What does TikTok content cost in-house?
A typical in-house setup — one social lead, one editor, basic gear — runs $200k+/year fully loaded in California. At realistic output (40–60 videos/month), you're spending $300–$500 per video and you cap out at one account. Hiring more people gets expensive fast and doesn't scale linearly.
What do freelancers cost?
$100–$400 per finished video for a competent freelance editor, plus your time briefing and reviewing. Works for small volumes. Falls apart at 200+ videos/month because you're suddenly running an agency yourself.
What does a traditional agency charge?
$1,500–$5,000+ per video for polished work, with monthly retainers in the $15k–$50k range. Great per-video quality. Wrong per-video economics if your goal is volume.
What does a content operations agency cost?
Per-video cost typically lands at $30–$100 at scale, because the model is built around shared operators, AI-assisted production, and high output volume. Monthly retainers vary by output goal but are usually competitive with hiring 1–2 in-house roles.
Which math is right for you?
If you want one prestige video, pay for craft. If you want 1,000 videos a month and real organic distribution, pay for output. Reel Robin builds custom plans either way.