ShopMy vs LTK: Which Influencer Platform Is Best for Brands?
Jun 27, 2025
ShopMy vs. LTK: Which Influencer Platform is Best for Your Brand?
If you're a brand exploring creator affiliate platforms to boost product visibility, you're probably comparing ShopMy vs LTK. Both are popular among fashion, beauty, and lifestyle creators, but which platform actually fits your influencer marketing goals?
In this guide, we break down how each platform works, key differences from a brand’s perspective, and what to consider before investing in a creator affiliate network. We’ll also introduce a third option: using brand gifting tools to seed products first without the need of these platforms.
What Are ShopMy & LTK? A Quick Brand-Focused Overview
ShopMy and LTK are influencer marketing platforms designed to help content creators and influencers monetize their online presence by sharing buyable links and curated product recommendations with their followers.
One of the most established affiliate platforms for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle creators.
Runs as a closed network: creators must apply, meet follower thresholds, and be approved.
Enables product curation and affiliate linking directly through the LTK app.
Known for its polished, brand-safe content and strong retail partnerships.
A fast growing affiliate platform with $77.5M in recent funding.
Creators need to apply.
Offers storefronts, affiliate tools, and brand collaboration features like Lookbooks and Opportunities.
Expanding into new areas beyond fashion and beauty, looking to turn influencer gifting into measurable performance
How Do Creators Use Them? (And Why It Matters to You)
Here’s what creators are saying in blogs and Reddit threads:
LTK is structured and brand-driven, best for fashion and beauty influencers already part of large affiliate networks.
ShopMy is easier to join, has a cleaner user experience, and often offers higher commission rates.
Both platforms pay creators when someone buys through their affiliate links. But payouts can take over 120 days, and brands don’t always have control over what’s being promoted.
What does this mean for brands?
For brands, that’s a problem as these platforms are built around what creators want to share and not what you want to gift or feature.
ShopMy is starting to change that. With tools like Lookbooks, brands can send curated product collections directly to creators, track deliveries, and manage gifting at scale.
For example, our client, ALIGNE Womenswear uses ShopMy Lookbooks to streamline influencer seeding. They’ve cut down on waste, saved time, and made it easier to manage who gets what and who posts.
Major Differences between ShopMy vs LTK — From a Brand’s POV
Feature | ShopMy | LTK |
|---|---|---|
App required? | No | Yes |
Commission Range | 10-30% | 1-10% (Standard) |
Creator Approval Requirement | ~1,000 Engaged Followers | ~5,000+ Followers, Niche-Specific |
Product Selection | Flexible (Any product, even unpaid) | Only commissionable brands |
Brand Control | Growing - Lookbooks, Opportunities, Branded Storefronts | Limited |
Ideal For | Brands focused on gifting + modern creator workflows | Fashion and beauty mega-influencers |
Where ShopMy and LTK Sit Among Competitors
When to use LTK and ShopMy
ShopMy Example
A skincare startup used ShopMy to gift 60 serums through Lookbooks. Within 2 weeks, they got 25+ UGC posts—no manual follow-ups, no spreadsheets. ShopMy helped them seed fast, track posts, and scale with micro-influencers.
LTK Example
A luxury fashion brand launched a new handbag with a few approved LTK creators. Their content appeared in curated fashion roundups with affiliate links, giving the brand polished exposure and access to high-intent shoppers.
Where This Leaves Brands
If you’re a brand just trying to get product into creators’ hands, you don’t need a creator affiliate platform. You need a way to:
Send product fast
Track submissions and fulfillment
Capture shipping details, sizes, and preferences
Avoid spreadsheets and email ping-pong
That’s not what ShopMy or LTK were originally built for, although ShopMy is clearly evolving in that direction. Creators still need to sign up. With that in place, there will always be some creators "just after free products" and not genuinely connected to your product.
A Third Option: Seed First, Monetize Later
Before creators can drive affiliate sales, they need to try your product. That’s where product seeding comes in. Read about product seeding and influencer gifting here.
No platform onboarding.
No contracts.
No revenue share.
Just a fast, secure way to build authentic relationships before you commit to networks like LTK or ShopMy.
Real brand example: One Shopify merchant using Influencer Gift Form sent out 50 skincare bundles using branded links and saw 22 UGC stories posted within two weeks, no follow-ups needed.
Final Thoughts on LTK vs ShopMy
ShopMy and LTK are creator first platforms. They work well once you've built relationships, but if you're just starting out, focus on what you can control:
Get your product into the right hands
Track orders and info in one place
Save time for your team
Start with Influencer Gift Form to streamline gifting. Once your seeding program is running smoothly, you can scale into larger creator ecosystems like ShopMy or LTK.
Want to find the right creators to seed first? Check out our guide on how to find micro influencers to start building your outreach list today.
