A Zernio alternative without per-account fees

What each product is

Zernio is a social media API and scheduler. It was previously called Late, and getlate.dev now redirects to Zernio. It lists 14+ platforms, analytics, and n8n, Zapier and Make integrations. At the time of writing it prices by connected account: 2 accounts free, then tiers of about $6, $3 and $1 per account as you add more, with unlimited posts.

UGC API posts to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook Pages and YouTube Shorts. It prices by post: $10 per 1,000, $40 per 5,000, $70 per 10,000. There is no fee per connected account and no monthly plan. Credits never expire.

Per account or per post

Per-account pricing is good when each account posts a lot. Per-post pricing is good when you have many accounts and each posts a little. UGC teams are usually in the second group: dozens or hundreds of creator accounts, 1 to 3 posts a day each, some idle between campaigns.

Side by side

Where UGC API is different

• Accounts are free. Connect every creator in your roster. You pay when a post goes out.
• Campaigns. A campaign assigns posts to accounts round-robin, at local times, with staggered minutes so accounts don't post at the same moment.
• UGC formats. Slideshows become TikTok photo posts and Instagram 4:5 carousels. Videos become TikTok videos, Reels and Shorts. TikTok drafts and the AI-generated label are supported.
• Refunds. Failed and cancelled posts return their credits.

Where Zernio may fit better

• You have a few accounts that post many times a day. Unlimited posts per account will cost less.
• You need platforms we don't cover.
• You use Zapier. UGC API supports n8n, MCP and the REST API, but not a native Zapier app.

Migrating from Zernio or Late

1. Sign up and claim 50 free posts. Create an API key in the dashboard, or skip the key if your team works in the dashboard only.
2. Reconnect accounts with UGC API connect links. Tokens from Zernio can't be transferred, because each provider uses its own TikTok, Meta and Google apps. Send each creator a link, set an external_id so the account maps to your own user ID, and the creator approves access without sharing a password.
3. Map your existing jobs to POST /v1/posts for single posts or POST /v1/campaigns for many posts over many accounts. Run the campaign with "dry_run": true first to check the schedule and the credit count.
4. Point post.published and post.failed webhooks to your handler and verify the signature.
5. Run both tools side by side for a week. Pause the accounts in Zernio as each one goes live in UGC API, so nothing posts twice.

If your code still calls the old Late endpoints, plan the switch as a normal API migration: map each post to POST /v1/posts, or replace your own scheduling loop with one campaign.

A worked example: a creator roster between campaigns

A brand keeps 120 creator accounts connected. In busy months each account posts once a day, about 3,600 posts. In quiet months only 20 accounts post a few times. With per-account pricing, all 120 connected accounts are billed every month. With UGC API the busy month is $36 in credits and the quiet month might be $1.

Teams on per-account plans often disconnect idle accounts to save money, then ask creators to reconnect before the next campaign. That costs time and loses some creators along the way. With no account fee, the roster can stay connected all year and be ready the day a new campaign starts.

The brand also tracks which creators perform. GET /v1/stats with a date range and an account filter returns views, likes, comments and shares, so they can drop weak accounts from the next campaign. The campaign analytics guide shows how.

How to choose

• Pick Zernio if you have few accounts with high volume each, or need its extra platforms.
• Pick UGC API if you have many accounts, uneven volume, or want UGC campaign scheduling.
• Work out your own numbers: accounts × account fee against posts × $0.01.