We use three of these platforms in-house and have onboarded clients onto all four since 2022. Public pricing is hidden behind "request a demo" on every site. Here are the actual 2026 contract numbers from quotes we have seen, plus where each platform earns its keep.
How much does CreatorIQ cost in 2026?
CreatorIQ is the enterprise tier. Pricing as of Q1 2026:
- Entry tier (single brand, up to 10 users): $36,000-$48,000/year, billed annually
- Mid tier (multi-brand, up to 25 users, includes Affiliate module): $72,000-$120,000/year
- Enterprise (custom seats, full Commerce module, dedicated CSM): $150,000-$400,000/year
- Implementation fee: $8,000-$25,000 one-time, almost never waived
- Minimum contract: 12 months. We have not seen a sub-12-month CreatorIQ deal since 2023.
What you actually get: the deepest creator database (43M+ profiles per their Q4 2025 deck), enterprise-grade workflow tools, robust API, and the best reporting layer in the category. The CRM-style relationship management is genuinely the best in class.
Where it falls short: overkill for brands running fewer than 80 placements per year. The learning curve is 6-10 weeks and you will not see ROI for 4 months.
Operator takeaway: CreatorIQ makes sense at enterprise scale (200+ placements/year). Below that you are paying for unused capability.
How much does Aspire (formerly AspireIQ) cost?
Aspire repositioned in 2023 toward DTC e-commerce. 2026 pricing:
- Essentials tier: $24,000-$36,000/year
- Pro tier: $48,000-$72,000/year (adds product-seeding, advanced CRM, paid amp integrations)
- Enterprise: $90,000-$180,000/year
- Implementation: $3,000-$10,000
- Minimum contract: 12 months
What you actually get: strong Shopify integration, product-seeding workflow, affiliate tracking, decent creator marketplace. The Shopify integration is the genuine differentiator — you can ship product to creators inside the platform without leaving the workflow.
Where it falls short: creator discovery database is smaller than CreatorIQ or Modash. Reporting is weaker. International coverage outside US/UK is thin.
Operator takeaway: Aspire is the right pick for Shopify-native DTC brands running 40-150 placements/year. Skip it if you need deep international discovery.
How much does GRIN cost?
GRIN positions as creator management for DTC brands. 2026 pricing:
- Starter tier: $24,000-$30,000/year (often re-quoted higher in renewals)
- Standard tier: $42,000-$60,000/year
- Plus tier: $72,000-$110,000/year
- Implementation: $2,500-$8,000
- Minimum contract: 12 months
What you actually get: strong e-commerce platform integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento), product-seeding, affiliate tracking, payment workflows. Solid US creator database.
Where it falls short: international creator coverage is the weakest of the four. Discovery search is functional but not deep. Reporting feels 2-3 years behind CreatorIQ.
Operator takeaway: GRIN is the cheapest of the four for a fully-featured DTC operator. If you are US-only Shopify, it is fine. If you operate in 5+ markets, look elsewhere.
How much does Modash cost?
Modash is the discovery-first platform. 2026 pricing:
- Essentials tier: $3,576/year ($299/month if billed monthly, $199 effective on annual)
- Performance tier: $8,388/year ($699/month)
- Advanced tier: $19,188/year ($1,599/month)
- Enterprise: $24,000-$80,000/year (custom)
- Implementation: typically zero, self-serve
- Minimum contract: 1 month on monthly plans, 12 months on annual
What you actually get: the best discovery database for the price (240M+ creators per their site), strong audience analytics, fraud detection, content monitoring. No CRM, no payment workflow, no campaign management.
Where it falls short: it is a discovery tool, not a campaign management platform. You will still need a CRM, contract tool, and payment system.
Operator takeaway: Modash is the right pick for in-house teams under 5 people running fewer than 60 placements per year. Pair with Notion or HubSpot for CRM.
What is the 2026 pricing summary by use case?
By brand profile:
- Enterprise multi-brand, 200+ placements/year: CreatorIQ ($150K-$400K)
- Shopify-native DTC, 40-150 placements/year: Aspire ($48K-$72K)
- US-only DTC, 30-100 placements/year: GRIN ($42K-$60K)
- In-house team under 5, fewer than 60 placements/year: Modash ($8K-$19K)
- Agency model running 100+ placements across multiple clients: CreatorIQ or Modash Advanced + custom stack
What are the hidden costs to negotiate out?
The line items we always push back on:
- Implementation fees over $5,000. All four will negotiate this down if you commit 24 months. We have gotten implementation waived on CreatorIQ for a 36-month deal.
- API rate limits. CreatorIQ and Aspire cap API calls on lower tiers. Get the cap raised in the master agreement, not as an addendum.
- User seat overages. All four charge $1,200-$3,600/year per additional seat above the base. Get a 25% buffer included.
- Renewal price increases. Standard contracts have 7-12% annual price increases baked in. Cap at 5% in year 2 and 3.
- Data export fees. GRIN and Aspire have charged export fees on contract termination. Strike this clause.
Operator takeaway: the sticker price is 60-75% of total contract value. Always model 24-month TCO before signing.
What should I actually pay in 2026?
Across 14 client onboardings we have managed in 2024-2025, the all-in 24-month TCO was on average 22% lower than the first quote we received. The negotiation playbook works. Multi-year commits, multi-brand bundles, capped renewals, and waived implementation are all on the table if your annual commit is over $30,000.
If you take one thing from this post: never sign on the first quote. The platforms expect a 15-25% negotiation. If your procurement does not push back, you are leaving $20K-$80K on the table over 24 months.
