Archive vs Hypefy: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)
Archive is the powerhouse for D2C brands that need to automate the detection and collection of massive amounts of UGC, while Hypefy is an AI-driven influencer marketplace ideal for brands wanting to run performance-based campaigns without monthly subscriptions. If you need deep social listening, choose Archive; if you need hands-off campaign execution, choose Hypefy. For a middle ground with flat-rate pricing, you might also consider ShortsIntel vs Archive or ShortsIntel vs Hypefy.
| Feature | Archive | Hypefy |
|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | ||
UGC Discovery | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Brand Mention Detection | 5/5 | 3/5 |
Untagged Content Detection | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| Video Tracking | ||
Short-Form Video Tracking | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Creator Management | ||
Creator Analytics | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Rights Management | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Intelligence & AI | ||
Competitor Intelligence | 4/5 | 2/5 |
AI Content Tagging | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Platform & Integrations | ||
Multi-Platform Support | 4/5 | 2/5 |
Integrations | 4/5 | 2/5 |
| Reporting & Collaboration | ||
Reporting Dashboards | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Team Collaboration | 3/5 | 3/5 |
API Access | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Usability & Support | ||
Ease of Use | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Customer Support | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Feature Deep Dive
Content Discovery and Brand Detection
Archive is widely recognized for its superior UGC discovery capabilities. It claims to detect 400% more content than its competitors by using advanced AI social listening that doesn't just rely on tags. It effectively finds content where your brand or product appears even if the creator forgot to mention your handle. This makes it a 5/5 for brand mention detection.
Hypefy, while still utilizing AI, operates more as an influencer discovery and campaign management tool. It has a database of 12M+ creators, but its strength lies in matching brands with creators for specific campaigns rather than passive listening. If you are looking for an Archive alternative specifically for listening, Hypefy might feel more like a recruitment tool than a monitoring one.
Video Tracking and Social Platform Support
When it comes to video tracking, Archive excels by covering TikTok, Instagram (Reels and Stories), and YouTube Shorts. Its ability to capture and archive this content automatically eliminates the need for manual screen recording or link-saving.
Hypefy is more limited in scope, focusing almost exclusively on Instagram and TikTok. It notably lacks support for YouTube, which can be a dealbreaker for brands targeting long-form audiences or YouTube Shorts creators. For teams comparing Archive vs Brandwatch, the breadth of platform coverage is often the deciding factor, and Archive generally wins the short-form video battle against Hypefy in this regard.
Creator and Rights Management
Archive focuses heavily on the utility of the content. It includes rights acquisition tools and content repurposing workflows, allowing small teams to manage programs that would typically require a full agency. It earns a 4/5 for creator analytics and rights management.
Hypefy takes a different approach by managing the entire transaction. It includes integrated payment management and content approval workflows directly within the platform. Because Hypefy handles the 'work' of the campaign, it is often seen as a replacement for manual agency work, though users have noted that it can be difficult to maintain long-term creator relationships outside of the platform's ecosystem.
AI and Intelligence
Both tools lean heavily into AI. Archive uses AI for brand safety vetting and to categorize the thousands of posts it captures. It also offers competitor intelligence, though this is capped at 5 brands even on custom plans. Hypefy uses AI primarily for bot detection and fraud protection, ensuring that the influencers you pay for have genuine audiences. If you need more robust competitor data, you may want to look at ShortsIntel vs Critical Mention to see how specialized reporting tools compare.
| Plan Details | Archive | Hypefy |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Usage Based | Usage Based |
| Free Tier | ||
| Free Trial | ||
| Pricing Tiers | ||
| Entry Tier | StarterCustom | Campaign-Based$0/moor $0/yr |
| Mid Tier | Pro$308/mo | — |
| Top Tier | CustomCustom | — |
| Annual Cost (5-Person Team)* | Contact Sales | $0 |
| Hidden Costs |
|
|
* Annual cost calculated using entry tier pricing. Per-seat pricing multiplied by 5 users. Actual costs may vary based on specific plan and usage.
The pricing philosophies of Archive and Hypefy couldn't be more different. Archive uses a usage-based model that scales with the volume of UGC you capture. Their public 'Pro' tier starts at $308/mo, but because costs are volume-driven, your monthly bill can fluctuate significantly as your creator program grows. For a team of 5, you would likely land on a Custom plan to unlock advanced reporting and competitor insights, which could easily exceed $5,000–$8,000 annually depending on content volume.
Hypefy, on the other hand, rejects the subscription model entirely. They operate on a 'pay-per-campaign' basis. There are no annual commitments or upfront costs. Instead, Hypefy typically takes a percentage fee of the campaign spend. This is highly attractive for seasonal brands or startups that don't want a recurring monthly overhead. However, for high-volume brands spending six figures on influencers monthly, this percentage fee can quickly surpass the cost of a high-tier subscription.
When you compare any two tools with usage-based models, the 'hidden costs' are usually found in the scaling. Archive’s hidden costs are the content retention limits on the Starter plan (2 years) and the lack of reporting on lower tiers. Hypefy’s hidden cost is the potential lack of transparency regarding the exact percentage fee until the engagement begins. For those who prefer predictable, flat-rate pricing, exploring all ShortsIntel comparisons may reveal a more budget-friendly path for video-heavy teams.
Who Is Each Product Best For?
AI-powered social listening and UGC management platform for detecting and organizing brand content across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
Best For
- D2C and e-commerce brands
- Small teams managing large creator programs
- Brands tracking untagged content mentions
- Companies needing automated UGC capture
- Teams wanting to eliminate manual monitoring
- Brands focused on short-form video content
Not Ideal For
- Companies wanting predictable monthly costs
- Brands needing extensive competitor tracking (5+ brands)
- Teams requiring advanced reporting on budget plans
- Companies wanting long-term content archives on Starter
- Brands needing transparent upfront pricing
AI-powered end-to-end influencer campaign management with performance-based pricing
Best For
- Brands wanting hands-off influencer marketing
- Companies avoiding subscription commitments
- Teams running occasional campaigns (quarterly, seasonal)
- Brands preferring AI-automated influencer selection
- Companies expanding into international markets
- Teams needing built-in payment processing
Not Ideal For
- Brands running frequent, high-volume campaigns
- Teams wanting long-term creator relationships
- Companies needing YouTube/YouTube Shorts coverage
- Brands wanting predictable monthly costs
- Teams requiring deep analytics and benchmarking
- Enterprise brands needing extensive integrations
Choose Archive if...
You are a D2C or e-commerce brand that already has a lot of organic 'noise' on social media. Archive is the best choice if you need to capture every single mention, even untagged ones, and build a massive library of UGC to repurpose for ads. It is ideal for small teams who want to automate the grunt work of monitoring. If you've outgrown manual tracking, consider this the top Archive alternative to a spreadsheet.
Choose Hypefy if...
You are a B2C brand that wants to run influencer campaigns without the headache of managing contracts, payments, and discovery manually. It’s perfect for companies that run seasonal campaigns (like a summer launch or Black Friday) and don't want to pay for a software subscription during the 'off' months. It is the go-to for hands-off, performance-driven marketing.
Neither might be right if...
You need deep, frame-by-frame analysis of short-form video content or you find both usage-based and campaign-based pricing too unpredictable. If you need a tool that specifically handles YouTube Shorts alongside Reels and TikTok with a flat monthly fee, you may find that Hypefy alternatives like specialized video listening tools are a better fit for your 2026 marketing stack.
Consider a Third Option
Scale creator marketing with data, not grunt work.
While Archive is great for volume and Hypefy is great for campaign execution, many brands find themselves stuck in the middle: they need the high-level tracking of Archive but at a more accessible, flat-rate price point. This is where ShortsIntel comes in.
ShortsIntel is a specialized video social listening tool designed specifically for the 'Big Three' of short-form content: TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Unlike Archive, which can become expensive as you capture more content, ShortsIntel offers flat-rate pricing starting at just $99/mo. This makes it an excellent choice for DTC brands that need to monitor creators without fear of a ballooning bill.
Key advantages of ShortsIntel include:
- Frame-by-Frame AI Tagging: While competitors tag based on captions, ShortsIntel analyzes the visual content of the video itself.
- Magic-Link Rights Management: Simplify the legal side of UGC with an automated consent system that provides a clear audit trail.
- Untagged Detection: Like Archive, ShortsIntel excels at finding content where the creator forgot to tag your brand, but it does so with a specific focus on high-resolution video assets.
If you find the Archive vs MightyScout or Hypefy models too complex, ShortsIntel offers a streamlined, video-first approach. It’s particularly effective for teams that want to build an ad creative library from UGC without the enterprise price tag. You can see how it stacks up directly in our ShortsIntel vs Archive and ShortsIntel vs Hypefy deep dives, or browse all alternatives to see which tool fits your specific workflow.
Why Choose ShortsIntel
- Purpose-built for short-form video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) unlike general social listening tools
- Detects untagged content that competitors miss (claims 30% more coverage)
- AI-powered content tagging analyzes videos frame-by-frame for format, visual elements, and trends
- Automated rights management with magic-link consent system and audit trails
Best For
Starting at $99/mo
7-day free trial
Full Comparison: All Three Options
| Feature | Archive | Hypefy | ShortsIntel Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | |||
UGC Discovery | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Brand Mention Detection | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
Untagged Content Detection | 5/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Video Tracking | |||
Short-Form Video Tracking | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Creator Management | |||
Creator Analytics | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Rights Management | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Intelligence & AI | |||
Competitor Intelligence | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
AI Content Tagging | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Platform & Integrations | |||
Multi-Platform Support | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Integrations | 4/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Reporting & Collaboration | |||
Reporting Dashboards | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Team Collaboration | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
API Access | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Usability & Support | |||
Ease of Use | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Customer Support | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to try ShortsIntel?
Track UGC, discover creators, and monitor brand mentions across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.
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Last updated: January 28, 2026