Cameo is one of the online platforms that allow users to meet their favorite celebrities and create personalized videos for a fee. Cameo can also be used to send shout-outs from your favorite celebrity to your loved ones.
Cameo is not the only app that helps users interact with their favorite celebrities. Some of the best apps like Cameo include Thrillz, CharityBuzz, and Memmo, among others. But out of these alternatives, the best app like Cameo is Starsona. I will let you know in the end what makes me pick Starsona.
About Cameo and why look for other apps like Cameo
The app, founded in 2016 by Steven Galanis and Martin Blencowe, has attracted millions of users. In February 2023, its official website cameo.com recorded about 2.5 million visits in the United States. To date, the app has brought on board over 40,000 celebrities, including Snoop Dogg and Steve Harvey.
Starsona provides a simple yet upfront approach way of connecting fans to their stars. By adding the Q&A functionality to personalized shoutouts, Starsona redefines how to enjoy everyday life.
That said, users often fault Cameo for higher charges, especially from celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, whose personal shout-out would cost you $2,500.
Luckily, as mentioned above, there are other platforms like Cameo that you could use instead. So let’s get straight to them.
Best Apps Like Cameo
1. Thrillz
The closest competition to Cameo is Thrillz. The app was created with the sole purpose of helping fans have direct and fast access to stars. Unlike Cameo, The platform is available in the UK, the US, and other parts of the world.
Founded in 2020, Thrillz is enjoying overnight success, thanks to its ability to allow users to virtually communicate with their favorite celebrities by setting up private Zoom conversations or video shoutouts.
Thrillz’s celebrity list includes reality TV stars, comedians, musicians, kid’s celebrities, magicians, and impersonators. On the app, you can spot Nigel Farage, a famous British politician, Katie Price, Matt Le Tissier (a British footballer), and many more.
Another aspect that draws more users to Thrillz is its regular partnership with charity organizations. They allow users to donate to any cause, whether initiated by users or celebrities. However, if you need a star to video call at a virtual office party, you have to pay higher fees.
Thrillz gets a 25% commission on every celebrity appointment. The platform also allows celebrities to be booked by agencies for collaboration with other stars.
The Thrillz app is available on AppStore and PlayStore for celebrities only, but if you wish to purchase a video, visit www.thrillz.co.uk.
2. Starsona
Starsona is a web platform and app that works similarly to Cameo. Founded in 2017 by Peter Karpas, the platform started as a birthday shout-out entity from celebrities.
The San Francisco-based platform has since grown to compete with industry leaders in providing interactions with stars.
As a Happy Birthday app, users would pay celebrities for personalized birthdays or any other special occasion. But when the Covid 19 pandemic struck, and there was a lockdown, the app branched out to add Q&A sessions, video messaging, and event announcements.
In 2020, Starsona merged with MyFanPark, a startup specializing in personalized celebrity interactions. This move gave Starsona a breakthrough in the global market, creating a footprint in Europe, North America, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.
Therefore, unlike Cameo, which only serves US users, Starsona spreads across the world. Additionally, the platform is not limited to individuals and welcomes brands and influential teams to join its growing talent base.
Starsona has signed over 200 celebrities on the platform, including famous singers and musicians, TV personalities, politicians, sports stars, film stars, comedians, and internet sensations.
On Starsona, you will get to interact with stars like sports commentator Randy Hahn or NBA star Dominique Wilkins.
The platform charges from $5 to $3500 per interaction. Starsona then makes its money from cut-off celebrity fees, at least 25%. Starsona also posts videos and reviews of musicians. These videos are part of the 5,000 downloads made on the platform, earning Starsona $5,500.
Starsona is available for free download on Apple Store and PlayStore for celebrities only. Through the mobile app, celebrities can manage fan requests, control their page, promote on social or specify their pricing.
3. Charitybuzz
Charitybuzz is another excellent alternative to Cameo that allows users to interact with their favorite celebrities.
However, the site is slightly different from Cameo in terms of functionality, as it is more of an auction and curated marketplace for one-of-a-kind experiences and luxury items to benefit charities.
Brad Reisner, Coppy Holzman, and Serena Chew founded Charitybuzz in 2005. By then, luxury auctions were already mainstream in the US, but Charitybuzz brought those auctions online.
The platform offers auctions for time spent with celebrities, music, business, politics, sports, art, or fashion.
Charitybuzz is a charity organization, so it has collaborated with many charities. The platform has partnered with high-profile celebrities in almost all industries through its founders. The auction bid is often spent on a celebrity’s or user’s charity.
You can bid to get backstage access to a Beyonce concert or to have dinner with the Dalai Lama. The platform also includes bids for premium holiday homes or antiques. In 2017, Charitybuzz auctioned the sporadic Celebration Apple 1 computer, which was sold for $1 million.
The highest bid to ever be received by Charitybuzz for $610,000 was for dinner with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Other popular auctions include meeting professional football teams, purchasing premium cars, and having pitch meetings with capitalists.
Unlike Cameo, which keeps a 25% commission, the non-profit Charitybuzz is relatively low as they keep 20%. The commission is for their operation costs, while the rest is channeled to charities.
Charitybuzz has raised over $400 million for charities, including the Humane Society, UNICEF, WhyHunger, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund. Charitybuzz is available for free download on Google PlayStore and App Store.
4. Candi
Candi’s purpose is similar to Cameo, as it connects users to their favorite celebrities. As a Candi user, you must select a celebrity you wish to meet and then purchase a meet & greet.
The Chicago-based platform was founded by Keithan and Quiante Hendrick in 2019. Its founders felt like Cameo needed to be more focused on shout-outs, which did not give users the personalized experience they were looking for.
In this sense, Candi is slightly different from Cameo in its offerings. While Cameo focuses on shout-outs and personalized messages, Candi is meant for direct video calls between a celebrity and a user.
The Candi team coordinates your interaction. Once your schedules have been confirmed, you’ll receive a Zoom link—the meet & greet lasts at least five minutes based on how much time you purchased.
Another factor that puts Candi ahead of Cameo is that it gives users power over celebrities to set the time for a Meet & Greet.
Candi’s breakthrough came during the pandemic and after Hendrick appeared on Shark Tank season 13 (he didn’t get a deal though).
The first celebrity to sign up was actress and singer MYA, later joined by many other celebrities, especially after the pandemic.
Candi’s charges range between $30 and $100. According to its founders, there are no hidden fees, and you only pay more when requesting more time.
Candi doesn’t have a mobile app yet, but everything you are looking for is provided on their official website.
5. Memmo
Another Cameo rival that experienced tremendous growth during the pandemic is Memmo. The Swedish platform was founded in 2019 by Gustaf Lundberg Toresson and Tobias Bengtsdahl. Memmo offers a platform where users pay to get video messages from their icons.
Unlike Cameo, which targets celebrities in the United States, Memmo has partnered with over 5,000 celebrities worldwide and produced over 100,000 voice messages for users.
On the platform, you’ll have a chance to interact with American Football stars Terrell Owens, Luis Figo, and many others.
Between July 2020 and January 2021, Memmo grew its revenue 17 times during the pandemic. Celebrities who signed up could earn up to $20,000 per month.
While Memmo has a global outlook with a roster of big stars, they highlight more local and regional icons. Memmo believes that local celebrities have a more substantial audience with popular categories of actors, sports, music, and kids.
The platform has embarked on a global expansion journey with a second office in Los Angeles. Soon they’ll announce their entrance into countries like Germany, Canada, and Italy.
It’s up to the celebrity to answer your call to interact with them within seven days or 24 hours for express requests. However, if the request doesn’t go through, which is rare, Memmo will refund your full amount.
Every talent sets its prices. The prices may vary from time to time, as it is an essential tool to manage the number of requests a celebrity gets. If your favorite talent still needs to be added to the board, you can suggest it to Memmo for consideration.
Memmo app is available for free download on Google PlayStore and AppStore. The app helps you record videos, manage your profile, and update your settings.
6. JustAskme
As the name suggests, JustAskme allows fans to interact with their favorite icons by asking them questions or requesting a personalized video. Like Cameo, JustAskme will enable you to interact with your favorite celebrity, be it an artist, crush, politician, sports figure, movie star, or influencer.
The New York-based platform was founded in 2020 by Samuel H. and has an attractive and easy-to-use interface.
Anyone can become a member of JustAskme. Celebrities set their rates for making videos and answering questions. They are also free to decline a request if they receive an offbeat idea of making a video or when asked too many personal questions.
JustAskme periodically sends newsletters to notify users of new celebrity entrants to the platform. However, the platform will fully refund you if your request still needs to be fulfilled by your choice of celebrity.
Users can easily view their activities on the platform and manage payments, features, and questions asked through a dashboard. From the dashboard, they can edit settings or profiles, view profits earned, and their payment history.
The price for JustAskme requests starts at $5 and varies depending on the icon you request. The platform does not have a mobile app that you can download, but you can still access it on mobile through a web browser.
7. Celebvidy
Another excellent app like Cameo is Celebvidy. The app offers personalized video shoutouts from your favorite icons, including musicians, athletes, dancers, and influencers. Austin Hurst, Zach Hurst, and Dan Fleyshman founded Celebvidy in 2014.
Its functionality is similar to Cameo. To start, select your favorite celebrity from their ever-growing list. If you do not find your favorite celebrity on the list, you can suggest to the platform by tweeting with the hashtag #celebvidy or tag @celebvidy.
Customize your script in 200 characters or less for your celebrity of choice to read. You can still do the same if you have a question about a celebrity.
Your Celebvidy might take a while to come by due to the nature of celebrity schedules, but once complete, you will receive it as a private YouTube URL.
On the platform, celebrities are given exclusive access to notifications of incoming video requests. Celebvidy then reviews all videos to ensure they align with their proprietary technology. You are only charged the agreed amount once the video is ready.
If your video request is rejected, Celebvidy will notify you through email and the reason for the rejection. Typically, a request should be returned within two weeks; some celebrities might take longer than others.
Your Celebvidy videos are not public. However, you can permit Celebvidy to share your videos on the official YouTube channel and the app. Celebvidy is available on AppStore for free.
8. Iconn Live
Next on my list of top celebrity shout-out apps is Iconn Live. The legendary rapper Ja Rule founded Iconn Live. The platform differs slightly from Cameo as it focuses on celebrity entertainment bookings.
With Iconn Live, fans can interact with their celebrity like never before. You vibe live with your favorite celebrity in virtual pay-per-view events. Iconn’s Vibe Live supports limited VIP entry, tipping, direct chat, and up to six co-streamers.
Iconn Live also allows you to book custom meet and greets with your favorite icons. The meet and greet is recorded and will be available for you and the celebrity after the broadcast. You can chat with your favorite icon during live sessions in real-time.
You can also tip artists directly, who can either keep the tips or donate a portion of their earnings. When you tip artists, Iconn Live elevates you to a VIP viewer, and you will be eligible to enjoy some of its special privileges.
Iconn Live is available on App Store for free download to help you experience intimate interactions with broadcasters, vibe with icons in real time, and experience the future of digital live entertainment.
9. CelebVM
CelebVM is an exciting platform that allows users to request celebrity video messages. The platform was conceptualized in 2012 and then later launched in 2013. Like Cameo, CelebVM fans can ask for videos for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or anything else.
A look at some of the videos created will tell you just how fun the platform is. Celebrities can make videos at their convenience and instantly be paid for every video at the price they set. A video only takes 60 seconds, and celebrities can charge $50 per message.
CelebVM pays celebrities through PayPal and retains 15% on every video. The platform also offers a 5% lifetime commission for users who introduce celebrities to the platform.
According to CelebVM founder Angus Lancaster, the platform is only getting started, and you can expect much more from it in the future.
CelebVM has managed to onboard hundreds of celebrities. Yours is to search for your favorite by name, keyword, category, or genre. Follow it with the details you want them to mention, whether a birthday, hobby, or title.
Most videos are recorded within two weeks and emailed with a download link. If you need a video for a specific date yet you did not see it coming, you can cancel immediately to get a full refund on the amount paid.
10. Encore Musical Messages
Encore Musical Messages is similar to Cameo as it allows you to request a video performance from your favorite musician for a fee. The fee goes to support the musician, while ÂŁ2.50 from every video created supports NHS charities.
You can get your customized video in three simple steps. First, choose your favorite musician from Encore’s list, then fill in a short form explaining the type of music you wish your famous musician could create.
Your choice of musician creates a video within 48 hours and sends the unique video to you. Choose to either keep or send the video to your loved one. At this point, your card will be charged about ÂŁ20.
Encore Musical Messages was launched in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic to support artists who could no longer earn due to the lockdown. The app is not about famous musicians, but professional and semi-professional musicians who were particularly affected by the pandemic.
James McAulay co-founded the UK-based marketplace and initially had the idea of booking musicians for gigs, but later transformed the platform to accommodate ideas and inspiration on wedding anniversaries, birthdays, educational content, Christmas gift, and virtual band.
You can also book a musician for a live performance. But first, browse through videos of past performances on the platform, go through customer reviews, then decide when you feel content with your choice of band or musician.
If you have difficulty picking the proper musician for the job, Encore Musical has a team of booking experts to help you navigate the process. Encore is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore.
11. Pearpop
Last on my list of excellent personalized celebrity interaction apps like Cameo is Pearpop. Pearpop has earned a name as a marketplace that allows TikTok users to engage with TikTok stars for a fee. TikTok stars charge for engagements such as comments and duetted videos.
Pearpop was founded by Cole Mason and Guy Oseary. The two developed the platform to help creators jump on the latest trends while earning from their craft. Pearpop is also an excellent platform for pairing brands and influencers.
After the platform was officially launched in 2020, it received massive funding from various stars, including Marc Cuban, Snoop Dogg, and Mr. Beast. Through funding, Pearpop raised $16 million, boosting its business and enabling it to reach more creators.
Pearpop also revolves around challenges produced by multiple advertising agencies looking to recruit content creators and influencers in various campaigns. Users are then expected to choose a challenge that suits them and their best social platforms.
To boost views on challenges, users can collaborate with TikTok stars for a fee and get a chance to work with the world’s most profitable brands without engaging them directly.
Pearpop differs slightly from Cameo’s offerings as it has a separate app (Pearproof) that encourages users to mint NFTs from their social media posts.
Pearpop is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore to help you join a growing community of creators, including social media stars, upcoming stars, and celebrities.
Final Thoughts
I hope you had smooth sailing as you went through the list of the best apps like Cameo. These apps are incredibly unique, so expect a fantastic experience when settling on one.
The best part is that you can cancel and get your full refund, so don’t be afraid to stop a request that is taking too long or ask for a refund when you don’t get what you expected from your “favorite” celebrity.
But I know how badly you wish to settle for just one app. If you are looking for a personalized celebrity interaction app with a global footprint that accommodates everyone, including individuals, influential teams, and brands, I recommend Starsona.
