An ad spy tool shows you the ads your competitors are running right now: the creative, the copy, the landing page and how long the ad has stayed live. The best place to start is free, because Meta, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn each publish their own ad library. Paid tools such as AdSpy, BigSpy, PowerAdSpy and Pipiads add deeper search, saved boards and engagement data on top.
What an ad spy tool actually does
Ad platforms show each person a slice of the ads in the system. You never see the rest. An ad spy tool collects ads from a platform, stores them in a searchable database and lets you filter them. You type a keyword, a brand name or a domain and get back real ads with their text, images or video, and the page they send people to.
Two sources feed these tools. The first is the official ad libraries that platforms publish for transparency. The second is collection by the tool itself, through browser extensions, panels of users or scraping, which is why paid databases can show more filters than the official libraries do. Coverage is never complete in either case, so treat any database as a sample of the market, not the whole of it.
The useful question is not “what is the biggest database”. It is “which platform does my competitor advertise on, and what do I want to learn”. Creative ideas, offers, landing page structure and ad longevity are the four things worth studying.
Free ad libraries from the platforms themselves
Start here before you pay for anything. These are official, they cost nothing, and they answer most first-round questions.
Meta Ad Library
The Meta Ad Library covers ads on Facebook and Instagram. Search by advertiser name or keyword, pick a country and view the ads that are currently running. It is the standard free answer to “best Facebook ad spy tool” and “best Instagram ads spy tool”, because the paid Facebook spy tools are largely built around the same ad pool. Its limit is search depth. You get basic filters, not engagement scoring or saved boards.
Google Ads Transparency Center
The Google Ads Transparency Center lets you look up an advertiser and see the ads they run across Google products, including Search and YouTube. Use it to check which formats a competitor uses and which regions they target. Google documents how it works on its Ads Transparency Center help page, and the exact retention window and filters are set by Google, so check the live tool.
TikTok Creative Center
The TikTok Creative Center is TikTok’s own research area. Its Top Ads section lets you browse high-performing ads by region and industry, which makes it a quick way to see what short video formats are working in your niche. It is aimed at creative inspiration more than at tracking one named competitor.
LinkedIn Ad Library
The LinkedIn Ad Library is a searchable collection of ads on LinkedIn. It matters most for B2B, where LinkedIn is often the main paid channel and few third-party tools cover it well. Search by company or keyword to see how a rival words an offer for a professional audience.
Paid ad spy tools worth knowing
Paid tools earn their place when you research ads every week, need to filter by more than keyword, or want to save and share ads with a team. Each one below was checked against its own site. Features and plans change often, so confirm the current details before you subscribe, and use the free trial or free tier where one exists.
| Tool | Best for | Main sources |
|---|---|---|
| AdSpy | Facebook and Instagram research | Facebook, Instagram |
| BigSpy | Cross-platform ad search | Multiple social platforms |
| PowerAdSpy | Social ad research with filters | Popular social networks |
| Pipiads | TikTok and Facebook ads | TikTok, Facebook |
| Minea | Ecommerce and dropshipping products | Ads across networks |
| Foreplay | Saving and organizing ads | Ad libraries, TikTok |
| AdPlexity | Native, push and mobile ads | Social, native, push |
| Anstrex | Native and push campaigns | Native, push |
| Adbeat | Display advertising | Display networks |
| SpyFu | Google Ads and PPC keywords | Google search |
| Semrush Advertising Research | Paid search alongside SEO | Google search |
AdSpy
AdSpy describes itself as a searchable database of Facebook and Instagram ads. It is built for people who spend most of their ad budget on Meta and want to search by keyword, advertiser or country and look at engagement signals. If your channel is Meta only, it is a direct fit. If you also buy TikTok or Google, you will need a second source.
BigSpy
BigSpy presents itself as an ad library that covers several advertising platforms in one search, with competitor tracking and creative inspiration. It suits teams that want one place to compare how the same offer is pitched on different networks. It also advertises a free entry point, which makes it an easy tool to test before committing.
PowerAdSpy
PowerAdSpy is an ad database that spans popular social media networks. Its draw is filtering: you narrow results by keyword, domain or engagement, then study the winners. Like most tools in this group it is strongest as a research and swipe file source, not as a source of exact spend figures.
Pipiads
Pipiads positions itself as a TikTok and Facebook ad library and also covers TikTok Shop research. It is popular with ecommerce sellers who run short video ads, since those formats change fast and a searchable archive saves a lot of scrolling.
Minea
Minea is aimed at ecommerce. It tracks ads across networks and ties them to products, so you can see which items advertisers keep pushing. That makes it a product research tool as much as an ad spy tool.
Foreplay
Foreplay works differently. It is a workflow tool for saving ads from the Facebook Ad Library and TikTok, then organizing and sharing them with a team. If your problem is not finding ads but keeping a tidy swipe file for designers and copywriters, this is the closest match.
AdPlexity
AdPlexity covers social, native, push, desktop and mobile ads, with landing pages and offers attached. It is used by affiliate marketers and performance buyers who need to see the whole funnel behind an ad, not only the creative.
Anstrex
Anstrex focuses on native ad campaigns and push notification ads. If you buy traffic on native networks, it is one of the more specialized choices. If you only run Meta or Google, you can skip it.
Adbeat
Adbeat is a competitive intelligence platform for display advertising. It shows creatives, landing pages and placement insights, so it helps if you buy banner and display inventory and want to see where competitors appear.
SpyFu
SpyFu is a search tool. You enter a competitor and see the keywords they bid on in Google Ads, alongside their organic keywords. It does not show social ads, and it does not try to. For paid search research it is a long-standing option.
Semrush Advertising Research
Semrush Advertising Research is part of the Semrush Advertising Toolkit. It shows which keywords competitors bid on and how their paid search ads read. It is a sensible pick if you already use Semrush for SEO and want paid data in the same account.
Tools removed from the older version of this list
Two names from earlier lists no longer fit. Social Ad Scout no longer resolves to a working product, so it is out. iSpionage has been retired, and its own page now says it has sunset and points to TapClicks. If an old guide still sends you to either, skip it.
Which tool for which platform
- Facebook and Instagram: start with the Meta Ad Library. Add AdSpy, BigSpy or PowerAdSpy when you need richer filters.
- TikTok: use the TikTok Creative Center for free inspiration, then Pipiads if you research short video ads daily.
- Google Search: use SpyFu or Semrush Advertising Research for keywords, plus the Google Ads Transparency Center for the ads themselves.
- LinkedIn and B2B: use the LinkedIn Ad Library. Few paid tools add much here.
- Native, push and display: AdPlexity, Anstrex and Adbeat are built for these channels.
- Ecommerce products: Minea and Pipiads both lean toward product discovery.
How to choose without wasting a subscription
- Name the channel. Pick the tool that covers the platform where you actually buy ads.
- Define the question. “What hooks do rivals use” needs a creative library. “Which keywords do rivals bid on” needs a search tool.
- Test on a known competitor. Search for a brand whose ads you already know. If the tool cannot find ads you can see yourself, its coverage is thin for your niche.
- Check export and sharing. A team needs boards, folders or exports. A solo buyer may not.
- Read the plan terms. Limits on searches, saved ads and seats differ a lot between plans and change over time, so read the current page.
How to use what you find
Do not copy ads. Study patterns, then build your own. A short routine works well.
- Look at longevity. An ad that stays live for weeks is usually profitable enough to keep funding. Treat it as a signal, not proof.
- Read the offer, not the design. Note the promise, the proof and the call to action. These transfer across brands better than visuals do.
- Follow the click. Open the landing page. Note the headline, the form length and the first screen on mobile.
- Save a swipe file. Group ads by angle: problem, outcome, comparison, social proof. Revisit it before each creative brief.
- Test small. Turn each idea into two or three variations of your own and let your results decide.
Limits and risks to keep in mind
Ad spy data is secondhand. Engagement numbers come from what the tool can see, not from the advertiser’s account, so you never see true spend, conversion rate or profit. A popular ad can lose money. A quiet ad can be a quiet winner.
Respect the rules. Copying another brand’s copy or imagery can break copyright and platform policies. Use ads as research, and write and design your own.
Finally, check where the data comes from. Tools that rely on browser extensions or scraping can lose access when a platform changes its site. That is another reason to test before you pay and to rely on the official libraries for the basics.
If you also run a site or community
Ad research is only half of a campaign. The traffic still needs somewhere good to land. If you are building memberships, courses or a community around your product, our guide on how to build an online community covers the platform side. For selling downloads or memberships, see the Reign theme for digital product sellers. If you want to grow organic traffic alongside paid, read our list of WordPress plugins for SEO, and for sorting your audience once the leads arrive, our guide to customer segmentation software.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ad spy tool?
An ad spy tool is software that collects ads from advertising platforms and lets you search them. You can see the creative, the copy and the landing page for ads that competitors run, and filter by keyword, country or format.
Is there a free ad spy tool?
Yes. The Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency Center, TikTok Creative Center and LinkedIn Ad Library are free and official. Several paid tools also offer a free entry point or a trial, so check each site for what is available now.
What is the best Facebook ad spy tool?
The Meta Ad Library is the best free starting point, since it is the official source. For deeper filters and engagement data, AdSpy, BigSpy and PowerAdSpy are the common paid choices. Test each on a competitor you know before you subscribe.
What is the best Instagram ads spy tool?
Instagram ads run through Meta, so the Meta Ad Library covers them for free. AdSpy and the other Facebook-focused tools search Instagram ads in the same database, which means one tool usually serves both platforms.
Can I see how much a competitor spends on ads?
No tool can show exact spend for an advertiser on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. Tools estimate from what they can observe, and the official libraries mostly do not show spend for commercial ads. Treat any spend number as a rough guide.
Is using an ad spy tool legal?
Looking at publicly shown ads for research is common practice. Copying another advertiser’s copy, images or video can raise copyright and policy issues, so use what you learn as inspiration and create your own ads.
Which ad spy tool is best for TikTok?
The TikTok Creative Center is the free official choice for seeing top ads by region and industry. Pipiads is a paid tool that centers on TikTok and Facebook ads, and Foreplay can save TikTok ads into a shared swipe file.
Next step
Ads bring people in, and the site decides whether they stay. If you are planning a community, course or marketplace to send that traffic to, try the live Reign demos and follow the course community build guide to see what a finished site looks like.