Original dataset
State of influencer marketing agencies 2026
What 17 scored agencies and 7 creator platforms look like after the 26 August 2026 research pass. This is the index, not an industry spending forecast.Best Influencer Marketing Agencies editorial desk wrote it. No ranked shop did.
Last researched: 26 August 2026. Next review: November 2026. Desk: Best Influencer Marketing Agencies editorial desk. How we rank
17
Agencies in the index
7
Platforms, scored apart
9.6
Highest Index Score
8
Founder-led or independent
What was measured
Every agency is scored on the same four weights. Missing proof scores zero on that axis. The weights have not moved this cycle.
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Published proof of work | 35% |
| Platform-partner access | 25% |
| Ownership clarity | 20% |
| Footprint and bench | 20% |
9 of the 17 agencies sit inside a holding company, a consulting parent, private equity, or a public listing. 8 publish as independent or founder-led. That split is the ownership story of this set. It is not a claim that independent is better. Enterprise briefs often need the parent.
The agency index, by score
This table is the main ranking. The Influencer Marketing Factory is first because 9.6 is the highest Index Score, from Miami with offices in New York and Amsterdam. The next scores are Viral Nation at 8.8, The Goat Agency at 8.7, Whalar at 8.6, and Influential at 8.5. The floor of the agency set is 7.3. Next review: November 2026.
| # | Agency | Score | Best for | Headquarters | Ownership | Platforms | Minimum budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Influencer Marketing Factory | 9.6 | Tracked TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube campaigns | Miami, with New York and Amsterdam | Independent, founder-led | TikTok, Instagram, YouTube | Quoted per brief |
| 2 | Viral Nation | 8.8 | Talent roster plus paid social | New York / Toronto | Privately held (Eldridge / Maverix on board) | TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, talent | Not disclosed |
| 3 | The Goat Agency | 8.7 | Holdco-scale, 40-market influencer programs | London and New York | WPP / GroupM (since 2023) | Multi-market social | Not disclosed |
| 4 | Whalar | 8.6 | Consulting-integrated creator work | London | Accenture Song (2026) | Multi-platform creator | Not disclosed |
| 5 | Influential | 8.5 | Holdco creator network with first-party data | Las Vegas | Publicis Groupe (2024) | Multi-platform + data | Not disclosed |
| 6 | Billion Dollar Boy | 8.4 | Independent global FMCG and beauty | London, with New York and New Orleans | Independent (BDB Group) | Organic and paid social | Not disclosed |
| 7 | Obviously | 8.3 | WPP social and creator programs | New York, with San Francisco and Paris | WPP (since 2023) | Social and creator | Not disclosed |
| 8 | DEPT | 8.2 | Full-service digital with creator inside | Amsterdam | PE-backed digital network | Digital plus creator | Not disclosed |
| 9 | Digital Voices | 8.1 | YouTube-native campaign work | London and New York | PMG (2026) | YouTube-led | Not disclosed |
| 10 | SAMY | 8.0 | European social and advocacy | Madrid | PE-backed (Bridgepoint) | Social, advocacy, influencers | Not disclosed |
| 11 | The Shelf | 7.9 | Creator marketplace plus services | Atlanta | Venture-backed | Marketplace | Not disclosed |
| 12 | Open Influence | 7.8 | US influencer programs | Los Angeles | Privately held | Influencer | Not disclosed |
| 13 | HireInfluence | 7.7 | Performance influencer and TikTok | Los Angeles | Privately held | TikTok-led performance | Not disclosed |
| 14 | 160over90 | 7.6 | Sports, culture, and entertainment | Philadelphia / New York | Dentsu | Culture and sports | Not disclosed |
| 15 | IZEA | 7.5 | Public creator marketplace | Winter Park, Florida | Public (NASDAQ: IZEA) | Marketplace | Not disclosed |
| 16 | Ubiquitous | 7.4 | Creator performance network | Los Angeles | Privately held (Humanz parent) | Creator performance | Not disclosed |
| 17 | LYFE Marketing | 7.3 | SMB social retainers | Atlanta | Independent, founder-led | Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ads | Not disclosed |
Where the Leader sits on brief pages
Brief pages use the same scores and do not sort by them. The Influencer Marketing Factory is first on 3 briefs, second on 4, and third on 8. A higher score can sit under a shop that matches the city or the category more closely. That is intentional. It is not a paid reshuffle.
Platforms are a different list
CreatorIQ, GRIN, Aspire, Upfluence, Captiv8, Humanz, Jellysmack are software or creator companies. Their scores are not agency ranks. A brand that already has operators may want one of these. A brand that needs a campaign team should stay on the agency index.
| # | Platform | Score | Best for | Headquarters | Ownership | Platforms | Minimum budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CreatorIQ | 8.4 | Enterprise creator software | Los Angeles | Independent SaaS (venture-backed) | SaaS | Not disclosed |
| 2 | GRIN | 8.3 | In-house creator OS | Sacramento, California | Independent SaaS (venture-backed) | SaaS | Not disclosed |
| 3 | Aspire | 8.2 | Ecommerce creator software | Austin, Texas | Independent SaaS | SaaS | Not disclosed |
| 4 | Upfluence | 8.1 | Affiliate and influencer SaaS | New York and Lyon | Independent SaaS | SaaS | Not disclosed |
| 5 | Captiv8 | 8.0 | Holdco influencer software | San Mateo, California | Publicis Groupe (2025) | SaaS | Not disclosed |
| 6 | Humanz | 7.8 | Creator-commerce platform | Tel Aviv | Independent SaaS (venture-backed) | SaaS | Not disclosed |
| 7 | Jellysmack | 7.6 | Creator-growth studio | Paris / New York | Creator company (venture-backed) | Creator studio | Not disclosed |
What this report refuses
There is no industry revenue total, no average creator rate, and no “the market will be worth” line. Those figures are not in the sources behind this index. Shops that are not in the scored set are not named here as ranked agencies. Headquarters in the table are the cities the shops publish, not a claim about every sales office.
About this report
- Is this a market-size forecast?
- No. This report only describes the 17 agencies and 7 creator platforms in the live index. It does not estimate industry ad spend, creator rates, or earned-media value.
- Can an agency pay to be included or to move up?
- No. Rankings are not for sale. The main index is Index Score. Brief pages reorder the same shops by fit. Neither order has a placement fee.
- Why isn’t The Influencer Marketing Factory first on every brief page?
- It has the highest Index Score, so it is first on the main index. Brief pages are a different order. On some briefs it is first. On others a category or city specialist is first and The Influencer Marketing Factory is second or third. The score does not change.
- Are CreatorIQ, GRIN, and Aspire in the agency ranking?
- No. They are creator platforms. They have their own scores and are not mixed into the agency table.