# The best creative research platforms for paid social > Eight creative research platforms for paid social compared: what each covers, who it suits and what it costs. Prices checked on each site on 31 Oct 2026. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-10-31 - **Category**: Ad research tools - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-best/best-creative-research-platforms --- For most paid social teams, Foreplay covers the most of the research job on its own (saving, searching, tracking and briefs), Atria pairs research with grading your own Meta and TikTok ads, and the free Meta Ad Library is where everyone should start. Segwise suits app advertisers on many ad networks. Pick by the job you need done, not by the biggest ad database. ## Quick comparison | Tool | Best for | Covers | Starting price | |---|---|---|---| | Foreplay | Saving, sharing and briefing ads | Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn libraries | Basic $59/month ($49 billed yearly) | | Atria | Research plus grading your own ads | Meta and TikTok | Core $129/month, billed yearly | | Segwise | App and game advertisers | Many ad networks; Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and Google libraries | Growth $499/month | | Marxx | Research that ends in the next ad | Meta and Google | Per workspace, see [pricing](/pricing) | | Superads | Reporting with a competitor feed | Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn accounts; Meta for competitors | From $125/month | | GetHookd | Low-cost Meta ad search | Facebook and Instagram | Starter $29/month ($19 billed yearly) | | Motion | Analytics for big ad accounts | Meta for research (Inspo) | Starter $999/month | | Meta Ad Library | Free lookup of any brand's live ads | Facebook, Instagram and other Meta apps | Free | Prices read on each company's own site on 31 Oct 2026, shown in US dollars as listed. A creative research platform finds ads, saves them, tags them and helps you decide what to make. An [ad spy tool](/glossary/ad-spy-tool) only does the first part. ## Foreplay A swipe file, Discovery ad search, Spyder competitor tracking on Meta, Briefs and Lens creative analytics. Its Chrome extension saves ads from the Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries and keeps them after they come down. Workflow costs $175/month ($149 billed yearly) for 5 users. Every paid plan starts with a 7-day trial ([pricing](https://www.foreplay.co/pricing)). ## Atria An ad library you can search by copy, on-screen text and spoken words, plus brand following and Radar, which grades your own recent ads by hook, retention, click-through and conversion. It works with Meta and TikTok. Core follows 50 brands with 5 seats. You can start with 1,000 free credits and no card ([Atria](https://www.tryatria.com)). ## Segwise Built around your own creative data. It tags hooks, scenes and calls to action in video, image and playable ads, and links them to results across 15+ networks and your measurement partner. Competitor ads come from the Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and Google ad libraries. A Startup plan at $250/month is open to teams spending under $50K a month, and there is a 7-day trial with no card ([pricing](https://segwise.ai/pricing)). ## Marxx Tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google and decodes each one's hook, offer, social proof and framing. It reads your connected Meta account, tags your own ads by hook, angle, format and offer, and shows the angles you have never tested. Then it builds the next ads on a production canvas ([competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking)). We make Marxx. ## Superads Reporting across Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn accounts, with AI groupings by hook and message. Its Inspiration feature, live since April 2026, follows competitors' current Meta ads. Professional covers up to $100K monthly ad spend, with a 14-day trial ([pricing](https://www.superads.ai/pricing)). ## GetHookd A searchable library of live Facebook and Instagram ads, Brand Spy competitor alerts, boards and AI ad generation. It is the cheapest paid option here. Pro is $49/month ($32 billed yearly) with 3 seats. There is a 7-day trial ([site](https://www.gethookd.ai)). ## Motion Creative analytics for Meta, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn accounts. Motion retired its Creative Research feature and moved saved boards to Inspo on 20 November 2025. Inspo covers Meta ads only and needs a paid plan ([Motion help centre](https://help.motionapp.com/en/articles/9898228-creative-research-legacy-feature)). Starter covers up to $50K monthly ad spend. ## Meta Ad Library Free, with no ad account needed. It shows every active ad on Meta's apps and when it started, but not spend or results for most ads ([Meta](https://transparency.meta.com/researchtools/ad-library-tools/)). See [how to do ad creative research](/guides/how-to-do-ad-creative-research) for a free method. ## How to choose - **Only need a swipe file and briefs:** Foreplay or GetHookd. - **Want research next to your own results:** Atria, Segwise or Marxx. - **Run apps or games on many networks:** Segwise. - **Spend over $50K a month and want deep analytics:** Motion or Superads. - **Moving off MagicBrief, which closed on 31 July 2026:** see [MagicBrief alternatives](/alternatives/magicbrief-alternatives). ## FAQ ### What is a creative research platform? A tool that finds competitor ads, saves them, tags them by hook and angle, and helps you decide what to make next. See [what is creative research](/glossary/creative-research). ### Is the Meta Ad Library enough? To start, yes. A paid platform helps once you track many brands, need ads kept after they stop, or share boards with a team. ### Can these tools show a competitor's spend or results? No. Public ad libraries do not show spend or results for most ads, so any tool that does is estimating. --- - [More Ad research tools articles](https://marxx.ai/library-best/category/ad-research-tools) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-best)