Storytime vs TryNearby
Published
Storytime and TryNearby both send local creators to your restaurant and handle the scheduling, but they work in different places. TryNearby is live in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, at $399 a month for 5 creators1. Storytime is live in New York City, Miami, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and the Hamptons, starting at $10 per influencer collab. For most restaurants, your city decides it.
Storytime publishes this page, so we are one of the options compared. Every fact about TryNearby comes from its own website, linked in the sources at the end and checked on November 11, 2026. Where a company doesn’t publish something, we say so.
| Storytime | TryNearby | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Local influencer marketing: creators near you visit in person and post about your business. Storytime’s team sets up and runs each campaign from your request. | A managed service that sends a new group of local food creators to your restaurant every month and handles outreach, scheduling and follow-up.1 |
| Published price | Starting at $10 per influencer collab (see pricing). | $399 a month, month to month, for 5 local creators a month; or $999 billed quarterly for 15 creators a quarter.1 |
| What creators get | A reward you set: a comped visit shown on the creator’s Collab Pass, a promo code, gift card, link or cash. | The complimentary experience you agree to, such as a meal, product or service.2 |
| How creators are chosen | Creators qualify by where their followers live and a Storytime creator score. You set up to three reward tiers; qualifying creators join from the app. | TryNearby matches creators to restaurants on audience fit and engagement metrics, and books the visits.31 |
| Where creator data comes from | Creators connect their Instagram account through Meta’s official API, so follower location, reach and post performance come from Instagram itself. | Creators who connect Instagram through Meta’s OAuth share their profile, follower count and campaign-post insights via the Instagram Graph API (TikTok through its API). Audience demographics aren’t listed.3 |
| How visits and posts are checked | GPS check-in at your venue, your staff validate the creator’s Collab Pass, and Instagram Stories are detected through the API and reviewed. | Reach, likes and other stats for campaign posts come from the Instagram and TikTok APIs. How a visit is checked on site is not published.3 |
| Where it operates | Live in New York City, Miami, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and the Hamptons. Limited access elsewhere in the US; online campaigns nationwide. | Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.1 |
| Platforms | Instagram Stories, Reels and feed posts. TikTok posts are checked by hand. The creator app is iPhone-only. | Instagram and TikTok.2 |
Choose Storytime if
- Your business is in New York City, Miami, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia or the Hamptons.
- You want creators matched on where their followers live, not only how many there are.
- You want to pay per collab rather than a monthly plan.
- You are not a food business: Storytime also runs campaigns for fitness, beauty, retail, hotels and online brands.
Choose TryNearby if
- Your restaurant is in Los Angeles, Orange County or San Diego, where TryNearby is live and Storytime is not1.
- You want a set number of new creators each month: 5 on the monthly plan1.
- You want TikTok videos as well as Instagram, with stats read from both platforms’ APIs3.
- You want updates by text whenever a creator books or posts1.
Pricing compared
Storytime starts at $10 per influencer collab; our pricing page shows what is included.
TryNearby is $399 a month, month to month, for 5 local creators a month, or $999 billed quarterly ($333 a month) for 15 creators a quarter1. You provide the complimentary experience you agree to, such as a meal2. Its terms say cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period and purchases are final2.
How creators are matched and checked
TryNearby matches creators to restaurants on audience fit and engagement metrics, uses follower count to set eligibility, and handles the outreach and booking31. Stats for campaign posts come from the Instagram and TikTok APIs3. How a visit is confirmed on site isn’t published.
On Storytime, creators qualify by where their followers live and a Storytime creator score, then join from the app. A GPS check-in and a Collab Pass your staff validate confirm the visit; posted Stories are detected through the Instagram API and reviewed.
Where the creator data comes from
Both use Meta’s official API. TryNearby’s privacy policy says creators who connect Instagram through Meta’s OAuth share their profile, follower count and insights on campaign posts through the Instagram Graph API, and TikTok data through TikTok’s API3.
Storytime creators connect their Instagram professional account through Instagram Login, and we read follower cities, countries, age and gender from it, then use follower cities to decide which campaigns a creator qualifies for. TryNearby’s policy doesn’t list audience demographics3.
Markets
There is no overlap today. TryNearby is live in Southern California and asks restaurants elsewhere to register interest1. Storytime is live in New York City, Miami, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and the Hamptons, with limited access elsewhere and online campaigns nationwide.
Four questions to ask any platform before you buy
Prices and promises are easy to compare. These four answers tell you what you will actually get. Here are ours; ask the same of anyone else.
- How many creators completed a visit near my location in the last 30 days? Storytime: your dashboard shows collaborations by location and date range.
- What share of each creator’s followers live in my city, and where does that number come from? Storytime: from Instagram itself, through the creator’s connected account.
- What is my total cost per live post, including food, product or cash? Storytime: starting at $10 per influencer collab; our pricing page shows what is included.
- How do you confirm the visit happened and the post went live? Storytime: a GPS check-in, a Collab Pass your staff validate, and Story detection through the Instagram API.
Frequently asked questions
My restaurant is in Los Angeles. Which should I pick?
TryNearby. It is live in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego1; Storytime isn’t live in Southern California.
How many creators do I get?
TryNearby’s monthly plan includes 5 local creators a month1. On Storytime the number depends on the campaign and rewards you choose; pricing starts at $10 per influencer collab.
What will I see about each creator?
TryNearby shares a creator’s username, follower count and engagement rate with the restaurant3. Storytime’s dashboard shows creators, collaborations, posts, impressions and a breakdown by location, with every Story and Reel in one gallery.
Can I cancel?
TryNearby is month to month with no contract, and cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period12. Ask Storytime about terms for your campaign on our pricing page.
Sources
Facts about other companies come only from their own websites. Prices and plans change; check the linked page before you buy.
- TryNearby home page (pricing and FAQ), checked on
- TryNearby terms of service, checked on
- TryNearby privacy policy, checked on
Get influencers posting about you in minutes
Starting at $10 per influencer collab, with creators whose audience data comes from Instagram itself.