The Meta Ad Library is free. Anyone can search it. So why are thousands of paid media teams spending $49 to $399 a month on tools that sit on top of it?
Because there are two different jobs people call "competitor tracking," and most tools only do one of them.
The first job is ad discovery: browse a massive database of ads for creative inspiration, find what's trending in your niche, see what copy angles competitors are testing. Tools like AdSpy and BigSpy are built for this. You search, you scroll, you save what you like.
The second job is ongoing monitoring: automatically watch specific named competitors, get notified when they launch or pause campaigns, and receive structured analysis of their strategy shifts over time. That's a different product entirely.
Most listicles on this topic mix them together. This one doesn't. Below, I've ranked the best meta ads competitor tracking tools by what job they actually do, starting with the only one purpose-built for automated ongoing monitoring.
Quick answer
If you want... Best pick Automated ongoing competitor monitoring Mako Metrics Permanent archive of deleted ads and creative briefs Foreplay Largest searchable ad database AdSpy AI creative scoring with team collaboration Atria Free, zero commitment Meta Ad Library
Two Jobs, Ten Tools: How to Read This List
Before getting into rankings, it helps to know where each tool sits on two axes: how specialized it is for Meta (versus multi-platform), and how automated it is (versus requiring manual research).
Most tools cluster in the bottom-left: manual discovery, multi-platform or Meta-only databases you search yourself. A smaller group sits toward the top: automated monitoring tools that track specific competitors for you and surface what changed.
Neither cluster is wrong. They serve different needs. The mistake is buying a discovery tool when you need a monitoring tool, or paying for automation features you'll never use because you only research competitors once a quarter.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Automated Tracking | Free Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mako Metrics | Ongoing competitor monitoring | $24.99/report | Yes | Free tool |
| Atria | AI creative analysis + briefs | $159/mo | Yes | No |
| Foreplay | Deleted ad archive + swipe files | $49/mo | Yes (Spyder) | No |
| AdSpy | Raw database searches | $149/mo | No | No |
| Minea | Product discovery + Shopify research | $49/mo | No | 200 credits |
| BigSpy | Multi-platform coverage | Free tier | No | Yes |
| PowerAdSpy | Multi-platform modular pricing | $69/mo | No | No |
| SocialPeta | Enterprise spend intelligence | Contact sales | No | Trial |
| Dropispy | Budget dropshipping research | $14.90/mo (annual) | No | Yes |
| Meta Ad Library | Free starting point | Free | No | Yes (it is free) |
The 10 Best Meta Ads Competitor Tracking Tools
1. Mako Metrics: Best for Automated Competitor Monitoring
If you want to know what a specific competitor is running on Meta right now, what formats they're testing, how their copy angles have shifted, and which ads look like they're getting pushed budget, Mako Metrics is built for that.
It pulls directly from Meta's official Ad Library API, so there's no scraping and no terms-of-service exposure. The AI layer on top does the filtering and pattern recognition: instead of scrolling through 200 raw ads, you get a structured report on what's happening in a competitor's account.
Reports come back within 24 hours. They're formatted as PDFs, which makes them easy to share with clients or drop into a proposal. Agencies use them as a standalone deliverable. In-house teams use them for quarterly competitive reviews and creative strategy sessions. See how agencies turn this into a billable line item.
Pricing: Competitor Snapshot $24.99/report, Market Dominator $79.99/quarter (ongoing monitoring), Agency Plan $149.99.
One limitation worth naming: Mako Metrics covers Meta only. If you need TikTok or Google competitive data in the same dashboard, you'll need a separate tool for those channels.
Pull a free competitor snapshot and see the report format before you decide.
2. Atria: Best for AI-Powered Creative Analysis
Atria is the most technically sophisticated tool on this list. Its Radar AI engine scores each competitor ad on four dimensions: Hook, Conversion, Retention, and CTR. Core plan users can track up to 50 brands with weekly intelligence updates. Raya, their AI creative strategist, translates what you're seeing in competitor accounts into ready-to-brief creative concepts.
The platform pulls from a library of 25 million AI-tagged ads, and the analysis goes deeper than "here are the ads." It tells you which ones are likely winners versus tests, and what elements are driving performance.
The catch is price. Core starts at $159/month, Plus at $329/month. It's built for teams spending at least $5,000/month on ads. If you're an agency managing smaller accounts or a brand that only reviews competitors every couple of months, you'll pay for capabilities you won't use. One thing to watch: seats and AI credits are capped by tier, so larger teams can hit the ceiling faster than expected.
Pricing: Core $159/mo, Plus $329/mo, Enterprise custom.
3. Foreplay / Spyder: Best for Creative Teams and Deleted Ad Archives
Foreplay does something no other tool here does: it saves ads permanently, including ones competitors have since deleted. That matters more than it sounds. When a competitor pulls a campaign, the Meta Ad Library wipes it. Foreplay keeps it. Over time, you build a real historical record of a competitor's creative evolution, not just a snapshot of what they're running today.
The Spyder component handles monitoring: you add brands to track, it watches for new ads and alerts you when something launches. The rest of the platform is a creative workflow tool: swipe files, organized boards, and a brief builder that helps you translate competitor ads into your own creative direction.
At $49/month for Inspiration and $99/month for Workflow, it fits the budget of most creative teams. The limitation is focus: Foreplay is a creative research tool, not a strategic intelligence platform. It's excellent for copywriters and creative directors. It's less useful if you need executive-level reporting on competitive positioning.
If you're deciding between Foreplay and Mako Metrics specifically, we put them head to head here.
Pricing: Inspiration $49/mo, Workflow $99/mo.
4. AdSpy: Best for Raw Database Searches
AdSpy has the largest Facebook and Instagram ad database in this market: 201 million ads across 223 countries, per their own published figures. If you need to find every variation of how competitors in your category are positioning a specific offer, AdSpy gives you the most complete picture.
The search goes deep. You can search by keyword in ad copy, by advertiser name, by landing page URL, or even by text appearing in the comments. That last one is underrated: searching comments lets you find ads that generated specific audience reactions. The landing page snapshot feature shows you where competitor traffic actually goes, even after the ad stops running.
What AdSpy can't do: anything automated. There are no tracking alerts, no campaign monitoring, no AI analysis. It's a database you search. That's fine for regular manual research sessions, but it's not a set-and-forget monitoring tool.
At $149/month with no free trial, it's also the steepest single-plan price on this list. We broke down whether AdSpy is worth that price if you're on the fence.
Pricing: $149/mo (single plan, no free trial).
5. Minea: Best for Product Discovery and Shopify Research
Minea's core audience is e-commerce brands doing product research, and it shows in the feature set. Beyond the 900 million ad database across Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest, Minea lets you see Shopify store analytics and track which influencers are running paid campaigns for a given product or brand.
If you're evaluating a product launch, Minea covers the key questions in one tool: are competitors advertising it, how long have those ads been running, and which Shopify stores are selling similar items.
The credits-based pricing model adds a layer of friction you don't get with flat-rate tools: you have to think about what each search costs, which changes how freely you use it. The $49/month Starter plan only covers Meta; TikTok and Pinterest require the $99/month Premium tier.
Pricing: Free (200 credits), Starter $49/mo (Meta only), Premium $99/mo, Business $399/mo.
6. BigSpy: Best Multi-Platform Option with a Free Tier
BigSpy covers ten advertising platforms in one tool: Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Google, Pinterest, Twitter, and more. Its database exceeds one billion ad creatives across 71 countries. The free tier makes it easy to test before committing to anything.
BigSpy is the most practical choice if you're running across multiple channels and want to see how competitors split their creative across platforms. A Meta-only tool won't show you a competitor quietly shifting budget to TikTok. BigSpy will.
The tradeoff is depth. BigSpy covers a lot of ground but doesn't go as deep on Meta-specific filtering or analysis as purpose-built tools like AdSpy or Mako Metrics. Paid tier pricing varies, so check their site for current plans.
Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans vary. Check BigSpy's site for current rates.
7. PowerAdSpy: Best for Multi-Platform Buyers Wanting Modular Pricing
PowerAdSpy's main appeal is its tier structure. You start with the platforms you need and add more as your requirements grow. The Basic plan at $69/month covers Facebook only. Standard adds Instagram and Pinterest. Premium adds YouTube. Platinum adds Google Ads. Titanium at $399/month adds native ad networks.
Reddit ad coverage is rare at this price point. No other tool on this list tracks Reddit ads alongside Meta. If you're in a category where competitors run Reddit campaigns alongside Facebook, that's worth knowing.
Annual pricing drops the per-month cost substantially on most tiers. Monthly pricing is inflated relative to the value. The search functionality is comparable to other discovery tools in this range: keyword filters, demographic targeting, engagement metrics. No automation, no AI, no monitoring alerts.
One odd quirk: the Basic plan covers Facebook but not Instagram, which isn't how most buyers think about the two platforms.
Pricing: Basic $69/mo, Standard $99/mo, Premium $149/mo, Platinum $199/mo, Titanium $399/mo. Annual plans offer significant discounts.
8. SocialPeta: Best for Enterprise Competitive Intelligence
SocialPeta is the enterprise option on this list. Its 100 million-plus creative database covers Meta, display networks, and mobile app advertising platforms. The standout feature is spend estimation: SocialPeta generates estimates of what competitors are actually spending on advertising, not just what they're running. For competitive strategy at the executive level, that's a different kind of intelligence than any other tool here provides.
It also covers in-app advertising networks that Meta-focused tools ignore entirely, which matters for brands in mobile gaming, fintech, or e-commerce apps.
For most readers, it's overkill, and priced to match. Pricing is not public and requires a sales conversation. If you're at a mid-market DTC brand or a boutique agency, the other tools on this list will serve you better for less.
Pricing: Contact SocialPeta for pricing.
9. Dropispy: Best Budget Option for Dropshippers
Dropispy is the cheapest real paid entry point in this market. At $14.90/month on an annual plan (or $29.90/month), it's a fraction of what AdSpy or Atria cost. The free tier has no credit card requirement, which is unusual.
No other tool on this list has this: Dropispy tracks which Shopify stores run the most Facebook ads, giving dropshippers a quick signal of which stores are actively spending on acquisition. Combined with the standard ad spy filters (keyword, date, format, engagement), it covers the core use case for product research.
The limitation is the same as Minea: this tool is optimized for dropshipping. If you're an agency or an established DTC brand tracking named competitors, you'll find it thin. The analysis depth doesn't match higher-priced tools, and there's no AI layer or automation.
Pricing: Free (no credit card), Premium $29.90/mo ($14.90/mo annual), Business $249.90/mo.
10. Meta Ad Library: Best Free Starting Point
Every other tool on this list is built on top of Meta's Ad Library. The Library itself is free, requires no account, and shows every active ad running on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. You can see the full creative, copy, CTA, start date, and the countries it's targeting.
For early-stage brands doing occasional research or teams who need to verify what a specific competitor is running right now, the Ad Library is enough. There's no faster way to get a current snapshot of a competitor's active campaigns.
The limitations matter at scale. The Ad Library only shows active ads. Deleted or paused campaigns disappear. There's no performance data, no alerts, no filtering that works well across dozens of brands. Manual research sessions get tedious fast, and there's no way to track what changed week to week.
Our full guide to getting the most out of Meta's Ad Library covers the search tricks and filters worth knowing. If you want to stay entirely free, we also put together seven ways to research competitor Facebook ads without paying for a tool.
Pricing: Free.
How to Choose: A Quick Decision Guide
The right tool depends on two things: what job you're hiring it for, and how often you need it.
Agency running competitive audits for clients? Mako Metrics. The PDF format is ready to hand to a client without reformatting.
In-house creative team building a swipe file? Foreplay. The deleted ad archive and brief builder are built for exactly that workflow.
Regular manual research and you want the biggest possible database? AdSpy. Nothing has more Facebook and Instagram ads, and the landing page snapshots are worth the price on their own.
Budget for AI-powered analysis at $159+/month? Atria. Radar scoring and Raya AI are best in class if the price fits.
Running campaigns across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Google? BigSpy (free tier to start) or PowerAdSpy (modular platform pricing).
Dropshipping or early-stage e-commerce product research? Minea or Dropispy, depending on budget.
Just starting out and want zero commitment? Meta Ad Library (free), plus try Mako Metrics' free tool to see what automated analysis adds.
Once you've picked a tool and pulled your first competitive report, here's how to reverse-engineer what competitors are doing with their targeting.
Final Take
Most people searching for "ad spy tools" are actually looking for two different things: a discovery database for creative inspiration, or an automated monitoring system for ongoing competitive intelligence. Most tools are the first. Mako Metrics is the second.
That doesn't make discovery tools bad. AdSpy and BigSpy are good at what they do. But buying a discovery tool when you need monitoring, or paying for an enterprise AI platform when you only check competitors quarterly, means paying for the wrong thing.
Match the tool to the job. The list above gives you everything you need to make that call.