By the Flinque Editorial Team · Last updated November 2025 · 8 min read
The verdict in one paragraph. Pick NewGen for brands wanting a social-first creative and creator agency founded 2015 in London by Mike Craddock and Chris Parnell, with 95 full-time employees across 5 global offices, talent representation for KSI, Sidemen, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Ginge, plus clients including Pepsi and Samsung. Pick ApexDrop for brands wanting micro-influencer marketing at scale with hand-picked creator network and performance-driven campaign execution focused on authentic storytelling. Pick Flinque if you have an in-house team and want to skip the agency markup entirely.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | NewGen | ApexDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 by Mike Craddock and Chris Parnell | Micro-influencer marketing agency |
| Headquarters | London plus 5 global offices | US-based |
| Specialization | Social-first creator agency with talent representation | Micro-influencer marketing at scale |
| Team size | 95 full-time employees | Established micro-influencer team |
| Three divisions | Agency, Talent management (70 creators), Social publishing | Micro-influencer campaign management |
| Custom technology | Live streaming for gaming, influencer CRMs, AI tools | Hand-picked creator selection methodology |
| Notable clients | Pepsi, Samsung, top-tier creators | Mid-market consumer brand portfolio |
Pricing as of November 2025. Sourced from agency websites and industry reports including Influencer Marketing Hub.
NewGen at a glance
NewGen was founded in 2015 in London by former YouTube creator Mike Craddock and Chris Parnell. The agency operates with 95 full-time employees across 5 global offices through three divisions: agency arm (largest), talent management (70 creators), and social publishing.
What NewGen does well.
- Founder creator DNA from former content creator providing authentic understanding of creator economics
- 95 full-time employees across 5 global offices supporting international campaigns
- Top-tier creator representation including KSI, Sidemen, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Ginge
- Custom technology stack including live streaming for gaming, influencer CRMs, AI tools
- Hundreds of millions of monthly views across managed creators
- Pepsi and Samsung client work validating enterprise creative methodology
- Gen Z, gaming, automotive specializations supporting platform-native campaigns
Best fit: Gen Z, gaming, and social-first brand campaigns wanting agency with creator-founder DNA and top-tier creator talent representation.
Less ideal for: Brands wanting micro-influencer marketing at scale with hand-picked creator selection where ApexDrop’s authentic storytelling model fits better.
ApexDrop at a glance
ApexDrop operates as a micro-influencer marketing agency at scale with hand-picked creator network and performance-driven campaign execution focused on authentic storytelling. The agency emphasizes micro-influencer engagement quality over macro-influencer reach.
What ApexDrop does well.
- Micro-influencer marketing at scale with hand-picked creator network
- Performance-driven campaign execution focused on authentic storytelling
- Engagement quality emphasis over macro-influencer reach
- Hand-picked creator selection methodology supporting brand-creator fit
- Established micro-influencer team supporting volume campaign delivery
- Mid-market consumer brand portfolio across retail and DTC verticals
- Authentic storytelling framework informing creative direction
Best fit: Mid-market consumer brands wanting micro-influencer marketing at scale with authentic storytelling and engagement-focused creator selection.
Less ideal for: Brands wanting agency with creator-founder DNA and top-tier talent representation where NewGen’s three-division structure fits better.
What does it cost?
Both agencies operate custom-scoped engagements where pricing reflects engagement scope, creator tier, and program duration.
NewGen pricing. Custom enterprise engagements with sales conversation for pricing in the mid five to six-figure range. Three-division structure spans agency, talent management, and social publishing. Top-tier creator roster supports premium positioning. Custom technology stack enables live streaming, CRM, and AI workflow. Multi-office team coordinates international campaign delivery.
ApexDrop pricing. Volume-based micro-influencer campaign pricing in the mid five-figure range and up. Hand-picked creator selection replaces open-database browsing. Authentic storytelling framework informs creative briefs. Engagement quality focus supports higher per-creator performance. Mid-market campaign delivery at accessible pricing.
Flinque pricing. $25 per month annual or $50 per month monthly. Public on the website. 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The software fee is flat regardless of campaign volume, with creator fees paid directly to creators at zero platform markup.
Reporting and measurement
Reporting cadence and methodology vary across the three options. The fit depends on whether your team values brand metrics, performance attribution, or full data control.
NewGen reporting. Account-team-delivered reporting structured around the agency’s service framework. Cadence aligns with retainer touchpoints. Custom reporting available at higher engagement tiers.
ApexDrop reporting. Account-team-delivered reporting structured around the agency’s service framework. Cadence aligns with retainer touchpoints. Custom reporting available at higher engagement tiers.
Flinque reporting. Real-time campaign analytics on engagement, reach, and conversions. Creator-level performance dashboards inside the platform. Custom UTM and conversion tracking integration with your analytics stack. Export-ready data for in-house performance review and attribution modeling. Self-serve insights without waiting for agency reporting cadence.
Questions to ask before signing
Before committing to either agency, get clear answers on the items that drive campaign quality and budget efficiency.
- Creator vetting. What process and what tools vet creator audience quality and engagement authenticity?
- Pricing transparency. What is the agency fee structure separate from creator fees, and what triggers scope-change cost?
- Contract terms. What is the minimum engagement duration and what cancellation terms apply?
- Reporting cadence. What metrics are reported, at what frequency, and what attribution methodology supports the numbers?
- Creator approvals. Who has final say on creator selection, and what is the substitution process if a creator falls through?
- Content rights. What usage rights to creator content does the brand hold post-campaign?
- FTC compliance. Who manages creator disclosure compliance and what liability sits with the agency?
- Performance benchmarks. What category benchmarks does the agency reference, and what defines campaign success?
The third option: skip the agency
Both NewGen and ApexDrop run five and six-figure managed engagements. If your team can run campaigns in-house, software costs a fraction of either and gives you full operational control. Flinque is an Influencer Marketing Software built for in-house teams that want to skip the agency markup. The pricing is $25/month annual or $50/month monthly, with full feature parity in the base plan.
Why software beats an agency for self-serve teams. $25/month versus five to six figures per campaign. Pick creators, set briefs, and manage outreach yourself. 100 percent of spend goes to creators with zero markup. Launch campaigns in days instead of weeks of agency onboarding. Cancel anytime, no annual retainer lock-in.
When self-serve is the right call. You have a marketing team with operational capacity. Your monthly creator marketing budget sits below the agency engagement floor. You want to test creator marketing before committing to retainer scope. You value control and transparency over delegation.
Flinque supports verified creator data across the three major short-form platforms: you can Find Instagram Influencers, Find TikTok Influencers, and Find YouTube Influencers with audience filters, engagement metrics, and reach data.
Pick your fit
| If you want | Pick |
|---|---|
| Gen Z, gaming, social-first creator campaigns | NewGen |
| Micro-influencer scaled campaigns | ApexDrop |
| Talent representation for KSI, Sidemen, top-tier creators | NewGen |
| Hand-picked creator selection methodology | ApexDrop |
| Software, full control, zero agency fees | Flinque |
| 95 full-time employees across 5 global offices | NewGen |
| Authentic storytelling framework | ApexDrop |
What does Flinque actually do?
The platform’s core capabilities each sit on a dedicated page if you want to dig deeper. Find Influencer covers the search and shortlist workflow. Influencer Discovery covers audience-based and lookalike-based prospecting. Influencer Database documents the data depth and verification process. Influencer Outreach covers the messaging and follow-up automation. Influencer Analytics covers the reporting and attribution layer.
Free tools you can use without signing up
Before you commit to any platform, free tools can answer specific questions about a creator. The Instagram Engagement Rate Calculator shows whether a creator’s engagement is real or inflated. The Instagram Fake Follower Checker flags audience quality issues before you reach out. The Instagram Lookalike Finder surfaces creators similar to one you already work with. The Compare Instagram Accounts tool helps when shortlisting between two creators with similar profiles. None of these require a paid account.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more expensive, NewGen or ApexDrop? NewGen’s enterprise creator agency engagements run mid five to six-figure range. ApexDrop’s micro-influencer volume campaigns run mid five-figure range and up. ApexDrop is the more accessible mid-market option.
Who founded NewGen? NewGen was founded in 2015 in London by former YouTube creator Mike Craddock and Chris Parnell. Initially known as Kairos Group, the agency rebranded to NewGen.
What is ApexDrop’s micro-influencer specialization? ApexDrop operates micro-influencer marketing at scale with hand-picked creator network and performance-driven campaign execution focused on authentic storytelling.
Why pick software over an agency? Lower cost, full control, no minimum commitment, and 100 percent of budget goes to creators instead of agency markup. Best for teams with in-house capacity to manage briefs, creator relationships, and reporting.
What creators does NewGen represent? NewGen talent management division represents 70 creators including KSI, Sidemen, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Ginge with hundreds of millions of monthly views.
What is ApexDrop’s selection methodology? ApexDrop uses hand-picked creator selection rather than open-database browsing, supporting brand-creator fit through quality-focused matching.
How big is the NewGen team? NewGen has 95 full-time employees across 5 global offices, structured into three divisions: agency arm (largest operation), talent management (70 creators), and social publishing.
How long do agency engagements take to launch? Agency onboarding plus discovery, contracting, and creative development runs 4 to 8 weeks before first creator content goes live. Self-serve software launches faster because you skip onboarding overhead.
What are the top similar platforms with pricing comparable to Flinque?
Here are 10 leading influencer marketing platforms with similar features such as creator discovery, campaign management, analytics, and reporting. Pricing is approximate and may vary based on plan, users, and feature access.
- Influencity Pricing: Starts around $168 per month and scales up to approximately $698 per month depending on database limits, number of searches, user seats, and advanced reporting features.
- GRIN Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing. Commonly reported to start around $2,500+ per month, depending on ecommerce integrations, creator CRM depth, and contract scope.
- Later Pricing: Influencer marketing tools are available starting at approximately $49 per month, with advanced creator marketplace access, brand collaboration tools, and analytics features requiring higher tier plans.
- Upfluence Pricing: Custom SaaS pricing model with no publicly listed fixed tiers. Pricing depends on integrations, ecommerce functionality, influencer database access, and number of platform users.
- HypeAuditor Pricing: Starts at approximately $399 per month for analytics-focused plans, including audience quality checks and fraud detection. Enterprise solutions with expanded data access are custom priced.
- Insense Pricing: Custom campaign-based pricing structured around content volume, creator participation, and campaign objectives, tailored to brands seeking UGC and paid media support.
- Traackr Pricing: Fully enterprise custom pricing designed for global brands managing long-term influencer relationships, benchmarking performance, and handling multi-market campaigns.
- CreatorIQ Pricing: Enterprise-grade influencer marketing platform with custom pricing only, positioned for large brands requiring deep integrations, workflow automation, and global reporting capabilities.
- Brandwatch Pricing: Influencer marketing tools are part of the broader Brandwatch social intelligence suite, with enterprise-level custom pricing based on data access, analytics modules, and contract size.
- Popular Pays Pricing: Custom pricing model structured around campaign scope, marketplace usage, and managed service support for brands running large-scale creator collaborations.
Skip the agency markup. Run campaigns yourself.
Flinque is the self-serve software alternative to agency engagements, with public pricing, no demo, and a free trial that does not require a credit card.
Cancel anytime. No setup fees.
Methodology and sources
Pricing was sourced from each agency’s website where available, plus third-party industry reviews including Influencer Marketing Hub, Clutch, and direct Reuters and AdAge reporting where applicable. For agencies that do not publish pricing, we used reported industry benchmarks. Reported figures are directional. Actual quotes vary by engagement scope, creator tier, contract length, and add-on services.
We evaluated each agency’s documented service scope, client roster, technology stack, and recognition. Where possible we cross-referenced multiple sources. This comparison was last updated November 2025. Agency pricing changes regularly, particularly for custom-scoped engagements. Confirm current scope and pricing directly with each agency before commitment.
The Flinque editorial team produces comparisons grounded in publicly available data. We disclose when we cannot independently verify a claim. We do not accept payment for inclusion or favorable placement in any comparison.