Dig vs Refunnel: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)
Dig is an enterprise-grade social intelligence platform built for Fortune 500 brands needing deep narrative analysis and reputation monitoring, while Refunnel is a streamlined UGC sourcing and whitelisting tool specifically for DTC e-commerce brands. Choose Dig for deep AI-driven video insights and choose Refunnel if you need to automate Instagram and TikTok rights management for a Shopify store. For a more balanced approach to short-form video tracking, check out these Dig alternatives or explore a specific Refunnel alternative.
| Feature | Dig | Refunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | ||
UGC Discovery | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Brand Mention Detection | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Untagged Content Detection | 4/5 | 1/5 |
| Video Tracking | ||
Short-Form Video Tracking | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Creator Management | ||
Creator Analytics | 3/5 | 2/5 |
Rights Management | 1/5 | 5/5 |
| Intelligence & AI | ||
Competitor Intelligence | 4/5 | 1/5 |
AI Content Tagging | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| Platform & Integrations | ||
Multi-Platform Support | 3/5 | 2/5 |
Integrations | 1/5 | 3/5 |
| Reporting & Collaboration | ||
Reporting Dashboards | 3/5 | 3/5 |
Team Collaboration | 2/5 | 2/5 |
API Access | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| Usability & Support | ||
Ease of Use | 2/5 | 5/5 |
Customer Support | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Feature Deep Dive
Content Discovery and Brand Detection
When comparing Dig and Refunnel, the approach to discovery is fundamentally different. Dig (5/5 for brand detection) uses a proprietary LLM stack to identify narratives and brand mentions across 90%+ of social video content. It is built for 'social listening' in the truest sense—understanding what is being said about a brand, even if the content isn't a direct partnership. Conversely, Refunnel (4/5) is purpose-built for UGC collection. It excels at capturing tagged content and Instagram Story mentions, but it struggles with untagged discovery (1/5).
If you need to find content that features your brand but lacks a tag, Dig is the superior choice, though many users looking for this capability also evaluate ShortsIntel vs Dig to see how AI-powered untagged detection works at a lower price point.
Video Tracking and Multi-Platform Support
Dig offers high-fidelity tracking across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels, backed by Google AI and Meta. It provides 93% accuracy with full source traceability, making it a powerhouse for market research. Refunnel, however, has a significant gap: it does not support YouTube. If your strategy relies on YouTube Shorts, Refunnel is not a viable option. Refunnel is also limited in its analytics depth, focusing more on the 'collection' phase rather than the 'intelligence' phase. For brands that need comprehensive cross-platform data, comparing Archive vs Dig might provide more context on enterprise-level video tracking.
Creator and Rights Management
This is where Refunnel (5/5) shines. It offers 1-click creator whitelisting and automated rights management, allowing DTC brands to turn community content into ad creatives with zero friction. Dig (1/5) lacks these operational tools entirely, as it is designed for intelligence rather than campaign execution. If your goal is to manage a creator CRM and handle usage rights, Refunnel is the clear winner here. However, teams finding Refunnel's creator caps restrictive often look at ShortsIntel vs Refunnel for more flexible rights management systems.
Intelligence and AI Capabilities
Dig is a leader in 'narrative clustering' and disinformation detection, making it essential for brand safety teams in luxury, CPG, and tech. It understands natural language briefs rather than relying on basic Boolean keywords. Refunnel provides very basic analytics and lacks competitor intelligence (1/5). For teams that need to monitor what competitors are doing, Dig is significantly more advanced. You can see how other intelligence tools compare in our Brandwatch vs Refunnel breakdown or by exploring the all ShortsIntel comparisons page to see where AI tagging is most effective.
| Plan Details | Dig | Refunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Custom | Flat Rate |
| Free Tier | ||
| Free Trial | ||
| Pricing Tiers | ||
| Entry Tier | EnterpriseCustom | Starter$199/moor $1,788/yr |
| Mid Tier | — | Growth$699/moor $5,988/yr |
| Top Tier | — | EnterpriseCustom |
| Annual Cost (5-Person Team)* | Contact Sales | $1,788 |
| 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 models for Dig and Refunnel represent opposite ends of the market.
Dig operates on a custom enterprise-only model. There is no public pricing, no free trial, and no self-serve onboarding. Based on market positioning, enterprise deployments typically start well above $2,000/month and require a lengthy sales process. For a 5-person marketing team, the cost of ownership for Dig is high, not just in dollars but in the 'time-to-value' required for brand-specific customization.
Refunnel offers a transparent, flat-rate pricing model. Their Starter plan is $199/month, and the Growth plan is $699/month. For a 5-person team, the Growth plan ($699/mo or $5,988/yr) would be the most likely fit, as it allows for more posts and creator whitelisting. However, be aware of hidden costs like SMS/Email overages ($20 per 500) and add-ons for shoppable feeds.
When comparing value, Refunnel is much more accessible for startups and SMBs. If Refunnel's $199 entry point still feels steep for limited platform support, you might want to browse all alternatives or specifically check Collabstr vs Dig for different budget-friendly options. For many, the lack of a free trial on either platform makes the initial investment risky, though some Refunnel alternatives offer 7-day trials to mitigate this.
Who Is Each Product Best For?
Video-first social intelligence platform for brand reputation monitoring, narrative detection, and influencer evaluation across social video
Best For
- Enterprise brands needing deep social video intelligence and monitoring
- Fortune 500 companies in luxury, CPG, and fashion verticals
- Brand safety teams monitoring for deepfakes and disinformation
- Market research teams analyzing video-first consumer narratives
- Organizations requiring reputation intelligence across social video platforms
Not Ideal For
- Small businesses and startups (enterprise-only, no accessible pricing)
- Content creators needing UGC tracking and rights management
- Teams needing text-based social listening across all social platforms
- Companies wanting self-serve onboarding without sales process
- Brands needing public API access or third-party integrations
- Budget-conscious teams without enterprise-level budgets ($2K+/mo)
Automated UGC sourcing, rights management, and creator whitelisting for DTC e-commerce brands
Best For
- DTC e-commerce brands collecting community UGC
- Brands running UGC campaigns and product seeding programs
- Companies needing simple creator whitelisting without Business Manager
- Shopify stores wanting automated UGC collection
- Brands with active Instagram and TikTok communities
Not Ideal For
- Brands needing YouTube Shorts or YouTube content tracking
- Companies requiring untagged content discovery
- Enterprise teams needing API access or deep integrations
- Agencies managing many brands (limited multi-brand support)
- Brands needing advanced creator analytics or competitor intelligence
Choose Dig if...
You are a Fortune 500 brand or an enterprise team in a high-stakes vertical like luxury or tech. Dig is the right choice if your primary goal is reputation management, deepfake detection, or understanding global consumer narratives across social video. It is built for teams that have the budget for custom solutions and the need for 93% accuracy in video-first intelligence. If this sounds like your needs, you may also want to look at a Dig alternative in the enterprise space.
Choose Refunnel if...
You are a DTC e-commerce brand running on Shopify and your main priority is collecting UGC from your customers to use in ads. Refunnel is ideal for teams that need to automate rights management and whitelisting for Instagram and TikTok. It's the right tool if you want a 'set it and forget it' system for community content and don't require YouTube support or deep competitive analytics. You can find more similar tools in our Refunnel alternatives list.
Neither might be right if...
You need a tool that combines the deep discovery of Dig (finding untagged content) with the affordability and execution tools of Refunnel. If you need YouTube Shorts tracking—which Refunnel lacks—but you don't have an enterprise-level budget for Dig, you are in a 'gap' that neither tool fills perfectly. In this case, exploring the compare any two tools page can help you find a middle-ground solution that offers cross-platform tracking without the enterprise price tag.
Consider a Third Option
Scale creator marketing with data, not grunt work.
While Dig and Refunnel represent two extremes—high-end intelligence vs. mid-market execution—ShortsIntel offers a powerful middle ground specifically designed for short-form video tracking.
ShortsIntel bridges the gap by offering the deep AI discovery capabilities often found in enterprise tools like Dig, but at a price point that rivals Refunnel. For example, while Refunnel fails to detect untagged content, ShortsIntel uses AI-powered frame-by-frame analysis to find up to 30% more content than competitors. Unlike Refunnel, ShortsIntel provides full support for YouTube Shorts alongside TikTok and Reels, ensuring you don't miss a massive segment of your UGC.
Key reasons to consider ShortsIntel over Dig or Refunnel:
- Untagged Discovery: Like Dig, it finds videos that mention your brand without tagging you, but it's much easier to set up.
- True Multi-Platform: Unlike Refunnel, you get full YouTube Shorts coverage.
- Affordability: With a Starter plan at just $99/mo, it's more accessible than both Refunnel and Dig.
- Rights Management: It includes an automated magic-link consent system, providing the execution features Dig lacks.
If you're currently debating between enterprise power and DTC simplicity, seeing how ShortsIntel vs Brandwatch or ShortsIntel vs Archive compares might reveal a more balanced fit for your workflow. You can explore all ShortsIntel comparisons to see how it stacks up against the broader market.
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 | Dig | Refunnel | ShortsIntel Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | |||
UGC Discovery | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Brand Mention Detection | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Untagged Content Detection | 4/5 | 1/5 | 5/5 |
| Video Tracking | |||
Short-Form Video Tracking | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Creator Management | |||
Creator Analytics | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Rights Management | 1/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Intelligence & AI | |||
Competitor Intelligence | 4/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 |
AI Content Tagging | 5/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Platform & Integrations | |||
Multi-Platform Support | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Integrations | 1/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Reporting & Collaboration | |||
Reporting Dashboards | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Team Collaboration | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
API Access | 1/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 |
| Usability & Support | |||
Ease of Use | 2/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Customer Support | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Track UGC, discover creators, and monitor brand mentions across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.
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Last updated: January 30, 2026