Heepsy vs Stack Influence: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)
Heepsy is best for brands needing a massive, filterable discovery database to find influencers of all sizes, while Stack Influence is the superior choice for D2C brands seeking a hands-off, pay-per-performance micro-influencer model based on product gifting. If you prioritize database depth, check out Heepsy alternatives; if you want automated micro-campaigns, explore a Stack Influence alternative.
| Feature | Heepsy | Stack Influence |
|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | ||
UGC Discovery | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Brand Mention Detection | 2/5 | 2/5 |
Untagged Content Detection | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Video Tracking | ||
Short-Form Video Tracking | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Creator Management | ||
Creator Analytics | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Rights Management | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Intelligence & AI | ||
Competitor Intelligence | 2/5 | 1/5 |
AI Content Tagging | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Platform & Integrations | ||
Multi-Platform Support | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Integrations | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Reporting & Collaboration | ||
Reporting Dashboards | 3/5 | 3/5 |
Team Collaboration | 3/5 | 2/5 |
API Access | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Usability & Support | ||
Ease of Use | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Customer Support | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Feature Deep Dive
When comparing Heepsy and Stack Influence in 2026, the primary differentiator is their approach to the influencer lifecycle. Heepsy (founded 2016) is a robust discovery engine, while Stack Influence (founded 2018) is a specialized service for micro-influencer fulfillment.
Content Discovery and UGC
Stack Influence takes a slight lead in UGC discovery (4/5) compared to Heepsy (3/5) because its platform is built around generating authentic content from a vetted pool of 11 million micro-influencers. However, both platforms struggle with deep social listening; both score a 2/5 for brand mention detection and untagged content detection. If you are comparing these for organic tracking, you might also want to look at Archive vs Heepsy for different UGC perspectives.
Search and Filters
Heepsy excels with its granular search filters. You can filter by location, engagement rate, audience demographics, and even fake follower detection. This makes it an excellent Heepsy alternative for brands that want to do the vetting themselves. Stack Influence, conversely, uses AI hyper-targeting to match brands with creators, which is more automated but offers less manual control over the discovery process.
Creator Management and Analytics
Heepsy provides stronger creator analytics (4/5) than Stack Influence (3/5). Heepsy allows users to see deep audience insights, including age and gender (though these are locked behind the Plus plan and above). Stack Influence focuses more on the transaction—ensuring the post happens and the influencer is reimbursed. For teams that need high-level reporting dashboards, Heepsy is generally more comprehensive, though both are outperformed by enterprise tools in the Critical Mention vs Stack Influence category.
Platform Support
Both tools cover the essentials: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Heepsy also includes Twitch, making it slightly more versatile for gaming or tech niches. Stack Influence is heavily optimized for Amazon sellers and D2C brands, often being compared in the Hypefy vs Stack Influence ecosystem for e-commerce efficiency.
| Plan Details | Heepsy | Stack Influence |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Flat Rate | Usage Based |
| Free Tier | ||
| Free Trial | ||
| Pricing Tiers | ||
| Entry Tier | Free$0/moor $0/yr | Pay-per-PostCustom |
| Mid Tier | Starter$89/moor $828/yr | Campaign PackageCustom |
| Top Tier | Plus$249/moor $2,388/yr | — |
| Annual Cost (5-Person Team)* | $0 | Contact Sales |
| 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 these two tools could not be more different. Heepsy uses a traditional SaaS flat-rate model, while Stack Influence utilizes a usage-based, pay-for-performance model.
Heepsy Pricing
Heepsy’s tiers start at $89/month for the Starter plan, but most businesses find themselves needing the Plus ($249/mo) or Advanced ($369/mo) plans to access audience demographics and Shopify sales tracking. For a 5-person marketing team, you would likely require the Advanced tier to ensure enough seats and export capabilities, totaling $4,428 per year.
Stack Influence Pricing
Stack Influence charges a base rate of approximately $39 per successful post. There are no upfront SaaS fees. If that same 5-person team managed 100 influencer posts per month, the cost would be $3,900/month, plus the COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) for the products being gifted. For low-volume users, Stack is significantly cheaper; for high-volume users, the costs scale rapidly.
When evaluating value, consider the "hidden" costs. Heepsy has a strict no-refund policy that has frustrated many users, as noted in several Heepsy alternatives discussions. Stack Influence, however, ensures you only pay if a post goes live, protecting your budget from non-compliant creators. For a deeper look at usage-based alternatives, see Archive vs Stack Influence.
Who Is Each Product Best For?
Influencer discovery and analytics platform for finding and vetting social media influencers
Best For
- Small to mid-sized businesses and startups
- Marketing agencies managing multiple campaigns
- D2C/eCommerce brands (especially Shopify)
- Entrepreneurs testing influencer marketing
- Budget-conscious SMBs wanting basic influencer search
Not Ideal For
- Enterprise teams needing advanced features
- B2B brands
- Brands needing micro-influencers (<5K followers)
- Users requiring AI-powered automation
- Teams needing deep analytics and reporting
Micro influencer marketing platform using product-only compensation to connect e-commerce brands with vetted micro-influencers
Best For
- E-commerce and D2C brands
- Amazon sellers
- Brands with products suitable for gifting
- Companies testing micro-influencer marketing
- Brands wanting pay-for-performance
- Companies seeking word-of-mouth buzz
Not Ideal For
- Brands working with macro/celebrity influencers
- Companies needing social listening
- Teams requiring competitive intelligence
- Brands without physical products to gift
- Companies needing cash-based influencer payments
- High-volume needs (costs scale quickly)
Choose Heepsy if...
You need a powerful search engine to find influencers across all tiers (nano to macro) and want to manage the outreach and negotiations yourself. It is ideal for agencies managing multiple clients who need a large database (11M+) and detailed authenticity audits to avoid fake followers. If this sounds like you, start by looking at ShortsIntel vs Heepsy to see how discovery stacks up against tracking.
Choose Stack Influence if...
You are a D2C brand or Amazon seller that wants to scale micro-influencer campaigns using product-only compensation. It is perfect for teams that don't have time for manual outreach and prefer a pay-for-performance model where you only pay when content is actually posted. You can see how this compares to other automated tools in our ShortsIntel vs Stack Influence guide.
Neither might be right if...
You are a B2B brand, or if you need to track 'dark social' mentions and untagged UGC. Neither tool excels at finding creators with fewer than 5,000 followers or tracking short-form video content that doesn't explicitly tag your brand. In these cases, you might want to compare any two tools from our database to find a more specialized social listening or UGC tracking solution.
Consider a Third Option
Scale creator marketing with data, not grunt work.
While Heepsy helps you find influencers and Stack Influence helps you pay them, there is a significant gap in most influencer strategies: tracking the actual content produced. This is where ShortsIntel offers a unique perspective.
ShortsIntel is a specialized video social listening tool focused exclusively on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Unlike Heepsy and Stack Influence, which both score a 2/5 for untagged content detection, ShortsIntel is purpose-built to find content that features your brand even when the creator forgets to tag you or use your hashtag.
Why consider ShortsIntel?
- 30% More Coverage: Most brands miss a third of their UGC because creators forget tags. ShortsIntel uses AI to find these videos.
- Automated Rights Management: If you find a great video via Stack Influence, you still need the rights to use it as an ad. ShortsIntel provides a "magic-link" consent system with full audit trails.
- AI Content Tagging: Instead of just seeing that a video exists, ShortsIntel analyzes the video frame-by-frame to tell you what's working (e.g., "unboxing videos are performing 20% better than tutorials").
If your goal isn't just to find influencers but to leverage the content they create, check out ShortsIntel vs Critical Mention or ShortsIntel vs Brandwatch to see how specialized tracking can save your team hours of manual grunt work. You can also browse all alternatives to see how we fit into your existing stack.
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 | Heepsy | Stack Influence | ShortsIntel Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | |||
UGC Discovery | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Brand Mention Detection | 2/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
Untagged Content Detection | 2/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Video Tracking | |||
Short-Form Video Tracking | 3/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Creator Management | |||
Creator Analytics | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Rights Management | 2/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Intelligence & AI | |||
Competitor Intelligence | 2/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 |
AI Content Tagging | 3/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Platform & Integrations | |||
Multi-Platform Support | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Integrations | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Reporting & Collaboration | |||
Reporting Dashboards | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Team Collaboration | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
API Access | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Usability & Support | |||
Ease of Use | 5/5 | 4/5 | 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 28, 2026