In business, staying ahead of the competition means being smarter with data, especially when it comes to advertising. Knowing what your competitors are up to, how they’re spending, and which ads work for them can transform the way you plan campaigns. Ad intelligence software does just that, offering insights to craft better ads, make smarter decisions, and track results. For entrepreneurs and business owners, these tools are not just helpful, they’ve become a necessity.
But here’s the challenge: which tool should you use when there are so many in the market? I’ve tried a mix of these tools through my entrepreneurial journey, and I’ll break down the six best in this guide, the features that separate them, pricing, and their best use cases.
The Tools That Make a Difference
1. Similarweb
Sometimes, you need an all-in-one platform that tracks not only ads but also competitors’ traffic, SEO strategies, and broad market movements. That’s where Similarweb comes in. The tool helps you uncover which ad creatives are performing best for your competitors, which publishers they’re using, and much more.
- What’s Best About It: Multi-channel intelligence that covers everything, SEO, mobile, and paid channels.
- Pricing: Starting at $649 per month, it’s on the expensive side but offers details you won’t find in basic or free tools.
- Best For: Large businesses that need big-picture data to stay ahead in crowded markets.
Interested? You can learn more about what makes Similarweb invaluable for scaling your business.
2. Semrush Advertising Toolkit
Semrush isn't just for tracking organic search performance. Its advertising toolkit pinpoints competitor ads, budgets, and keywords across multiple platforms like Google Shopping and TikTok. With detailed ad insights paired with AI-driven campaign tools, it’s great for businesses managing both organic and paid strategies.
- What Stands Out: Built-in tools for analyzing ads alongside organic content.
- Pricing: Between $99 and $220 per month, depending on how many features you need.
- Best For: Small and mid-sized eCommerce brands looking to optimize their campaigns with one software for both PPC and SEO.
Explore why Semrush Advertising Toolkit is a must-have.
3. SpyFu
Google Ads researchers, this one’s for you. SpyFu simplifies competitor keyword research and uncovers years of historical ad data. The transparency on budget allocation and ad testing is incredible, perfect for discovering patterns without having to burn through your own ad budget on trial and error.
- Key Advantage: Find every ad a competitor has tested, as well as related winning keywords.
- Pricing: Ranges from $39 to $249 monthly, depending on the tools and data depth you want.
- Best For: Startups focusing primarily on Google Ads who want deep historical trend analysis.
See how SpyFu digs deep with advanced ad intelligence features for PPC campaigns.
4. PowerAdSpy
Social media advertising is often unpredictable, but PowerAdSpy helps tremendously. With coverage for 11 platforms, including TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and Quora, it breaks down social ad performance by engagement metrics like clicks, shares, and responses to calls-to-action. This makes spotting trends easy.
- What Sets It Apart: The filter options, track by engagement level, ad type, or platform.
- Pricing: Tiered from $69 to $399 per month for additional features or access to more platform data.
- Best For: Businesses running highly visual and shareable campaigns, especially retailers or content creators.
Discover more about boosting your creative campaigns with PowerAdSpy.
5. Adbeat
If you care about display and programmatic ads or media-buying strategies, Adbeat cuts to the chase. On top of showing top-performing ads, it digs into landing pages to reveal conversion strategies. Knowing what works end-to-end in your competitors’ campaigns can save serious time and dollars.
- Unique Feature: Pairs creative insights with publisher and media-buying data.
- Pricing: $249+ per month, with more advanced filtering unlocked at $399+.
- Best For: Mid-sized brands and agencies using display ads as part of their larger strategies.
Check out how Adbeat helps with full-funnel ad intelligence.
6. Pathmatics (now part of Sensor Tower)
Pathmatics has taken enterprise-level ad intelligence to the next level. It connects ad data with insights about spend, frequency, impressions, and cross-channel share-of-voice, including OTT platforms. The flexibility with custom reporting makes it a trusted tool for big corporations.
- What Makes It Unique: Combines video, social, mobile, and OTT into one view.
- Pricing: Custom quotes, depending on the needs of the business.
- Best For: Global brands or agencies with major advertising budgets looking for fine-grained performance tracking.
Dive deeper into Pathmatics for enterprise-level insights.
How to Start Using These Tools
When deciding which tool fits your business, focus on what drives your growth.
- Identify your platform focus: Are you on Google? Social platforms? OTT content?
- Set a budget: Choose a tool that aligns with your financial goals, don’t stretch for features you won’t use.
- Start with competitive insight: Use the chosen tool for a month to test real campaigns and zero in on your rivals’ best moves.
- Iterate: Ad data is dynamic. Check back every quarter to realign strategies.
Common Mistakes You Can Avoid
While testing ad intelligence software for startups, I’ve bumped against a few walls. Here’s what most people, and I, tend to get wrong.
- Overanalyzing minute trends: Keep insights actionable. Avoid chasing small ad variations unless you’re a data team.
- Ignoring free resources: Baseline your research with free tools like the Google Ads Transparency Center before investing in premium tools.
- Underestimating time to learn: Complex tools like Similarweb aren’t plug-and-play. Allocate some team training time upfront.
Final Thoughts
For entrepreneurs and scrappy startups, ad intelligence tools are game-changers in cutting through the noise. Each tool, and yes, this includes even the premium platforms requiring a hefty subscription, is an investment toward building superior campaigns. Whether you’re running Google Ads, focusing on Facebook, or targeting a cross-channel funnel, one of these six tools will fit perfectly with your needs.
The market isn’t about who spends more on ads, it’s about who spends smarter. So, start tracking, analyzing, and outsmarting. For me, tools like Semrush and Adbeat simplified complex competitive insights, and they can do the same for you. Explore your options, stay curious, and let the numbers tell the story.
FAQ
1. What is ad intelligence software?
Ad intelligence software helps marketers analyze competitor ads, including keywords, budgets, creative performance, and landing page effectiveness across multiple advertising platforms. Learn more about ad intelligence software
2. What are the top ad intelligence tools in the market?
The top tools include Similarweb, Semrush Advertising Toolkit, SpyFu, PowerAdSpy, Adbeat, and Pathmatics. Each offers unique strengths, from cross-channel visibility to social media tracking or enterprise-level features. Explore the top ad intelligence tools
3. Which tool is best for small eCommerce businesses?
Semrush Advertising Toolkit is ideal for small and mid-sized eCommerce brands, providing detailed competitor ad insights alongside SEO tools. Discover Semrush Advertising Toolkit
4. What is the most affordable tool for Google Ads research?
SpyFu is the most affordable option for Google Ads intelligence, offering deep historical data at prices starting from just $39 per month. See how SpyFu supports PPC campaigns
5. Which tool can help with social media ad engagement?
PowerAdSpy is particularly great for tracking social media ad engagement across 11 platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Quora, and more. Learn about PowerAdSpy
6. Which platform is the best for understanding display ad performance?
Adbeat specializes in display and programmatic ads, it also provides insights into landing page success and media-buying strategies. Get insights into Adbeat
7. What is Pathmatics best suited for?
Pathmatics is best for enterprise-level ad spend intelligence, offering comprehensive analysis across social, mobile, video, and OTT. Explore Pathmatics
8. Are there free alternatives to paid ad intelligence tools?
Free resources include platforms like the Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency Center, and TikTok Creative Center, though they lack historical data and advanced features.
9. What is a unique feature of Similarweb?
Similarweb provides cross-channel analytics, combining ad, SEO, traffic, and market intelligence to give a holistic view of competitors' strategies. Learn how Similarweb offers multi-channel intelligence
10. How can ad intelligence tools benefit startups?
Ad intelligence tools help startups optimize ad spend, analyze competitors’ campaigns, uncover winning creative strategies, and save time by avoiding manual ad research. Understand the benefits of ad intelligence tools for startups
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.