The Digital Dept vs CloutBoost: Which to Pick in 2026
A broad talent firm against a gaming specialist. The Digital Dept manages more than 200 creators and runs brand work across consumer and lifestyle. CloutBoost chases players and installs off a 650,000-creator gaming database. Reach versus acquisition. Here is which fits, plus a flat-price route to search creators yourself.
Which one is right for you
Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.
Choose The Digital Dept if
- You want a large managed creator roster
- You want brand campaigns plus PR reach
- You work in consumer or lifestyle
Choose CloutBoost if
- You want gaming and player acquisition
- You want a deep gaming creator database
- You market a game from indie to AAA
Choose Flinque if
- You want verified-creator discovery
- You want flat published pricing you can start free
- You want a fake-follower check on every profile
The Digital Dept vs CloutBoost vs Flinque
Fourteen factors across all three, from agency type to real minimums. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.
| Factor | The Digital Dept | CloutBoost | Best valueFlinque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Brands wanting managed creator talent | Game studios wanting player reach | Teams running discovery in-house |
| Agency type | Talent-first management firm | Gaming influencer agency | Self-serve software, not an agency |
| Engagement model | Manages creators plus campaigns | Acquisition-focused gaming campaigns | Flat monthly subscription |
| Typical minimum | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Free, then $49/mo |
| Published pricing | fully managed | fully managed | $0 to $150/mo, public |
| Creator network | 200+ managed creators, 200M+ reach | 650,000+ gaming creator database | 10M+ verified, 200 data points each |
| Platforms covered | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X |
| Services | Management, campaigns, PR network | Influencer, PR, paid media | Discovery, vetting and audience data |
| Campaign management | part:talent plus brand work | part:service plus own database | You run it, software assists |
| Content and usage rights | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | You negotiate directly with creators |
| Paid amplification | Taps Dolphin PR network | Real-time gaming creator tracking | Run your own whitelisting |
| Measurement and reporting | Formed from a 2023 merger | Moved from Silicon Valley to Texas | Audience and fake-follower data built in |
| Team and locations | US, founded 2023 | Richardson Texas, founded 2016 | Software with support included |
| Time to launch | Contact for talent | Talk to sales | Shortlist in minutes on the free plan |
How we compared: Engagement models and minimums come from each agency's own site plus public reporting and client reviews, cross-checked and dated June 2026. Where an agency hides its pricing we say undisclosed rather than guess a number. The verdicts are ours, not the agencies'.
What each agency actually does
What is The Digital Dept
The Digital Dept leads with talent. It formed in 2023 when Be Social and Socialyte merged under Dolphin Entertainment, run by co-CEOs Sarah Boyd and Ali Grant. It now manages more than 200 creators with a combined reach past 200M. Beyond representation it runs brand campaigns. It can tap the Dolphin PR network, names like 42West, The Door and Shore Fire, which makes it one of the largest creator management companies in the US working across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Pricing is private. Against CloutBoost, The Digital Dept is the broad talent-first firm where CloutBoost is a gaming specialist. The next section covers CloutBoost. A brand that would rather search creators itself at a flat price has a third route.
What The Digital Dept does well
- 200+ exclusively managed creators
- Brand campaigns plus management
- Taps Dolphin PR network
- One of the largest US creator firms
Where it falls short
- No public pricing
- Managed roster not self-serve
- Broad not niche-specialist
- Not a discovery tool
What is CloutBoost
CloutBoost plays one game and plays it well. Polina Haryacha founded the agency in 2016, later moving it from Silicon Valley to Richardson Texas. She built it around acquisition, getting players for titles from indie to AAA. It works YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and Instagram off a proprietary database past 650,000 gaming creators with real-time tracking. It has run work for Samsung, Sony, Rovio, Wargaming and TinyBuild. Beyond influencers it also handles gaming PR and paid media.
Pricing is private and project-led. So where The Digital Dept manages broad creator talent, CloutBoost chases installs and players for games. One is talent-first. The other is gaming-first. For a brand that wants verified discovery at a flat price, there is a third path.
What CloutBoost does well
- 650,000+ gaming creator database
- Acquisition focus, indie to AAA
- Real-time campaign tracking
- Gaming PR and paid media too
Where it falls short
- No public pricing
- Gaming-only focus
- Managed service not self-serve
- Not a general discovery tool
Head to head
The Digital Dept and CloutBoost both run managed campaigns but for different worlds. The Digital Dept manages a broad creator roster and runs brand work across lifestyle and consumer, backed by a PR network. CloutBoost is a gaming specialist that chases players and installs off a 650,000-creator database. Broad talent versus gaming acquisition. If your audience holds a controller, CloutBoost is the side. Otherwise The Digital Dept fits.
Flinque sits to one side of both. It gives you 10M verified creators across four platforms, each with a fake-follower score, at one published price, so you search and vet yourself without a retainer or a demo call.
Which should you actually pick
Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.
You want managed creator talent
You want a large managed roster and brand campaigns with PR reach. The Digital Dept works that way.
→ Pick The Digital DeptYou market a game
You want gaming creators and player acquisition off a deep database. CloutBoost fits.
→ Pick CloutBoostYou want verified discovery at a flat price
No retainer, no demo gate. You want 10M verified creators with a fake-follower check on each. Start free on Flinque and pay $49 only if you keep using it.
→ Pick FlinqueYou are testing creator marketing
Both are quote-led agencies. Flinque free plan lets you find and vet verified creators with no card, then scales at a flat $49 a month.
→ Start with FlinqueFlinque: verified discovery at a flat price
If both feel like too much retainer and too little control, Flinque does one job and does it well. Find and vet real creators yourself, fast, then run the campaign in-house. No pitch deck, no monthly retainer, no discovery call to learn the price.
- 10M+ verified creators
- 4 platforms: IG, YouTube, TikTok, X
- 200 data points per creator
- 12 search filters
- Fake-follower check on every profile
- Free, $49, $150, published
See Flinque in action
Short walkthroughs on pricing, discovery and vetting from the Flinque team.
Influencer Discovery Platforms That We Made Easy and Affordable
Find Influencers for $49 a Month: Flinque vs Modash and HypeAuditor (2026)
Common questions about The Digital Dept and CloutBoost
What is the difference between The Digital Dept and CloutBoost?
What is The Digital Dept known for?
What is CloutBoost known for?
Which is better for a game launch?
How much do they cost?
Do either let me search creators myself?
Do both run managed campaigns?
Is there a flat-price alternative to both?
Written & reviewed by Flinque Research Team
Influencer Marketing Research · View team →
Our research team specialises in influencer marketing strategy, creator analytics and platform comparisons. Details on this page were verified against agency sites, public reporting and client review platforms in June 2026.
Disclaimer: Information here is collected from publicly available sources, third-party review sites and vendor pages. Pricing and features change, so confirm current details with each provider before buying. This content is for informational purposes only.
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