ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your goal is specifically “tell me immediately when Competitor X launches a new ad creative or starts a promotion,” I’d choose a competitor-ad monitoring platform, not a generic “ad spy” database.

My picks

For most teams, I'd start with Brandsearch/Spectre if your competitors are primarily advertising on Meta and TikTok. It says it crawls those libraries daily and specifically alerts when a tracked brand launches a new ad. Brandsearch

If you need Meta + TikTok + Google + YouTube in one place, I'd lean toward AdEye. It combines those ad libraries and advertises alerts when a tracked competitor launches or scales a new ad. AdEye

If you're an agency or larger paid-media team and want deeper competitive intelligence—creative themes, hooks, offers, cadence, geography, share of voice, etc.—GetCrux is the more enterprise-oriented option. GetCrux

One important distinction

Don't buy a tool just because it has a huge “ad database.” You want change detection:

Competitor launches new creative → tool detects it → you get Slack/email alert → creative + copy + offer are attached.

That's substantially more useful than logging into an ad-spy database every morning and manually searching. Recent comparisons make the same distinction between ad discovery and ongoing automated monitoring. Mako Metrics

If you tell me what industry you're in, roughly how many competitors you want to watch, and whether you care about Meta/TikTok only or Google/YouTube too, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and their current pricing/features.

If your core requirement is “tell me the moment a competitor launches a new creative or promotion”, I’d prioritize monitoring + alerts, not a generic ad-spy database.

My shortlist

I'd start with AdEye for your specific use case. It monitors public ads across Meta, Google, TikTok, and YouTube, lets you track specific brands, and says it sends alerts when a competitor launches or scales a new ad. adeye.ai

AdEye

If Meta/Facebook/Instagram is where most of your competitors advertise, Mako Metrics is worth comparing because it is specifically oriented toward automated ongoing competitor monitoring rather than just searching an ad database. www.makometrics.com

If by “promotion” you mean something broader—e.g. “Competitor just launched 20% off, changed their pricing, added a bundle, or put a new offer on their landing page”—that's a slightly different category. You'd want a tool that monitors ads + websites + pricing/promotions, rather than an ad-intelligence tool alone.

If you tell me what industry you're in and which platforms your competitors advertise on (Meta, TikTok, Google, etc.), I can narrow this to the best 2–3 tools and compare pricing/features.

If your goal is specifically “tell me the moment a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion,” I’d choose an ad-intelligence platform, not a generic competitor-monitoring tool.

My picks

Current comparisons show that AdLibrary covers multiple major ad networks and provides timeline/history and alert/API-oriented capabilities, whereas Meta's native library is primarily Facebook/Instagram and the individual platform libraries are siloed. adlibrary.com

What I'd do

If you're a small/mid-sized marketing team: start with AdLibrary.

Set alerts for:

• 🆕 New creative launched
• 🎁 New offer/promotion
• 📝 New messaging/CTA
• 🔄 Significant creative variation
• ⏱️ Competitor suddenly increasing creative volume
• 🛑 Ads that disappear

Then pair it with Visualping for competitor websites. Visualping can alert you when pricing, promotional copy, product pages, or CTAs change, including same-day or faster notifications depending on configuration. visualping.io

If you tell me which channels matter—e.g. Meta, TikTok, Google, LinkedIn—and roughly how many competitors you want to track, I can narrow this to the 2–3 best tools and tell you which one I'd actually buy.

If your main goal is “alert me when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion”, you should choose a competitor ad intelligence / monitoring platform, not just an ad library. The best choice depends on where your competitors advertise and how deep you need the alerts to be. www.getcrux.ai

My shortlist:

My recommendation by situation:

• DTC/ecommerce brand running Meta + TikTok: start with RivalSweeper or a similar Meta/TikTok monitoring tool. www.rivalsweeper.com
• Creative strategy team that wants to know “what hooks and offers are competitors testing?”: choose GetCrux-style creative intelligence. www.getcrux.ai
• Agency managing many clients/competitors: look at enterprise tools like Pathmatics/MediaRadar. www.getcrux.aibacklinko.com
• Small team with a limited budget: combine the free Meta/TikTok/Google libraries with a lightweight monitoring workflow before paying. adlibrary.com

Before picking, check three things:

1. Does it send proactive alerts? (not just a searchable database)
2. Does it track creative changes over time? (new ads, paused ads, offer changes)
3. Does it cover your competitors’ actual channels? A great Meta tool is useless if your rivals are winning on TikTok or Google. adlibrary.com

If you tell me your industry, competitors’ main channels (Meta/TikTok/Google/LinkedIn), and whether you need daily alerts vs weekly reporting, I can narrow it to 2–3 options.

If your goal is specifically “tell me when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion”, I’d choose a competitor ad-monitoring platform, not a basic ad-spy library.

My shortlist

Mako Metrics is specifically positioned around ongoing monitoring of named competitors and notifying you when campaigns launch/pause or strategy changes, rather than simply giving you a database to search. www.makometrics.com

Foreplay is particularly strong if your workflow is “competitor launches → save creative → analyze it → turn it into an internal creative brief.” Its Discovery product currently advertises a very large creative database and a real-time feed. www.foreplay.co

If you need cross-channel monitoring, GetCrux is worth looking at; its current coverage includes Meta, TikTok, Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Snapchat and others. www.getcrux.ai

What I'd pick

For a small/mid-size marketing team: Mako Metrics.

I'd configure alerts for:

• 🆕 New creative launched
• 💰 New promotion/offer detected
• 📝 Major copy/hook change
• 🎥 New creative format
• 🔁 Existing creative significantly modified
• ⏸️ Competitor stops running an ad
• 📈 Creative that's been running unusually long — potentially a signal it's working

One important distinction: the free native libraries are useful but generally don't give you the “competitor X just changed something—alert me” workflow. Meta's Ad Library lets you search currently active Meta ads, while TikTok's Creative Center provides creative discovery and performance information. www.facebook.com

If you tell me what industry you're in and whether you care about Meta, TikTok, Google, or all three, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 platforms and compare their pricing/features.

If your main goal is “tell me immediately when a competitor launches a new creative or starts pushing a new promotion,” I’d choose a dedicated ad-intelligence/monitoring platform, rather than a generic ad-spy database.

My picks

AdEye specifically says it can alert when a tracked competitor launches or scales a new ad, while also tagging hooks, angles and formats. That maps unusually closely to what you're asking for. adeye.ai

GetCrux is more enterprise-oriented and monitors things like competitor ads, offers, CTAs, creative themes, cadence and active days across a broad channel set. www.getcrux.ai

What I'd choose

If you're a small/mid-sized brand: start with AdEye.

If you're primarily watching Meta + Instagram: consider Foreplay or a Meta-focused monitoring product.

If you need Meta + TikTok + Google + YouTube and want serious competitive intelligence: GetCrux.

The important distinction is that you don't just want an ad database. You want a change-detection system that says something like:

🔔 Competitor X launched 3 new ads
🔥 New offer: 25% off
🎬 New format: UGC video
🧠 New messaging angle: “Save time”
📅 First seen: today

That's much more actionable than manually browsing an ad library. Current comparisons also distinguish continuous monitoring/alerts from simple ad discovery. adlibrary.com

If you tell me what industry you're in + which ad platforms you care about (Meta, TikTok, Google, etc.) + roughly how many competitors, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best tools and their current pricing/features.

If your main requirement is “tell me immediately when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion,” I’d choose a dedicated competitor-ad monitoring platform, not the ad libraries themselves.

My picks

For your exact use case, I'd start with AdEye if you advertise across multiple channels. It specifically focuses on pulling competitors' live ads into one feed and identifying hooks, angles and formats. adeye.ai

If you're primarily running Facebook/Instagram ads, I'd lean toward Foreplay/Spyder. Its monitoring component tracks brands and alerts you when new ads launch, while also preserving historical creatives. www.makometrics.com

If you're an agency or larger marketing team and want competitive intelligence beyond just “new ad detected,” GetCrux is more compelling because it tracks creative, offers, messaging, cadence, geography and share of voice across multiple channels. www.getcrux.ai

One important distinction

The free platforms are useful for verification, but they aren't really alerting systems. Meta's Ad Library lets you search currently active Meta ads, while TikTok's Creative Center/TikTok One provides creative discovery and analysis. www.facebook.com

So I'd structure it:

Competitor launches ad → monitoring tool detects it → Slack/email alert → you see creative + copy + offer + landing page → your team decides whether to respond.

If you tell me (1) which ad channels you care about (Meta/TikTok/Google/etc.), (2) roughly how many competitors, and (3) your monthly budget, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 platforms and current pricing.

If your goal is specifically “tell me when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion”, I’d choose a dedicated ad-intelligence/competitor-monitoring platform, rather than relying on the native ad libraries.

My recommendation

For most teams: choose a cross-platform ad monitoring tool.

GetCrux is particularly interesting if you want more than simply seeing the ad: its current positioning includes tracking new creatives, offers, CTAs, messaging angles, cadence, active days and competitor activity across multiple channels. www.getcrux.ai

If I were choosing for your use case

1. GetCrux — best overall
Pick this if you want something like:

“Competitor X launched a new creative today → here's the ad → here's what's different → here's the offer → notify me in Slack/email.”

It's designed around ongoing competitor monitoring rather than manually searching ad libraries. www.getcrux.ai

2. AdLibrary.com — best if you want a broad ad database
Good choice if you have competitors advertising across Meta + TikTok + Google + YouTube + LinkedIn and want everything searchable in one place. adlibrary.com

3. Mako Metrics — consider if you're heavily Meta-focused
It's more appropriate if your competitive activity is primarily Facebook/Instagram and you want automated monitoring layered on top of Meta's Ad Library. makometrics.com

Don't overlook the free native options

Meta's Ad Library lets you search currently active ads, while Google's Ads Transparency Center lets you search active ads by advertiser/website. www.facebook.com

TikTok's Creative Center is also useful for researching competitors and high-performing creatives, although it's more of a discovery/research tool than a true “competitor just launched an ad—alert me” system. ads.us.tiktok.com

Bottom line: If proactive alerts are the main requirement, I'd start with GetCrux. If you tell me which platforms your competitors advertise on (Meta, TikTok, Google, LinkedIn, etc.) and roughly how many competitors you need to monitor, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing/features.

If your specific goal is “tell me immediately when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion”, I’d choose an ad-intelligence/competitor-monitoring platform, not a basic ad-spy database.

My shortlist

Why I'd start with AdEye: it combines Meta, Google, TikTok and YouTube ad libraries into one feed, lets you track a brand, and specifically offers alerts when a tracked competitor launches or scales a new ad. It also tags hooks, angles and formats, which is useful for figuring out what changed, rather than just getting another ad notification. adeye.ai

AdEye

If you have a larger paid-media/creative team, I'd look closely at GetCrux: it covers Meta, TikTok, Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Snapchat and other channels and is built around competitor creative monitoring, offers, messaging, cadence and share of voice. www.getcrux.ai

For a Meta-only operation, Mako Metrics is worth considering because its differentiator is ongoing monitoring of named competitors rather than simply searching an ad database. makometrics.com

One important distinction: Meta's Ad Library is free, but it's primarily a place to look up active ads yourself; the paid monitoring layer is what gives you automated change detection/alerts. www.facebook.com

My recommendation:

• 1–10 competitors + need alerts → AdEye
• Big brand/team + need cross-channel intelligence → GetCrux
• Mostly Meta ads → Mako Metrics
• Mostly creative inspiration/swipe files → Foreplay

If you tell me your industry, how many competitors you want to track, and whether you're mainly Meta/TikTok/Google, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 and compare pricing/features.

If your main requirement is “tell me when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion”, you want an ad monitoring / intelligence platform, not just an “ad spy” database. The best choice depends on where your competitors advertise and how much automation you need. www.getcrux.aiwww.makometrics.com

Best options by use case

My recommendation

• DTC/ecommerce brand mainly running Meta ads: choose Foreplay Spyder if your team cares about creative inspiration and keeping an archive; choose Mako Metrics if you mainly want “what changed this week?” competitor reports. www.getcrux.aiwww.makometrics.com
• Growth team running across several channels: choose a multi-platform intelligence tool like GetCrux or a larger enterprise platform. www.getcrux.aiadlibrary.com
• Small team testing ideas: start with BigSpy + Meta Ad Library, then upgrade once manual monitoring becomes a burden. blog.hubspot.com

Before picking, check these three features specifically:

1. Competitor watchlists (add brands once, get notified automatically)
2. New creative detection (not just “search ads”)
3. Promotion/offer tracking (discounts, landing page changes, new hooks)

If you tell me your industry, ad channels (Meta/TikTok/Google/etc.), number of competitors, and budget, I can narrow it to 1–2 platforms.

If your main requirement is “alert me when a competitor launches a new ad creative or promotion,” I’d choose based on where your competitors advertise:

What I'd pick

Semrush/AdClarity if you need this across multiple channels. It explicitly supports competitor monitoring for new ads and campaigns, with real-time alerts and notifications. www.semrush.com

Mako Metrics if you're specifically a Meta advertiser and want something closer to “Competitor X just launched a new creative—tell me immediately.” makometrics.comspytrend.com

One important distinction: “ad spy” databases and “competitor monitoring” aren't the same thing. BigSpy/AdSpy-type tools are excellent for searching and researching creatives, but if your goal is automatic detection + alerting, prioritize a monitoring product rather than a giant ad library. spytrend.com

If you tell me which channels you care about (Meta, TikTok, Google, LinkedIn, etc.) and roughly how many competitors, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and compare their pricing, alert speed, and coverage.

If your main requirement is “tell me the moment a competitor launches a new creative or promotion”, I’d choose an ad-intelligence/competitor-monitoring platform, not just an ad-spy database.

My shortlist

My pick: AdEye if you want something you can set up quickly and then simply receive alerts. It monitors public ad libraries across Meta, Google, TikTok and YouTube, lets you track brands, and specifically advertises alerts when a competitor launches or scales a new ad. adeye.ai

AdEye

Pick RivalSweeper if your competitors are heavily on Facebook/Instagram + TikTok and you care specifically about detecting new creatives, A/B tests and copy changes automatically. www.rivalsweeper.com

RivalSweeper

Pick Adyntel if you want to build a more sophisticated intelligence workflow—for example, tracking how competitor offers and pricing change over time and feeding the data into your own analysis/LLM workflows. www.adyntel.com

Adyntel

One important distinction

The free native libraries are useful for manual research, but they're not really what you're asking for. Meta's Ad Library lets you search active Meta ads, while TikTok's Creative Center provides creative/ad research; you still have to monitor them yourself. www.facebook.com

So if the desired workflow is:

Competitor launches “20% off” → tool detects it → I get Slack/email alert → I can see the new creative, copy and offer

I'd start with AdEye.

If you tell me which channels your competitors advertise on (Meta, TikTok, Google, LinkedIn, etc.) and roughly how many competitors you want to monitor, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and compare their pricing, alert frequency, and coverage.

If your main requirement is “tell me the moment a competitor launches a new ad creative or changes a promotion,” I’d choose an ad-intelligence/monitoring platform, not a generic competitor-monitoring tool.

My shortlist

The important distinction is monitoring vs. ad spying. Many tools give you a huge searchable database of competitor ads, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll proactively tell you “Competitor X launched a new creative today.” makometrics.com

For example, Adbeat explicitly supports automated notifications when advertisers launch campaigns, while newer multi-channel platforms such as GetCrux emphasize monitoring changes in competitors' ads, offers, hooks, CTAs, formats, and messaging. www.adbeat.com

What I'd pick

If you're a DTC/e-commerce brand: start with Minea or Foreplay.

If you're running paid media across multiple channels: GetCrux is the one I'd investigate first.

If you primarily compete on Meta: don't pay immediately. Use Meta Ad Library as your baseline, then upgrade if manually checking competitors becomes annoying. The free library gives you the actual active Facebook/Instagram ads. www.exposure.com.au

If by “promotion” you mean website changes too — e.g. “Competitor just changed from 20% off to 30% off,” “new product launched,” “new banner appeared” — I'd pair ad monitoring with Visualping, which can alert you when specific competitor webpages change. visualping.io

If you tell me what industry you're in, where your competitors advertise (Meta/TikTok/Google/etc.), and roughly how many competitors you want to monitor, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best platforms and what each will actually alert you about.

If your main goal is “tell me when a competitor launches a new creative or promotion”, I’d choose Foreplay, specifically its Spyder product.

My recommendation

🥇 Foreplay Spyder — best fit for your use case

• Tracks competitors’ Meta ads 24/7 and keeps a historical record. help.foreplay.co
• Can identify new creative launches / creative tests, rather than just giving you a giant ad database. www.foreplay.co
• Provides competitor reports and can surface changes in hooks, landing pages, offers, and creative strategy. www.foreplay.co
• If you care about the creative itself—hooks, angles, formats, copy, landing pages—it's particularly well suited.
• Foreplay Spyder

When I'd pick something else

Minea is particularly interesting if you're running e-commerce: it monitors competitor ads across Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest and adds product/performance intelligence and trend alerts. www.minea.com

One important distinction: if by “promotion” you mean “Competitor X just changed from 20% off to 30% off”, rather than simply launching a new ad, I'd look for a tool that monitors both the ad creative and landing-page/offer changes. Foreplay's Spyder specifically includes landing-page archiving and creative/offer analysis. www.foreplay.co

If you tell me your industry + which platforms you advertise on (Meta/TikTok/Google/etc.) + roughly how many competitors, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and what each would actually alert you about.