Influencity vs Refunnel: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)

Cost of Entry and Tiered Value

Influencity uses a traditional SaaS tiered model starting at $168/mo for the Basic plan. While this seems affordable, many essential features are locked behind the Professional ($398/mo) and Business ($698/mo) tiers. It’s important to note that Influencity has a strict 'no refund' policy, which has led to user complaints regarding transparency, especially when billing in different currencies. For a team of five users needing professional-grade discovery and reporting, the annual cost would sit at approximately $4,776.

Refunnel targets the DTC e-commerce space with a Starter plan at $199/mo and a Growth plan at $699/mo. While the entry price is higher than Influencity’s base, Refunnel offers flat-rate pricing with no long-term contracts, allowing brands to cancel at any time. However, Refunnel has 'hidden' costs in the form of overages: once you exceed 10,000 email/SMS collections on the Growth plan, it costs $20 per 500. Additionally, their shoppable feed widget is an add-on across all plans.

Total Cost of Ownership (5-Person Team)

For a growing brand with five team members:

• Influencity: Would likely require the Business tier ($698/mo) to accommodate team collaboration and higher search limits, totaling $8,376/year.
• Refunnel: The Growth plan ($699/mo) supports larger operations but caps whitelisting at 10 creators, which may force enterprise users into custom pricing. The base annual cost is $8,388/year, excluding potential overages.

When comparing value, Influencity provides more 'data' for your dollar in terms of its influencer database, whereas Refunnel provides more 'automation' for UGC workflows. If these price points feel steep for your current stage, you may want to compare any two tools on our hub to find a more budget-friendly fit like Heepsy alternative options.

Choose Influencity if...

You are an agency or a mid-market brand that needs to find new influencers from scratch. Influencity is ideal if you operate across multiple platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter) and need a robust CRM to manage hundreds of relationships globally. It is the better choice for those who prioritize audience data accuracy and global payment support in multiple currencies. If you are looking for a comprehensive Influencity alternative, you are likely looking for discovery breadth.

Choose Refunnel if...

You are a DTC e-commerce brand (especially on Shopify) that already has fans talking about you online. Refunnel is perfect for teams that want to stop manually asking for content rights and start automating their UGC library. It's the go-to for brands that rely heavily on Instagram Stories and want an easy way to whitelist creator content for Meta ads without the technical headache of Business Manager. Check out Refunnel alternatives if you need these features but also require YouTube support.

Neither might be right if...

You are a brand that relies heavily on untagged content. Both Influencity and Refunnel struggle to find content where the creator mentions your product visually or verbally but forgets to use your @handle or specific hashtags. Furthermore, if you are an enterprise team requiring deep API access for custom integrations, Refunnel’s current lack of a public API and Influencity’s rigid structure might feel restrictive. In these cases, you might benefit from looking at a specialized CreatorIQ alternative or a more modern video-first tracking solution.