Meta Ad Library is the official, free tool for researching Facebook and Instagram ads. You can see every active ad from any page, including political and social issue ads with detailed targeting information. While it lacks the filtering and historical data of paid tools, it's essential for any competitive research.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Completely free
Official Meta source
All active ads visible
Political ad transparency
Limitations
No historical data for regular ads
Limited filtering options
Who it's for: Essential for anyone researching Facebook/Instagram ads. Use alongside paid tools for historical data.
AdSpy has the largest Facebook and Instagram ad database with over 150 million ads. The powerful filtering lets you search by text, advertiser, engagement, landing page, and more. Historical data shows how long ads have been running, indicating winners. Essential for serious Facebook advertisers.
Starting price$149/mo
Strengths
Largest Facebook ad database
Powerful search filters
Historical run time data
Engagement metrics
Limitations
Facebook/Instagram only
Higher price point
Who it's for: Best for Facebook advertisers who need deep competitive research with the largest historical database.
BigSpy offers the widest platform coverage at an affordable price, tracking ads across Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, and more. The database claims over 1 billion ads. Great for advertisers running across multiple platforms who need unified competitive intelligence.
Starting price$9/mo
Strengths
Covers 9+ ad platforms
Incredibly affordable
Huge database
Good filtering
Limitations
Data quality varies by platform
Less deep than specialized tools
Who it's for: Great for advertisers on multiple platforms who want broad coverage at an affordable price.
SpyFu specializes in Google Ads competitor research, showing the keywords competitors bid on, their ad copy history, and estimated budgets. 15+ years of historical data reveals long-term PPC strategies. Essential for Google Ads managers doing competitive research.
Starting price$39/mo
Strengths
Best Google Ads research
15+ years historical data
Keyword and ad copy history
Budget estimates
Limitations
Google/Bing only
No social ad coverage
Who it's for: Essential for Google Ads managers who need deep competitive keyword and ad copy research.
Minea is built specifically for e-commerce and dropshipping, combining product research with ad intelligence. Track successful products across Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest with sales data and ad performance. The influencer tracking helps find promotion opportunities.
Starting price$49/mo
Strengths
E-commerce/dropshipping focus
Product performance data
Multi-platform coverage
Influencer tracking
Limitations
E-commerce focus only
Less useful for services
Who it's for: Perfect for e-commerce brands and dropshippers researching winning products and ad strategies.
PowerAdSpy tracks ads across Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube, Native, and more with over 100 million ads in the database. The platform shows engagement metrics, estimated targeting, and helps identify winning ad formats and copy patterns.
Starting price$49/mo
Strengths
Multi-platform coverage
Engagement metrics
Targeting insights
Affordable pricing
Limitations
Database smaller than AdSpy
Interface could improve
Who it's for: Good for advertisers wanting multi-platform coverage with engagement and targeting data.
Pipiads focuses exclusively on TikTok advertising intelligence with over 20 million TikTok ads tracked. Find winning TikTok ad creatives, trending products, and successful advertisers. Essential for brands investing heavily in TikTok advertising.
Starting price$77/mo
Strengths
TikTok-focused
Winning ad identification
Trending products
Creative inspiration
Limitations
TikTok only
Newer platform
Who it's for: Essential for brands and agencies running TikTok ads who need competitive creative intelligence.
Data Quality (15%) — Engagement data, targeting info, accuracy.
Value for Money (15%) — Pricing relative to coverage and features.
How to Choose
Choose Meta Ad Library if you need Free Facebook research.
Choose AdSpy if you need Deep Facebook research.
Choose BigSpy if you need Multi-platform on budget.
Choose SpyFu if you need Google Ads research.
Choose Pipiads if you need TikTok ads.
Common Questions
Yes, these tools access publicly available ad data. Meta Ad Library is official, and others aggregate public information. Copying creatives exactly would be unethical, but research is fair game.
Start with Meta Ad Library (free) for Facebook. Add SpyFu for Google Ads. BigSpy offers the best multi-platform value if you need broader coverage.
Look for ads that have been running for 30+ days (indicates profitability), high engagement, and multiple variations (indicates testing). Filter by your industry and copy successful patterns.
Meta Ad Library shows some targeting for political ads. Paid tools estimate targeting based on audience data, but exact targeting isn't publicly available.
