AI Ad Creative Tools: What to Compare, What the Plans Cost, and How to Test on One Campaign Brief
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AI ad creative tools sell the same promise, more ad versions for less effort, but their plans count output in different units: generations, credits, videos or seats. The only fair comparison is cost per usable ad, which no vendor publishes. This guide shows what two platforms charge, what their pages say they include, how to turn their plan limits into a per-ad figure, and how to test the tools on one campaign brief.
Prices below were read from vendor pages on 2026-11-01. We did not run these tools on a brief for this article, so there are no quality rankings and no usable-output rates.
AI ad creative tools: two platforms read on their own pages
| Pencil | Creatify | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Core $14 a month ($11 billed annually); Growth $55 ($44 annual); Pro custom, per its pricing page | Standard $15 (shown as "now $10"); Pro $55 ("now $38"); Max $95 ("now $66"); Business $195 ("now $136"), per its pricing page |
| Unit of output | 50 generations a month on Core, 250 on Growth | Monthly credits: 55 on Standard, 280 on Pro, 730 on Max, 1,500 on Business |
| What the page lists | Text, image, video and ad creative agents; ad launch and tracking on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google Display, DV360 and LinkedIn; real-time AI scores | Page-listed example outputs per plan, such as 56 15-second avatar videos on Pro |
| Enterprise terms | Pro lists IP assignment, no training on your data, indemnification and data ringfencing | Enterprise by contact sales |
| Catch to check | A "generation" is not a finished ad | Credits expire after 2 months, according to the page; discounted prices are marked "now" |
Both pages say the plans can change, and Creatify shows both list and discounted prices. When you budget, use the price you will be billed, not the struck-through one.
Turn plan limits into cost per usable ad
Use this formula for any tool:
cost per usable ad = monthly price / (units used x share that become finished ads)A worked example, with a usable share that is hypothetical because no vendor publishes it. Pencil's Growth plan is $55 a month for 250 generations, or $0.22 per generation. If one generation in four becomes a finished ad, that is $0.88 per finished ad. If one in ten does, it is $2.20. The tool's price barely changes; your usable share decides everything.
Creatify's page gives example outputs per plan. On Pro, $55 for 280 credits and 56 example 15-second avatar videos is $0.98 per video at the list price, or about $0.68 at the $38 "now" price. Those figures assume you use all credits on that one output type. Real use mixes types, and credits expire after 2 months.
Add your own time. If editing a generation takes ten minutes and your time is valued at an hourly rate you choose, the editing often costs more than the tool. For context, the median US graphic designer earns $30.27 an hour (BLS, May 2025 data), before benefits.
Eight things to compare before you pay
- Unit of output. Generations, credits, videos or seats: convert each to cost per ad using the formula above.
- Expiry. Creatify says credits expire after 2 months; ask whether unused units roll over.
- Brand controls. Can you save colours, fonts and reference images once, and will the tool apply them every time? Write them down first with our AI brand guidelines template.
- Formats and sizes. List the placements you run and check each is exportable.
- Publishing and tracking. Pencil lists ad launch and tracking across several platforms; check that your ad accounts are on the list.
- Rights and data terms. Pencil's Pro tier lists IP assignment, no training on your data and indemnification. If you need those terms on a lower plan, ask in writing.
- Scores and insights. Pencil lists real-time AI scores. Treat a tool's own score as a lead, not proof; compare it with your results.
- Underlying models. Many platforms sit on top of image and video models. Our guides on choosing an AI image generator and on Midjourney vs Nano Banana vs ChatGPT Images explain how to test those directly.
How to test the tools on one campaign brief
- Write one brief from a real campaign: product, audience, offer, three headlines, brand rules, placements.
- Run it in every tool on a free trial or lowest paid plan, with the same assets uploaded.
- Generate a fixed number of ads, for example 20 per tool, without cherry-picking.
- Mark each ad as usable after five minutes of editing, or not. Count the usable ads.
- Log time and cost. Minutes of editing per usable ad, plan price paid, and the cost per usable ad from the formula.
- Review text and claims. Check spelling, prices, legal lines and anything that looks like a product claim you cannot support.
- Check rights. Read the tool's terms for commercial use and what it says about training on your uploads.
Keep the results in a table. Re-run the test whenever a tool changes models or pricing.
When an agency or subscription is a better fit
If you need ads made rather than a tool to make them, a service may suit you better. Admiral Media prices AI video from €200 per video inside retainers of €4,000 to €21,500 a month, and Penji's top plan lists AI video production. Our best AI design agencies guide lists these firms with the date each price was read, and the 25 questions to ask before hiring covers the terms to request.
What we have not tested
We have not run Pencil, Creatify or any other platform on a campaign brief, so we publish no usable-output rates and no quality rankings. Prices for tools we did not open are left out. The Creatify "now" prices are shown on its page as discounts and may have ended by the time you read this.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest AI ad creative tool?
By the entry prices on the pages we read, Pencil's Core plan is $14 a month and Creatify's Standard is $15 shown at a discounted $10. Cheapest per usable ad is a different number you have to measure.
Do AI ad tools train on my uploads?
It depends on the tool and plan. Pencil's Pro tier lists "no training on your data" among its enterprise terms; ask every vendor for the same in writing.
Do I need to label AI-generated ads?
Rules vary by country and platform and change quickly. Ask a lawyer and check each ad platform's current policy before you launch.
