creator payments (7% on the Agency plan). The brand pays the fee, which means it is priced into the budget before your rate is set. Best for creators producing ad content at volume, mostly for US brands.
#paid. Brands get a demo; creators get invited. A managed service, with no public fee schedule for either side.
Direct messages. No fee, no escrow, no brief, no disclosure prompt, and no count of anything. Fine for a first coffee; weak for anything you expect to be paid for on time.
What do the fees mean for your rate?
A fee the brand pays still comes out of the budget that sets your price, so count it when you quote. On Insense the brand pays a 20% marketplace fee on top of what it pays you. On Collabstr the brand pays a 10% hiring fee on the order and you pay 15% on the payout, so C$200 agreed leaves C$170 in your account. On Onlure, C$200 agreed is C$200 paid. Ask which platform the brand is paying through before you name a number.
How should a creator choose?
- Where do your followers live? If they could walk to the business, a local platform's visit count is your proof. If they are everywhere, a package marketplace fits.
- What leaves your payout? 15% on Collabstr, 0% on Onlure. Fees the brand pays (Insense's 20%, Shopify's 2.9%) still come out of the budget that sets your rate.
- Can you prove results? Views are easy to show anywhere. A count of visits, per creator, is the thing that gets a local business to rebook; the attribution guide for creators shows how to set it up on any platform.
- How are you paid, and when? Escrow and approval-based release protect you. Onlure pays by Interac e-Transfer or Stripe; the getting paid guide compares the rails.
Whatever platform you use, the CRA treats the income the same way, gifts included; the creator tax guide covers it. The creators page explains how to list on Onlure.
Frequently asked questions
Which creator platforms take 0% commission?
Onlure charges 0% on the creator's side and 0% on the brand's. Collabstr charges creators 15% on payouts plus a 10% or 5% hiring fee to brands. Insense charges the brand a 20% marketplace fee; Shopify Collabs charges the merchant 2.9% on commission payments.
Do I need 10,000 followers to get local brand deals?
No. Onlure's creators page states there is no follower minimum, and local businesses book on fit and neighbourhood rather than reach. The zero-follower guide covers the first deal.
How do creators get paid in Canada?
By Interac e-Transfer or Stripe on Onlure, released once content is approved. Collabstr holds payment in escrow until the brand approves the deliverable. Shopify Collabs pays commissions through the merchant's Shopify bill in US dollars.
