In This Guide
AdSpy costs $149/month — more than most beginners earn in their first month of ad arbitrage. The good news: you can replicate 80% of its value using free tools that most marketers overlook.
This guide covers every free AdSpy alternative available in 2026, how each one works, and exactly how professional arbitrageurs use them to find winning campaigns before they spend a single dollar.
What AdSpy Actually Does (And Why It's Expensive)
AdSpy is a database of 161+ million ads running on Facebook and Instagram, searchable by keyword, advertiser, URL, technology, and dozens of other filters. Advertisers use it to:
What Ad Spy Tools Are Used For
Find winning creatives before testing
See which ad designs, copy angles, and formats are getting thousands of likes and shares — proof they're converting before you spend any budget.
Analyze complete funnels
Follow the journey from ad → landing page → offer. Understand how successful arbitrageurs structure their campaigns, what pages they send traffic to, and how they monetize.
Identify profitable niches early
See which advertisers are scaling spend in specific verticals. If 50 advertisers are all running health content ads, that niche is hot — and RPMs will reflect it.
Cut testing costs by 50-70%
A typical arbitrage test costs $500-1,500. Spy tools let you validate what's working before you launch, dramatically reducing wasted spend on losing concepts.
At $149/month, AdSpy is priced for serious media buyers doing $5,000+/month in ad spend. For everyone else, there's a better path.
The $0 Research Stack Overview
Free AdSpy Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Cost | Platforms | Free Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Ad Library | $0 forever | Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp | No CTR/ROAS data, no targeting info |
| BigSpy Free | $0 / 5 searches per day | 9 platforms including TikTok | 5 searches/day, limited filters |
| Dropispy Free | $0 unlimited credits | Facebook (ecommerce focus) | No access to last 2 months of ads |
| Minea Free Trial | $0 for 200-250 credits | Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat | Credits expire after 30 days |
| PowerAdSpy Trial | $0-7 for 3-10 days | 11 platforms inc. YouTube, Reddit | Expires; then $49/mo Basic |
| Swiped.co | $0 forever | Curated archive (all platforms) | No live search; editorial curation only |
| Foreplay | $0 free tier | Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn | Save limit on free tier |
| Google Display Transparency | $0 forever | Google Display Network | Limited creative detail |
Meta Ad Library: The Best Free Tool
The Meta Ad Library is the single most powerful free ad research tool available. Go to facebook.com/ads/library — no account required. You can search all ads running across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads.
How to Use Meta Ad Library Effectively
Search by keyword or competitor
Type any keyword (e.g. "auto insurance savings") or a competitor's brand name. Use quotation marks for exact phrases. Results show all active ads, the page running them, and when the ad started running.
Filter by country and platform
Set the country to "United States" and filter by platform (Facebook, Instagram). For arbitrage, focus on ads that have been running for 30+ days — longevity signals profitability.
Find the landing page
Click "See Ad Details" and look at the destination URL. Visit it to see exactly where traffic goes — a blog post with AdSense, a lead form, or a comparison page.
Identify the monetization model
Read the landing page carefully. Is it monetized by display ads (arbitrage), affiliate links, lead generation, or direct product sales? Each tells you what's profitable for that advertiser in that niche.
Track advertisers over time
Save the URLs of advertisers you find interesting. Check back weekly — if they're still running the same ads, the campaign is profitable. If the ads disappear, the campaign failed.
Meta Ad Library Limitations
What Meta Ad Library Cannot Show You
No performance metrics
CTR, ROAS, conversion rates, and ad spend are completely hidden. You see the ad but not how well it's performing — infer performance from longevity and engagement signals.
No targeting data
Age, interest targeting, custom audiences, and lookalike audiences are not disclosed for standard commercial ads.
No budget information
Exact daily or lifetime spend is not available for any advertiser.
Limited API scope
The Ad Library API only returns ads from the EU or political/social cause ads. US commercial ads are web-interface only (max 2,000 per search).
BigSpy: Free Plan with 5 Searches/Day
BigSpy tracks over 1 billion ads across 9 platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. The free plan gives you 5 searches per day — more than enough for focused daily research.
BigSpy Free Plan: Pros & Cons
- +
Completely free forever — no credit card required
- +
Covers TikTok, which Meta Ad Library doesn't
- +
9+ platforms in a single interface
- +
Shows ad engagement data (likes, comments, shares)
- +
Basic date filtering to find recently launched ads
- −
Only 5 searches per day on the free tier
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Limited access to advanced filters (demographics, ad type)
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Some results may be older cached data
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Basic plan at $9/mo unlocks more searches
Best use case: Use your 5 daily BigSpy searches for TikTok ad research, which Meta Ad Library can't provide. TikTok ad angles often predict what will work on Facebook 60-90 days later.
Dropispy: Unlimited Free Credits
Dropispy's free plan is genuinely free with unlimited credits — but with two major restrictions: you cannot see ads from the last 2 months, and some advanced filters are locked. For arbitrage research on proven long-running campaigns, this is less of an issue.
The platform focuses specifically on Facebook ecommerce and dropshipping ads, adding thousands of new creatives daily. Excellent for finding ad formats and angles that convert in consumer product niches.
Minea: 200 Free Trial Credits (No Card Needed)
Minea's free trial gives you 200-250 credits to explore ads across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and Snapchat — no credit card required. Minea tracks approximately 900 million ads and adds ~90,000 new ads daily. Credits expire after 30 days, so use them strategically.
Getting Maximum Value from Minea's Free Credits
Search high-value niches first
Use credits on finance, insurance, health, and education — where arbitrage margins are highest. Avoid entertainment niches in your trial since those have low RPMs.
Filter by date (last 30 days)
Focus on recently launched ads that are already getting engagement. These are the freshest angles that haven't been saturated yet.
Save every ad you find valuable
Download or screenshot every winning ad before your trial expires. Build a swipe file of proven headlines, hooks, and formats you can reference long after the trial ends.
Analyze landing page patterns
Click through to the destination URLs of top-performing ads. Notice what headline patterns, content formats, and CTA styles appear repeatedly.
PowerAdSpy: Free Trial Options
PowerAdSpy offers multiple trial options: a $0 tier with very limited access, a $1-7 three-day trial, or a 10-day trial covering up to 100 searches and 1,000 ads across 11 platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Google, YouTube, Reddit, and Quora. After the trial, paid plans start at $49/month for the Basic tier.
For the free trial period, PowerAdSpy is the most comprehensive option available. It includes ad performance insights, landing page analysis, and competitor tracking across platforms that BigSpy doesn't cover — particularly YouTube and Reddit, which BigSpy misses.
PowerAdSpy vs AdSpy vs BigSpy
| Feature | AdSpy | PowerAdSpy | BigSpy Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $149/mo | $49/mo (after trial) | $0 / $9-99/mo paid |
| Free access | No free trial | $0-7 trial (3-10 days) | Free forever (5 searches/day) |
| Platforms covered | 2 (FB + IG) | 11 platforms | 9 platforms |
| Database size | 161M+ ads | 200M+ ads | 1B+ ads |
| Performance metrics | Limited | Good | Basic |
| Native/push ads | No | Partial | No |
| Best for | Deep FB research | Multi-platform arbitrage | Budget beginners |
Bonus: Swipe File Tools (100% Free)
Swipe file tools don't give you live ad databases — they give you curated archives of the best-performing ads ever created, with analysis of why they work. For understanding creative strategy and headline psychology, these are invaluable.
Best Free Swipe File Resources
Swiped.co
Archive of 15,000+ high-performing ads and marketing campaigns, with "Swipe Studies" that break down the psychology and strategy behind each ad. Curated by professional direct-response marketers. Completely free.
SwipeFile.com
Free, community-curated collection of classic ads, sales pages, and pricing strategies. Strong emphasis on direct response and performance marketing fundamentals.
Foreplay
Save ads from Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn in one click and build your own private swipe file. The free tier has a save limit, but is enough for individual research. Includes a brief that summarizes ad strategy.
SwipeBuilder
Save and download ads from TikTok, Meta, and Google, then use AI to generate new ad variations based on your saved examples. Excellent for creating first drafts of native ad headlines.
Pro tip: Combine swipe file research with live Meta Ad Library research. Swipe files teach you the timeless patterns; Meta Ad Library shows you what's currently winning. Together they give you both depth and recency.
The Arbitrage Spy Workflow
Combining these free tools into a systematic workflow is what separates profitable arbitrageurs from those who waste ad spend. Here's the exact process:
The $0 Ad Research Workflow
Step 1: Daily Meta Ad Library scan (15 min)
Every morning, search 2-3 keywords related to your target niche. Filter for ads active 30+ days. Screenshot anything interesting. This builds your pattern recognition over time.
Step 2: Use BigSpy for TikTok intelligence (5 searches/day)
Run your 5 BigSpy searches on TikTok content in your niche. TikTok ad angles often predict what will work on Facebook 60-90 days later. Finding trends early = lower CPCs before saturation.
Step 3: Analyze the landing page funnel
For every promising ad you find, visit the destination page. What format is it? How many ads are on the page? What affiliate links appear? This reveals the monetization model.
Step 4: Validate with niche analysis
Use Google Trends and ArbHunter's free niche analysis to validate demand. A great ad angle in a declining niche won't save you. Confirm the niche is growing before investing ad spend.
Step 5: Build your swipe file
Organize screenshots by niche and ad type. After 30 days of daily research, you'll have a library of 100+ winning patterns. This institutional knowledge is worth more than any paid tool.
For native ad spy specifically (Taboola/Outbrain campaigns): free tools have very limited coverage here. Anstrex ($69.99/month) is the lowest-cost credible option for native ad intelligence. The free workflow above is best suited for Facebook/Instagram arbitrage.
Find Winning Niches Before Competitors Do
ArbHunter's free niche analysis shows which verticals have the best arbitrage potential — high CPCs on the monetization side, low ad costs on the traffic side.
Yes. Meta is legally required to maintain the Ad Library under the EU Digital Services Act and US political ad transparency laws. No account required. The only limitation is no performance metrics — you see the ad creative and basic info but not CTR or spend.
Related Guide
Deepen your understanding with the complete guide on this topic.
Niche Finder
Find profitable niches with real market data
Written by
ArbHunter Content TeamArbHunter’s editorial team publishes data‑backed guides, case studies, and expert insights on ad arbitrage.
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