Picsart has been launched.

      The AI design platform is now compensating creators based on engagement levels instead of audience size, indicating its evolution from a mere tool to a platform that enables creators to earn money directly. This launch follows the introduction of an AI agent marketplace in March.

      Picsart has rolled out a creator monetization program available to all of its over 130 million users, without any minimum follower requirement or invitation needed. The initiative, named Earn with Picsart, rewards creators based on content performance rather than the size of their following, presenting a direct challenge to the follower-based monetization model prevalent across most platforms.

      The structure is campaign-driven. Creators can explore a dashboard filled with current prompts and creative challenges, use Picsart’s tools to create original content, post it on their Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or X accounts, and then submit the URL along with a brief description of their creative process within Picsart. Earnings are based on views, comments, shares, and overall reach, with funds available for withdrawal via Stripe. Picsart emphasizes that generating and sharing AI images without authentic creative effort won’t result in substantial engagement or earnings.

      One specific campaign invites creators to develop animated characters utilizing Picsart Aura, the platform’s AI conversational assistant capable of generating and animating visuals through text or voice commands. The range of acceptable content types is extensive, including tutorials, aesthetic edits, and short-form videos as qualifying formats.

      Hovhannes Avoyan, the founder and CEO of Picsart, characterized this launch as a much-needed adjustment in an industry that has traditionally underpaid everyday creators. He stated, "The creator economy has a structural problem: platforms have never genuinely committed to compensating everyday creators. It’s open, structured, and clear: participate, create content, and if it performs well, you get paid."

      Founded in 2011, Picsart attained unicorn status in 2021 following a $130 million Series C round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with involvement from Sequoia, G Squared, Tribe Capital, and DCM Ventures, among others. The introduction of the creator monetization program comes in the wake of the AI agent marketplace launched in March 2026, allowing creators to hire AI assistants for various tasks like resizing and remixing social media content as well as editing product photos on Shopify. These developments signify Picsart's transition from a standalone editing application to a platform catering to the creator economy.