Methodology
Every benchmark on PaidEnough is graded. The grade tells you how much weight to put on the number before you walk into a negotiation.
Creator deal records are submitted voluntarily through the contribution form. Each record captures: platform, niche, audience size at deal time, the amount quoted by the brand, any counter amount, the amount accepted, content format, deal status, and when the deal took place.
No brand names are stored. No creator names are stored. Submitted records are aggregated and never published individually. The underlying data is not available for export.
The rate calculator produces floor, anchor, and ceiling estimates from a CPM-based model using your inputs. Those are modeled outputs, not verified benchmarks. When you see a number carrying a confidence grade (A, B, C, D), that number comes from real submitted deal records. The two are always visually distinct.
Every benchmark shows its sample size and confidence grade before the number. The grade determines how the number should be used, not just how it is labeled.
300+ records, low variance
Use as an anchor in negotiation. The median reflects broad market consensus. This is the number to cite.
100 to 299 records
Directionally strong. Appropriate to reference in negotiation. Cite as a market reference, not a definitive figure.
30 to 99 records
Early signal. The category is building toward statistical significance. Use as context. Note the sample size when sharing.
15 to 29 records
Insufficient for confident claims. Variance is high. Do not cite a specific number from this grade in a contract negotiation.
Fewer than 15 records
No benchmark is shown. Only a contribution invitation is displayed. Showing a number from this few records would be misleading.
Benchmarks reflect deal records submitted in the prior 12 months, weighted toward the most recent 90 days. Records older than 12 months roll out of the pool. A category can lose confidence grade status as old records age out. When a grade drops, the card updates automatically.
PaidEnough does not fabricate benchmarks. Categories with fewer than 15 records show no number. Categories in the D range are flagged as early signal. No benchmark is presented as more reliable than the data supports.
PaidEnough does not publish market commentary, brand spend intelligence, or creator hiring signals. Every number on this site either has a verifiable sample size attached or is clearly labeled as a modeled estimate.
If a category shows no benchmark number, it is in data accumulation mode. Contributing a real deal record is the only thing that changes this.
Help build the benchmark
One real deal record improves every creator in your category.