Influenster

Review by eFreeware

Influenster is a free app from the company of the same name, listed in the Shopping category, and its pitch is simple: brands hand out products, members try them and say what they think. The catalog behind that idea is broad, covering makeup and skincare as well as electronics, pet supplies, home goods, tools and tech. If you already like writing up what you buy, the appeal is obvious, because the products themselves cost you nothing.

What separates it from a plain review site is the direction the products travel. Instead of buying something and reviewing it afterward, you build a profile, get picked for a program, and receive the item first. The developer describes a community of more than 10 million members trading opinions on the same catalog, which is the part that makes the reviews worth reading to outsiders.

The app has been on Google Play since July 2015 and sits at a 3.9 average from roughly 39,540 ratings, with over a million installs.

Claiming products without paying for them

The core promise is straightforward: partner brands send members their newest items to try, and no money changes hands. The developer is explicit that you never pay for what arrives and that payment details are never requested, which removes the usual worry about a free-sample scheme. What arrives is not limited to tiny trial sizes either, since the app talks about full-size products alongside exclusive samples and offers on things you already buy.

Eligibility is the part that shapes the experience. You do not browse a shelf and take what you like; you wait until you qualify for a particular program, at which point a notification arrives inviting you to claim the product. That makes the app better suited to people who are comfortable with an occasional windfall than to anyone hoping to order specific items on demand.

The range is genuinely wide, and the developer's list runs from personal care and beauty through home, pets and tools to newer tech. That breadth matters if your interests sit outside cosmetics, because it means the programs are not all lipstick and moisturizer. What you receive still depends on which brands are running programs and whether your profile matches them.

The work that comes after delivery

Nothing here is unconditional. Once the product reaches you, the app lays out instructions to follow, and those tasks can take the form of a written review, a social media post or a photo. The developer frames the whole exchange as trading an honest opinion for the item, so the reviewing is not a side feature; it is the point of the arrangement.

I would treat that as the real filter on whether this suits you. If photographing a new purchase and writing a few paragraphs about it sounds like a chore, the free product stops looking free. If you already do that kind of thing for fun, the app simply gives the habit a payoff.

Connecting social accounts is optional, and the developer notes that members who link them become eligible for more products. That is a reasonable trade for anyone who posts publicly anyway, and an easy thing to skip if you would rather keep your accounts separate. Either way, the review tasks themselves remain part of the deal.

Setting up a profile that gets noticed

Getting in follows a short path: download the app, create a free account, and fill in your profile. Part of that profile work is reviewing products you have already tried, which serves as both an introduction and a sample of how you write. It is the closest thing to an application, and it is worth treating it that way rather than rushing through.

From there, the waiting begins. Once you are eligible for a program, a notification tells you a product is available to claim, and the instructions for what to do with it arrive with the item. The app is free to download, carries no ads and has no in-app purchases, so nothing about the setup asks for money at any stage.

The account is part of the setup, and the profile is what the matching draws on. Members who take a few minutes to describe themselves give more to work with than someone who signs up and stops there.

Where the app fits into your shopping

The most natural use is as a testing ground before you spend. Trying a skincare item or a kitchen tool through a program tells you more than a shelf label does, and the review you write afterward feeds the same pool that helps other members decide. The developer's framing of a community sharing authentic opinions is really a description of that loop.

It also works as a way to keep up with what brands are releasing. The notifications can double as a signal about what is coming to shelves. For someone who likes being early to a product category, that is a genuine draw beyond the free item itself.

The offers on items you already use are a quieter benefit, and they suit people who would rather stick with familiar brands than experiment. Between samples, full-size products and those offers, the app covers both curiosity and routine.

Who tends to get the most from it

This fits people who write about purchases without being asked. If you photograph a new pair of shoes for your own feed or leave detailed reviews on shopping sites, the tasks here mirror what you already do, and the products become the reward. A public social presence helps too, since linked accounts open up more eligibility.

It also suits patient members. Programs are claimed when you qualify rather than chosen on demand, so the app favors people who fill out a profile properly rather than those who want a specific item this week. Broad interests help as well, given how far the catalog stretches beyond beauty.

The 3.9 average from a large body of ratings suggests a mixed reception rather than universal enthusiasm, which is worth weighing against the promise of free products. Anyone expecting a steady stream of deliveries should temper that; anyone happy with an occasional one, plus the reviewing that comes with it, will find the arrangement reasonable.

A fair trade for people who like to review

Influenster is free, has no ads and no in-app purchases, and asks for nothing but your time and your opinion. The developer's promise that products cost you nothing and that payment information is never requested is the strongest part of the offer, and the breadth of the catalog keeps it from being a beauty-only club.

The catch is structural rather than financial. You claim what you qualify for when a notification arrives, and you follow the assigned tasks once the item lands, which means the app gives back in proportion to what you put in. Members who link social accounts get more chances at products, and those who would rather not can leave them unconnected.

I would suggest it to people who enjoy documenting what they buy and are willing to write, post or photograph in return, and who can wait for a program that matches their profile. If that describes your habits, the app turns them into something tangible.

What's new in version 4.3.53

We have an update and it’s better than ever—making it easy to get products and more fun to find your next favorite thing. - Get product samples - Discover new products - Share your opinions