---
title: "Best Ad Intelligence Tools (2026): 13 Options Compared"
description: "The best ad intelligence tools for seeing who runs ads, where and with what creative: free ad libraries, Semrush, SpyFu, Adbeat, Pathmatics and APIs."
url: https://getaob.com/ad-intelligence-tools
---

# Best ad intelligence tools (2026): who is running ads, and how to sell to them

Ad intelligence tools show which companies are running ads, on which channels, with what creative, and roughly how much they spend. Marketers use them to study competitors. Sellers can use the same data as a signal: a company that just started running LinkedIn ads has a growth budget, a message it is testing, and a demand team that will be judged on pipeline next quarter.

Below is how OneGTM pulls ad data, then the free ad libraries every platform publishes, and the paid ad intelligence tools and APIs, with what each vendor publishes about price. For the wider set of triggers, see [buying signal tools](https://getaob.com/buying-signal-tools).

By [Garrett Wolfe](https://garrettawolfe.com), founder of OneGTM (Clay Artisan Solutions Partner) and former GTM engineer at Unify. Updated October 26, 2026.

Key takeaways

- We pull ad library data per company through treg and Apify, and filter by ad spend in Blitz.
- Meta, LinkedIn, and Google all publish free ad libraries. Spend and targeting detail is mostly limited to EU and political ads.
- Paid tools add spend estimates and history: SpyFu from $33 a month, Semrush Advertising from $99, Adbeat from $249.
- Starting, stopping, or sharply changing ad activity is the signal. A steady ad account says little.
- The ad's offer and landing page tell you what the company is trying to sell, so write to that.

## How OneGTM pulls ad data

We use treg for one-off ad library lookups by company or keyword across Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok, Apify when we need the Meta Ad Library in bulk, and Blitz's ad spend filter when we build a list of companies that advertise. Deepline runs the same lookups inside scheduled plays.

### [treg](https://treg.to/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

OneGTM uses this

Pay-per-call catalog of thousands of data endpoints with ad library lookups from several providers: a company's Google ads from the Ads Transparency Center, Meta and TikTok ad library search, and LinkedIn ad search, with measured success rates shown before you call.

**Best for:** Checking a list of companies for ads without a subscription

**Pricing:** No subscription. You pay per call, with the price shown before each call and no markup. $1.00 free to start. A company's Google ads via Adyntel lists at $0.011 per call.

### [Apify Meta Ad Library scraper](https://apify.com/?fpr=onegtm&utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Apify's own Facebook Ads Scraper returns Meta Ad Library records by page or search URL: ad text, creatives, CTAs, landing links, platforms, start and end dates, and spend and reach where Meta shows them. Other actors cover the LinkedIn and Google libraries.

**Best for:** Bulk pulls from the Meta Ad Library

**Pricing:** From $3.40 per 1,000 ads on the Business plan, up to $5.80 per 1,000 on the free plan. Apify free plan includes $5 of usage a month; Starter $19/month.

### [Blitz](https://www.blitz-api.ai/?aff=garrett&utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

OneGTM uses this

People, company, and job posting API with company filters for ad spend and web traffic alongside funding, so you can build a list of companies that advertise in the same search that finds the people.

**Best for:** Building a list of advertisers with contacts in one search

**Pricing:** Start $99/month with 200,000 records fair use; Scale $499/month with 5,000,000; Build Your Infra from $999/month. 1,000 free records, no card.

### [Deepline](https://deepline.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

OneGTM uses this

GTM data platform where signal plays run on a schedule. Its provider list includes Adyntel for Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok ad lookups, so ad activity can sit next to the other signals in one play.

**Best for:** Checking ad activity on every account in a scheduled play

**Pricing:** Pay as you go at $0.10 per credit with no platform fee.

## Free ad libraries

Every major ad platform publishes a searchable library of the ads running on it. Free and first-hand, with less detail outside the EU.

### [Meta Ad Library](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Every active ad on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, searchable by advertiser or keyword. Reach, targeting, and spend fields appear for ads delivered in the EU and for political ads. The API is limited to those ads.

**Best for:** Seeing every active Meta ad a company runs

**Pricing:** Free.

### [LinkedIn Ad Library](https://www.linkedin.com/ad-library)

Ads that ran on LinkedIn since June 2023, kept for a year after their last impression. EU-targeted ads also show impressions by country, dates, and up to three targeting parameters.

**Best for:** Seeing which B2B companies advertise on LinkedIn and what they say

**Pricing:** Free.

### [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com)

Ads served by an advertiser across Search, YouTube, Display, and other Google surfaces, filterable by region and date, with verified advertiser names. EEA ads have extra detail and API access.

**Best for:** Checking whether a company runs Google Search or YouTube ads

**Pricing:** Free.

Choosing tools for an outbound build?

Send me your current stack and what you want it to do. I'll tell you what I'd keep and what I'd change.

Get a stack review

## Paid ad intelligence tools and APIs

These add history, spend and impression estimates, keyword data, and alerts. Search ad tools are cheap. Cross-channel spend estimates are priced for brands and agencies.

### [Semrush Advertising Toolkit](https://www.semrush.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Paid search research with competitors' keywords, positions, and ad copies. The Pro tier adds AdClarity data on competitor display, video, and social ads and their landing pages.

**Best for:** Teams already on Semrush who want competitor paid search data

**Pricing:** Base $99/month and Pro $220/month, billed annually.

### [SpyFu](https://www.spyfu.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Google Ads competitor research: the keywords a domain buys, estimated clicks and cost, years of ad test history, and alerts on new competitors bidding on your keywords.

**Best for:** Cheap Google Ads history on any domain

**Pricing:** Membership from $33/month with unlimited data and downloads, no contract, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

### [Adbeat](https://www.adbeat.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Display, programmatic, and native ad intelligence with creatives, publishers, and competitor alerts. Spend estimates are on Enterprise.

**Best for:** Display and native ad research

**Pricing:** Basic free. Standard $249/month; Advanced $399/month; Enterprise by call.

### [Sensor Tower (Pathmatics)](https://sensortower.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Cross-channel digital ad intelligence, formerly Pathmatics: estimated spend and impressions plus creatives across social, display, video, CTV, programmatic, and retail media.

**Best for:** Brands and agencies that need spend estimates across every channel

**Pricing:** Custom pricing; request a demo.

### [BigSpy](https://bigspy.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Ad spy tool with a large database of social ad creatives across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other networks, aimed at ecommerce and performance marketers.

**Best for:** Browsing social ad creatives by keyword

**Pricing:** Free plan. Starter $49, Growth $119, Scale $299, Ultimate $399 per month billed annually ($69, $159, $399, $499 monthly).

### [Adyntel](https://www.adyntel.com/?utm_source=onegtm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ad-intelligence-tools)

Ad library API that returns a company's ads from Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok by domain. You pay only for calls that return data.

**Best for:** Developers adding ad activity to an enrichment pipeline

**Pricing:** 50 free credits. $44/month for 5,000 credits, $179 for 25,000, $321 for 50,000. Pay as you go $11 per 1,000 credits. One credit per platform lookup.

Prices are from each vendor's site as of October 2026 and change often, so check before you buy. This is an opinionated list, not a paid ranking. Some links are referral links that may earn us a credit; that never changes what you pay or who makes the list.

## Ad intelligence tools compared

| Tool | Best for | Starting price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| treg (OneGTM uses) | Checking a list of companies for ads without a subscription | Pay per call; $1 free |
| Apify Meta Ad Library scraper | Bulk pulls from the Meta Ad Library | From $3.40 per 1,000 ads |
| Blitz (OneGTM uses) | Building a list of advertisers with contacts in one search | From $99/month |
| Deepline (OneGTM uses) | Checking ad activity on every account in a scheduled play | $0.10/credit, no platform fee |
| Meta Ad Library | Seeing every active Meta ad a company runs | Free |
| LinkedIn Ad Library | Seeing which B2B companies advertise on LinkedIn and what they say | Free |
| Google Ads Transparency Center | Checking whether a company runs Google Search or YouTube ads | Free |
| Semrush Advertising Toolkit | Teams already on Semrush who want competitor paid search data | From $99/month billed annually |
| SpyFu | Cheap Google Ads history on any domain | From $33/month |
| Adbeat | Display and native ad research | From $249/month |
| Sensor Tower (Pathmatics) | Brands and agencies that need spend estimates across every channel | Custom pricing |
| BigSpy | Browsing social ad creatives by keyword | Free; Starter $49/month billed annually |
| Adyntel | Developers adding ad activity to an enrichment pipeline | From $44/month |

Starting prices as published by each vendor in October 2026.

## What ad activity tells a seller

A company running paid ads has a marketing budget and someone accountable for the results. The ads themselves show what it is trying to sell, to whom, and with what offer. That is useful even if you do not sell anything to marketers.

For agencies and martech vendors, the ad is the product they will touch: weak creative, a generic landing page, or no retargeting is the opening. For everyone else, ads reveal launches, new markets, and new segments weeks before a press release.

- First ads on a channel: a new budget and a new owner.
- A sharp rise in active ads: a launch or a quarter-end push.
- Ads stopped: budget cut, which can mean a pivot or a frozen deal.
- New ad copy aimed at a new segment or region.
- Landing pages that point to a demo form with no follow-up offer.

## The limits of ad data

The free libraries show creative and dates well, but outside the EU most commercial ads come without spend, reach, or targeting. Meta's API only returns EU-delivered and political ads. LinkedIn shows impressions and targeting only for EU-targeted ads.

Spend figures in paid tools are modeled estimates, built from panels and sampled impressions. Treat them as a ranking, such as large, medium, or small, rather than a number to quote in an email. Match each advertiser to a domain before you enrich, because advertiser names in the libraries are often legal entities or agency accounts.

## How to use ad intelligence in outbound

Here is the play. Each week, check every account in your TAM for active ads on Meta, Google, and LinkedIn through an ad library API. Store the count of active ads per channel and the newest creative. Flag accounts that started advertising on a channel in the last 30 days or doubled their active ads. Those are the leads.

For each flagged account, find the head of demand generation or growth, plus the founder at smaller companies. Have a model read the newest ad and its landing page and write one line about the offer and the audience it targets. Open with that, then tie it to your product: more pipeline from the same spend, better follow-up on the leads the ads create, or faster creative. Send while the campaign is still live, since an ad that has stopped running is a dead reference.

- Signal: new channel or a jump in active ads, not steady activity.
- Who: demand gen or growth lead; founder below 50 people.
- First line: the offer in their newest ad, in your words.
- Proof: one specific gap, such as a landing page with no follow-up.
- Timing: within two weeks of the change.

## When to get help with ad signals

Looking up a competitor's ads is free. The work is checking thousands of accounts every week, spotting the ones that changed, finding the person who owns the budget, and writing a line about their ad that does not sound scraped.

OneGTM builds ad-signal plays on treg, Apify, Blitz, and Deepline that check your accounts, flag new and growing advertisers, find the owner, and push them to Instantly or HeyReach. You own the data and the workflows.

- You sell to marketers and want to know who just started spending.
- You check competitor ads by hand and want it automated.
- You want ad copy and landing pages to inform your first lines.
- You are deciding whether a paid ad intelligence tool is worth it.

Book a call

## Ad intelligence tools FAQ

### What are the best ad intelligence tools?

For free, start with the Meta Ad Library, LinkedIn Ad Library, and Google Ads Transparency Center. SpyFu and Semrush Advertising cover paid search history, Adbeat covers display and native, and Sensor Tower (Pathmatics) estimates spend across channels. OneGTM pulls ad data through treg, Apify, and Blitz.

### How much do ad intelligence tools cost?

The platform ad libraries are free. SpyFu starts at $33 a month, Semrush's Advertising Toolkit at $99 a month billed annually, BigSpy at $49 a month billed annually, and Adbeat at $249 a month. Adyntel's API starts at $44 a month, and Sensor Tower uses custom pricing.

### Can I see how much a competitor spends on ads?

Only as an estimate. The free libraries show spend for political ads and some EU ads. SpyFu, Semrush, Adbeat Enterprise, and Sensor Tower model spend from panels and sampled impressions, so use the figures to rank advertisers rather than to quote exact budgets.

### Is there an API for ad libraries?

Yes. Meta's Ad Library API covers EU-delivered and political ads, and Google offers API access for EEA ads. Adyntel, treg, and Apify actors return ads by company or keyword across Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok on a pay-per-call basis.

### How do I use ad intelligence as a sales signal?

Watch for change: a company starting ads on a new channel or sharply increasing its active ads. Contact the demand gen or growth lead within two weeks, open with the offer in their newest ad, and tie your product to the pipeline those ads are meant to create.

### What does the LinkedIn Ad Library show?

The LinkedIn Ad Library shows ads that ran on LinkedIn since June 2023, kept for a year after their last impression, with the advertiser, creative, and dates. For EU-targeted ads it also shows impressions by country and up to three targeting parameters.

Want to know which accounts just started spending on ads?

## Related

- [Best buying signal tools](https://getaob.com/buying-signal-tools): Signal platforms and data feeds for job changes, hiring, funding, and intent, with what OneGTM uses.
- [Best tech stack tracking tools](https://getaob.com/tech-stack-tracking-tools): Website scanners and technographic data providers, with pricing and which kind fits your ICP.
- [Best intent data providers](https://getaob.com/intent-data-providers): Bombora, G2, TrustRadius, 6sense and more for third-party intent, with how to test them.
- [B2B social listening tools](https://getaob.com/social-listening-tools): Keyword listeners for Reddit, X, LinkedIn, and Hacker News, with pricing and how to turn posts into conversations.
- [Website traffic data](https://getaob.com/web-traffic-data): Traffic estimate tools and free rankings for using website growth as a sales signal, with pricing.
- [Funding data for sales](https://getaob.com/funding-data): Where to get new funding rounds, with pricing and the play that turns a raise into a meeting.

## Get an ad signal review

Tell me what you're building. I reply the same day.

Book a call at [getaob.com/#contact](https://getaob.com/#contact) or email [team@getaob.com](mailto:team@getaob.com).