Free Ad Spy Tools for Competitor Analysis in 2025

In 2025, running ads without tracking what your competitors are doing is like sailing without a compass. Whether you're a marketer, founder, or agency, knowing what kind of ads are working in your niche helps you stay ahead. It saves money, inspires better creatives, and gives you an edge in crafting high-converting campaigns. That's where ad spy tools come in. These tools play a vital role in brand analysis, retail competitor analysis, and developing strategies for how to advertise smarter.

Below are five of the most powerful free tools you can use to analyze competitor ads, including one that takes a more automated, AI-driven approach—Chromatic Labs.

1. Meta Ad Library

Meta's official ad library lets you view all currently running ads on Facebook and Instagram. You can search by brand or keyword and filter by region. It's basic but reliable, perfect for getting a surface-level look at competitor creatives.

Pros: Free, easy to use, official source.
Cons: No historical data, limited analysis, no performance metrics.

This is one of the easiest ways to start if you're wondering how to see competitors' ads on Facebook.

2. Chromatic Labs AdSpy Tool

Chromatic Labs offers an ad spy tool that leverages AI Agents to automate competitive analysis. Instead of manually browsing through hundreds of ads, the tool pulls in your competitors' image and video ads across Meta platforms and provides digestible insights.

You can explore:

Common hooks and messaging styles
Call-to-action patterns
Emerging trends and formats

This makes it a powerful Facebook ad spy tool (free to try) for those focused on competitor research. What makes it particularly useful is how it summarizes these insights for you—removing the need to click into each ad individually. It even includes a feature to generate similar ad formats based on the patterns identified.

Pros: AI-driven analysis, time-saving, easy creative inspiration.
Cons: Currently focused on Meta platforms.

With Chromatic, you don't just find ads—you find winner ads with context. It's a strong solution in the space of competitor ad analysis AI.

3. TikTok Creative Center

TikTok offers a built-in tool to view trending ads and top-performing creatives. It's great for eCommerce and short-form video inspiration.

Pros: Excellent for trend discovery, very visual.
Cons: No deep analysis, only surface-level insights.

4. VidTao

VidTao specializes in YouTube ad analysis. You can search by keywords and see real-time ad data including views, publish date, and more.

Pros: Great for YouTube-focused marketers.
Cons: No support for Meta or TikTok ads.

5. BigSpy (Free Plan)

BigSpy's free version still gives access to a wide range of ad creatives across multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. It's one of the more robust Facebook advertising spy tools available with a freemium option.

Pros: Multi-platform coverage.
Cons: Limited data without a paid upgrade.

Final Thoughts

Competitor ad analysis isn't optional in 2025—it's essential. From discovering how to see competitors' ads to conducting full-scale retail competitor analysis, these tools help sharpen your campaigns and strategy.