Top 7 Smartly Alternatives: Which Competitor is Best in 2025?

Marketers turn to Smartly to help manage ad campaigns at scale, but it’s not the only option out there. Depending on your goals, team size, or creative workflow, you might want to explore a Smartly alternative that fits your needs a little better.

This guide walks through common reasons teams start looking, what to consider when comparing tools, and a breakdown of the top platforms worth checking out.

In this article, we’ll cover: 

• Why teams search for Smartly alternatives
• The top 7 Smartly competitors

Let’s jump right into why people may need a Smartly.io alternative.

Why people look for Smartly alternatives

Smartly.io is a popular choice for managing multi-channel ad campaigns at scale. It offers automation, testing tools, and creative management features that can work well for bigger teams.

Still, it’s not the right fit for everyone. Here’s why some marketers start looking for a Smartly alternative:

• Pricing can feel gated: You usually need a sales call just to find out how much it costs
  
  
• Creative flexibility is limited: Customization often depends on templates or having in-house design support
  
  
• It’s hard to see what’s working: Reports don’t break down which creative elements drive performance
  
  
• Takes time to learn: Smaller teams can find the setup process slower than expected
  
  
• Built for bigger teams: The workflow assumes access to technical and creative resources

That’s where other tools come in with:

• More accessible pricing: Plans that work for different team sizes and budgets
  
  
• Creative-first workflows: Easier ways to build static, video, UGC, and branded content
  
  
• Built-in performance insights: Clear feedback on what’s working and what needs to change

The 7 Best Smartly Alternatives in 2025: TL;DR

1. Bestever: Best for creative teams focused on performance
2. Pencil: Best for AI-generated ad variations
3. Creatopy: Best for template-based display and banner ads
4. Hunch: Best for product feed automation and DPA creatives
5. AdCreative.ai: Best for startup-friendly creative generation
6. Madgicx: Best for full-funnel ad automation and media buying
7. Canva: Best for quick, no-fuss ad creative design

1. Bestever: Best for creative teams focused on performance

Bestever helps marketers improve ad results by analyzing creative performance before launch. It connects to your Meta account, scores your ads based on historical data, and flags what’s likely to fatigue so you can make changes early.

Advantages over Smartly

Bestever has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• Creative performance insights before launch
• Predictive scoring for CTR, CPA, and hold rate
• Built-in fatigue detection to extend ad lifespan
• Creative “remix” feature to generate new concepts fast
• Competitor analysis tool to benchmark creative performance

Ideal users

Bestever is great for marketing teams that want real-time creative feedback without heavy design or dev support.

Pricing

Bestever offers a 7-day free trial, then pricing starts at $99 per month. Enterprise pricing is also available.

Bottom line

Use Bestever to know why your ads are working and how to fix the ones that aren’t. It’s a solid pick for teams that want faster insights, more creative control, and fewer surprises after launch. 

2. Pencil: Best for AI-generated ad variations

Pencil helps marketers generate fresh ad creatives using AI, then test them across Meta platforms to see what performs best. It’s built for speed, just input your brand assets and campaign goals, and Pencil handles the creative variations from there.

Advantages over Smartly

Pencil has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• Fast AI-generated creative without needing templates
  
• Easy setup with brand kits and auto-copywriting
  
• Ongoing creative testing to learn what works
  
• Creative predictions based on ad performance data

Ideal users

Pencil is ideal for teams that want to produce lots of ad variations quickly without overloading a designer.

Pricing

Pencil offers a free trial and a demo. Then, the Basic plan starts at $14 per month for 50 generations per month.

Bottom line

Pencil is a solid choice if you need quick, AI-assisted creative that adapts to performance feedback and scales fast.

3. Creatopy: Best for template-based display and banner ads

Creatopy focuses on helping teams build and scale static ads across multiple sizes, platforms, and formats. It’s handy for display campaigns, with a drag-and-drop builder, pre-made templates, and bulk editing features that speed up production.

Advantages over Smartly

Creatopy has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• Simple creative workflow with ready-to-use templates
  
• Batch editing for multi-size display ads
  
• Brand kit support for visual consistency
  
• Collaboration tools for internal reviews and feedback

Ideal users

Creatopy works well for design-light teams running display ads who need quick turnaround and consistent branding.

Pricing

Creatopy offers a 7-day free trial, then plans start at $45 per month for one seat and 100 export credits per month.

Bottom line

If you're running lots of static ads and want a fast, organized way to manage them, Creatopy gets the job done with less manual work.

4. Hunch: Best for product feed automation and DPA creatives

Hunch helps performance teams turn large product catalogs into dynamic ad creatives, especially for ecommerce. It connects directly to your product feed and automates creative generation for Meta and other platforms, making it easier to scale campaigns without manual design work.

Advantages over Smartly

Hunch has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• Automated dynamic ad creation from product feeds
  
• Built-in creative testing and performance tracking
  
• Custom templates tailored to ecommerce workflows
  
• Localized and personalized ad delivery at scale

Ideal users

Hunch works well for ecommerce brands or agencies managing large product sets and frequent promotions.

Pricing

Hunch offers custom pricing. To learn more, you can request a demo.

Bottom line

Hunch is a strong pick for teams that need to generate hundreds of ad variations fast, especially when product inventory is changing often.

5. AdCreative.ai: Best for startup-friendly creative generation

AdCreative.ai is built for speed. It uses AI to generate ad visuals, headlines, and even landing page elements, making it easy for small teams to launch campaigns quickly without a full design stack. It’s especially popular among startups and agencies looking to scale without the overhead.

Advantages over Smartly

AdCreative has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• Plug-and-play creative generation with minimal setup
  
• Supports multiple ad formats and channels
  
• AI-written headlines and calls to action
  
• Integrates with Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and more

Ideal users

AdCreative is good for startups, agencies, and solo marketers who need fast creative output with limited resources.

Pricing

AdCreative AI has a free trial, and then pricing starts at $39 per month. However, you only get 10 downloads a month at this price.

Bottom line

AdCreative helps smaller teams move faster with ready-to-use assets, AI copy, and channel integrations that don’t require a designer or developer.

6. Madgicx: Best for full-funnel ad automation and media buying

Madgicx combines creative testing, campaign automation, and media buying into one platform. It gives marketers control over targeting, budgeting, and creative performance from a single dashboard, with AI recommendations to help optimize at every stage of the funnel.

Advantages over Smartly

Madgicx has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• Full-funnel campaign automation, not just creative
  
• AI-powered targeting and bid optimization
  
• Built-in creative performance tracking
  
• Strong Meta integration for real-time data

Ideal users

Madgicx can be good for marketers managing both creative and media buying who want a single tool to handle both sides.

Pricing

Madgicx has a free trial, then the All-in-One with AI plan starts at $39 per month.

Bottom line

Madgicx is a great fit for teams that want both creative and performance tools in one place, especially if you're running Meta campaigns at scale.

7. Canva: Best for quick, no-fuss ad creative design

Canva is a go-to design tool for marketers who need to create ad visuals fast without advanced design skills. With thousands of templates, drag-and-drop editing, and brand kit features, it’s easy to turn ideas into ready-to-launch assets across formats.

Advantages over Smartly

Canva has a few advantages over Smartly, including:

• User-friendly design tools for static ad creatives
  
• Massive template library with built-in resizing
  
• Team collaboration and brand kits for consistency
  
• No design or coding experience required

Ideal users

Canva is a good choice for marketers and small teams who want fast, polished visuals without relying on designers.

Pricing

Canva has a free forever plan that allows you limited access to certain features. Then, the Canva Pro plan starts at $15 per month for one user.

Bottom line

Canva is great if you need to produce static ads quickly and keep things on-brand, especially when you don’t have a full creative team.

How we chose these Smartly competitors

The platforms in this guide were picked based on what real marketing teams are looking for when they start searching for a Smartly alternative. We looked for Smartly alternatives that deliver:

• Creative flexibility: Support for different ad types like UGC, video, static images, and branded content
  
  
• Built-in performance insights: More than just dashboards — actual feedback on what’s working
  
  
• Transparent pricing: No hidden costs or surprise paywalls
  
  
• Ease of use: Especially important for lean or growing teams
  
  
• Strong Meta and TikTok support: The channels most teams are actively investing in

We also considered secondary traits like:

• AI-powered creative recommendations
  
• Collaboration tools for internal and external teams
  
• Customizable workflows that don’t require dev time

Final verdict: Which Smartly alternative should you pick?

The right tool really depends on what you’re trying to solve. All of these tools offer a different angle on what Smartly does. And in some cases, they do it faster, cheaper, or with less complexity. It just comes down to how you like to work and what gaps you’re trying to fill. 

However, you can consider the below:

• If you need ad automation with templates: Try Creatopy or AdCreative
  
• If you want fast, AI-generated visuals: Go with Pencil or Canva
  
• If you want to understand and improve creative performance: Bestever is your best bet

Frequently asked questions

What is Smartly used for?

Smartly is an ad automation platform that helps teams manage campaigns across Meta, TikTok, and other channels. It focuses on scaling creatives, automating media buying, and testing performance, mainly for larger teams with dedicated design and dev support.

What is Smartly.io pricing?

Smartly doesn’t list their pricing publicly. If you want to learn more, you can book a demo.

Why do marketers switch from Smartly?

Marketers tend to move away from Smartly when they want faster creative workflows, more visibility into what makes an ad work, or pricing that feels more flexible. Platforms like Bestever offer creative analysis tools that help teams understand performance drivers before launch.

Which Smartly competitors support UGC ads?

Several Smartly alternatives on this list support UGC workflows. Pencil and Bestever both make it easy to test, iterate, and scale creatives using UGC. Bestever also includes creative analytics to show which formats and messages resonate with your audience.

What are some Dynamic Yield competitors?

If you're looking for alternatives to Dynamic Yield, you'd want to explore personalization and experience platforms like Optimizely, Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Adobe Experience Cloud. These tools focus more on A/B testing, journey orchestration, and real-time web personalization.

Who typically uses platforms like Bestever?

Bestever is especially helpful for marketers and creative strategists who need to understand which creative elements drive performance. It’s built for fast-moving teams that care about results, not just volume.

How Bestever can support your team with creative performance

If you're searching for a Smartly alternative that gives you more control over creative performance, Bestever makes a strong case. It’s built for marketers who want to move faster, get clearer answers, and actually understand what makes their ads work.

Bestever is a creative analysis platform built to help you spot what’s working (and what isn’t) before you spend more. It can analyze your ad visuals, suggest specific changes, generate fresh creative assets, and help your team make smarter decisions without slowing down.

Here’s how:

• Analyze your ads' effectiveness: Bestever’s Ad Analysis Dashboard gives you instant feedback on an ad's visual impact, brand alignment, sales orientation, and audience engagement. It’ll even break down each element in detail. 
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• Get suggestions to improve every frame: If an ad isn’t hitting the mark, ask Bestever to tell you what’s wrong and get instant actionable suggestions on what to do to fix it. No more guessing or wasting time — your team can start fixing those issues asap. 
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• Understand your audience: Bestever’s audience analysis tools go beyond sharing standard demographics, helping refine both targeting and messaging. You can share your website URL or integrate it with your ad manager, and it’ll quickly let you know who wants to hear more from you. 
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• Rapid asset generation: Fetch AI-generated images, stock photos, and video clips that all fit your brand voice. Then you can share the creatives with your team to make multiple ad variations faster.
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• Instant feedback loop: Know immediately why an ad variant underperforms, then pivot before wasting your budget.

Ready to improve your ad creative without overcomplicating your stack? See how Bestever can fit into your workflow.

Schedule a free demo of Bestever now.