In This Guide
Choosing the right ad spy tool can mean the difference between burning $500 on bad campaigns and finding a 300% ROI niche in your first week.
We spent the past 12 months testing every major ad intelligence platform on the market — running real searches, comparing data freshness, evaluating UI, and tracking which tools actually help you find profitable opportunities.
Quick Comparison Table
| Rank | Tool | Best For | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ArbHunter | Beginners & arbitrage | $39-149/mo | 9.2/10 |
| 2 | Anstrex | Native ad specialists | $69-199/mo | 8.8/10 |
| 3 | BigSpy | Budget-conscious users | Free-$99/mo | 8.3/10 |
| 4 | SpyFu | PPC keyword research | $39-79/mo | 8.5/10 |
| 5 | PowerAdSpy | Social media ads | $49-249/mo | 7.9/10 |
| 6 | AdSpy | Enterprise Facebook spy | $149/mo | 8.0/10 |
| 7 | AdPlexity | Agency-level intel | $99-249/mo each | 8.4/10 |
| 8 | Dropispy | Dropshipping product ads | $29-99/mo | 7.5/10 |
| 9 | Minea | E-commerce TikTok/Pinterest | $49-99/mo | 7.6/10 |
| 10 | Social Ad Scout | Affordable basic spy | $47-127/mo | 6.8/10 |
How We Ranked These Tools
Evaluation Criteria
Data freshness
How quickly new ads appear in the database.
Database size
Total ads and advertisers indexed across platforms.
Filtering power
Can you slice by niche, country, engagement, date, and ad type?
Actionable insights
Does the tool help you do something, or just show raw data?
Value for money
Features relative to price, especially for beginners under $50/mo.
Ease of use
Can a beginner navigate it without watching a tutorial?
We weighted "actionable insights" and "value for money" highest because most beginners don't need the biggest database — they need the fastest path to profit.
1. ArbHunter — Best for Beginners & Ad Arbitrage
Price: $39/mo (Starter) | $79/mo (Pro) | $149/mo (Agency). Platforms: Meta Ads, Google Trends, Google Ads Transparency. Best for: Beginners who want to find profitable niches, not just spy on ads.
ArbHunter takes a fundamentally different approach to ad intelligence. Instead of dumping millions of raw ads on you, it combines Google Trends data with Meta advertising insights to score every opportunity 0-100.
Most ad spy tools show you what competitors are running. ArbHunter shows you what's worth running. The platform cross-references trending search terms with active ad campaigns to surface opportunities where demand is rising but competition hasn't caught up yet.
ArbHunter
- +
Opportunity scoring (0-100) eliminates guesswork
- +
Google Trends + ad data combined in one dashboard
- +
Built-in margin calculator and ROI estimator
- +
5 curated hero verticals with pre-researched keywords
- +
Free tools (calculator, CPC checker, ad copy generator) are genuinely useful
- −
Newer platform with smaller ad database than AdSpy
- −
Focused on arbitrage — not ideal for pure dropshipping
Best for: Ad arbitrage beginners who want to find profitable niches fast. If you're starting with under $500/mo in ad spend, start here. Rating: 9.2/10
2. Anstrex — Best for Native Ads
Price: $69.99/mo per product. Platforms: Native (Taboola, Outbrain, MGID), Push, Pop, TikTok. Best for: Affiliate marketers running native and push campaigns.
Anstrex is the undisputed king of native ad intelligence. Their native ad database is massive, and the filtering is sophisticated — you can filter by ad duration (how long an ad has been running), a strong profitability indicator.
Anstrex
- +
Largest native ad database in the industry
- +
TikTok ad library (Anstrex InStream) is unique
- +
Landing page ripper lets you clone winning funnels
- +
Affiliate network detection reveals competitor offers
- −
Each product (Native, Push, Pop, TikTok) priced separately
- −
No Google Ads or trend data
- −
UI feels dated compared to newer tools
Best for: Experienced affiliate marketers spending $1,000+/mo on native or push. Not ideal for beginners. Rating: 8.8/10
3. BigSpy — Best Free Option
Price: Free (limited) | $9-99/mo paid plans. Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google, Unity, Twitter. Best for: Budget-conscious users who want broad platform coverage.
BigSpy has one massive advantage: a functional free tier. You get 5 searches/day across 7+ platforms — enough to validate whether ad spying is useful for your business before committing money.
BigSpy
- +
Free tier with real functionality
- +
Broadest platform coverage (7+ networks)
- +
Chrome extension for quick ad saves
- −
Free tier is severely limited (5 searches/day)
- −
Data often 24-72 hours stale
- −
No trend analysis or opportunity scoring
Best for: Complete beginners exploring ad intelligence for the first time. Graduate to ArbHunter once you're ready to run campaigns. Rating: 8.3/10
4. SpyFu — Best for Google Ads Research
Price: $39/mo (Basic) | $79/mo (Pro). Platforms: Google Ads, Bing Ads, organic search. Best for: PPC marketers doing keyword research.
SpyFu excels at Google Ads competitive research. See every keyword a competitor has ever bid on, their estimated monthly spend, and their ad copy history — going back 16+ years.
SpyFu
- +
Deepest Google Ads keyword data in the industry
- +
Historical data going back 16+ years
- +
Combined SEO + PPC insights
- +
Affordable pricing ($39/mo entry)
- −
Google Ads only — no social, native, or display
- −
Doesn't show ad creatives (text ads only)
- −
Not designed for arbitrage or trend spotting
Best for: Google Ads specialists reverse-engineering competitor keyword strategies. Rating: 8.5/10
5. PowerAdSpy — Best All-Around Social
Price: $49-249/mo. Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, Reddit, Quora. Best for: Marketers who want one tool covering all social platforms.
PowerAdSpy has been in the game since 2019 with solid coverage across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and newer platforms like Reddit and Quora. They also have the most aggressive content marketing of any competitor.
PowerAdSpy
- +
Multi-platform social coverage (6+ networks)
- +
YouTube ad spy is a differentiator
- +
Good engagement filters (likes, shares, comments)
- −
UI can feel overwhelming for beginners
- −
Lower tiers are significantly limited
- −
No trend data or opportunity scoring
Best for: Intermediate marketers running ads across multiple social platforms. Rating: 7.9/10
6. AdSpy — The OG Facebook Ad Spy
Price: $149/mo (single plan). Platforms: Facebook, Instagram only. Best for: Enterprise-level Facebook ad research.
AdSpy built its reputation as the definitive Facebook ad spy tool. Enormous database, fresh data, powerful search. The catch: it's expensive and Facebook-only.
AdSpy
- +
Largest Facebook/Instagram ad database
- +
Near real-time data freshness
- +
Advanced filtering by engagement, demographics, language
- −
$149/mo with no cheaper tier prices out beginners
- −
Facebook and Instagram ONLY
- −
No blog or educational content — steep learning curve
- −
No trend data or opportunity scoring
Best for: Agencies and marketers with $5K+/mo ad spend focused on Meta platforms. Rating: 8.0/10
7. AdPlexity — Enterprise Multi-Channel
Price: $99-249/mo PER PRODUCT. Desktop, Mobile, Native, Push, Social — each sold separately. Full suite runs $600-800/mo. Comprehensive but overkill for individuals. Rating: 8.4/10
8. Dropispy — Budget Dropshipping Spy
Price: $29.90/mo. Facebook-only, built for finding winning dropshipping products via ad analysis. Good Shopify store analyzer. Useless for non-dropshipping use cases. Rating: 7.5/10
9. Minea — TikTok & Pinterest Ads
Price: $49/mo. Covers Meta, TikTok, Pinterest with unique influencer campaign tracking. Best for e-commerce brands discovering visual product trends. Rating: 7.6/10
10. Social Ad Scout — Affordable Basic Spy
Price: $47/mo. Simple, affordable Facebook/Instagram ad research. Gets the basics right without the premium price. Smaller database, fewer updates. Rating: 6.8/10
Which Tool Should You Pick?
Decision Framework
Budget Under $50/mo
ArbHunter Starter ($39) for arbitrage or BigSpy free/paid ($9-29) for exploring.
Facebook/Instagram Ads
ArbHunter for trend-based opportunities. AdSpy ($149) if you need the biggest database.
Native Ads (Taboola/Outbrain)
Anstrex Native ($69.99) is unbeatable for native ad intelligence.
Google Ads / PPC
SpyFu ($39) for keyword research. Pair with ArbHunter for trend signals.
Stop Browsing Ads. Start Finding Opportunities.
ArbHunter scores every niche 0-100 so you find winners in minutes, not hours. See our plans and start today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Software that lets you see competitor ads across platforms like Facebook, Google, and TikTok. It collects engagement data, ad copy, and sometimes landing page info so you can research winning strategies.
Ad Arbitrage Tools
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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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