Spy tools do an unimaginable number of things: they let you get the maximum benefit and significantly reduce testing time, selecting creatives, and studying competitors. This 'espionage' proves a statement that ready-made templates are already 50% of success! In this review, you'll find the top 10+ spy services, get acquainted with their characteristics, and define the methods you can use in your campaigns.
What Is a Spy Tool
Spy services are a platform that can find working advertising links. They help you discover creatives used for promotion and provide approximate statistics. This is how you can monitor advertising and do it efficiently, getting a dollop of information, from the most obvious things to targeting settings.
Main functions:
Search for working creatives by keywords and other parameters;
Landing page data collection, including the GEO and target settings;
Combination identification: the most successful options from the traffic source to the offer.
Spy services demonstrate which ads are trending and bringing in money, thus helping you find a suitable promotion format.
Spy Tools Variations
Spy tools can be divided by advertising networks to which the tool’s bots are sent. They are used for:
Facebook and the related;
mobile ads;
teaser ads;
PUSH messages.
You can also classify spy services by cost, dividing them into paid and free, and in the latter option, the functions are limited. They are only suitable for beginners who need to learn how to use the instrument.
Three Reasons Why
Spy services do not literally spy and copy profitable combinations: there's no point in employing the tool for such purposes as marketing funnels created by other affiliates may not be successful in your situation. Here's why:
The offer or combination no longer converts;
The settings cannot be copied in full, as the tool can only provide crucial details;
The cost of attracting a lead is not high enough.
Reasons to use spy tools:
Saving money on a test run. The campaign launch can be easier if you know how your competitors work and which combinations they use: look at the prototypes they employ, rectify your tasks, and you're good to go. You will have to check the created funnel, but it will take less money and time.
Trend overview. Prepared trend reviews are vital if you work with e-commerce. There can be seasonal products at the peak of popularity: remember the spinners and the pop-it toy? That's it. So, not to waste money on the old-fashioned trends, study the market using spy services.
Search for inspiration. Spy services can tell you which landing page and offer were used in a campaign. You will be able to see a picture and advertising text, so you'll create your own based on a successful campaign.
Spy services can refine your campaign by showing you the lifespan of the ad: if it's there for 5-10 days, it brings profit to the owners. Take a closer look at the combinations running for more than 2 weeks: they do convert without a hitch.
Use It
Spy services were made for affiliate marketers. With the tools, affiliates can study other people's experiences and find new profitable combinations. However, there are other categories of people who resort to spy services:
business owners;
marketing specialists;
webmasters.
Spy tools define how competitors promote their products. These services
automate the data collection process and allow you to obtain more information than by manual ad search.
Best Spy Tools
If you got to this page by typing 'spy tools top 10', you're lucky: we have much more than just ten. Now we will break down the best spy tools on the Internet, singling out their main functions, price, and information content.
Free Spy Tools
Playing Mata Hara on the Internet is easier if you run servers in different regions to store terabytes of information and quickly process it. Infrastructure support requires a significant investment, so only a few spy services provide their services for free.
At the same time, beginners may find these options enticing. Remember that spy tools give out a limited amount of information, so you should use them in the first stages of your work, quickly switching to a better option after the first profit.
Push.CPA.rip
A wonderful spy service where information search can be adjusted by various filters:
text or link;
advertising network (8 options to choose from);
GEO;
device type;
date of appearance in the database.
The tool specializes in push notifications and gives bonuses for replenishing your account in advertising accounts. The database contains creatives for undeveloped GEOs that can be downloaded for work. You can also go to their landing pages and copy the texts.
AdFind
AdFind searches for creatives in 9 advertising networks. The free version allows you to run 10 searches per day by MegaPUSH; all other functions are available after a paid subscription.
The advantage of the tool is a strict filter that allows you to find exclusive creatives that work only in the selected GEO or network. You can also adjust search settings, so it shows the exact matches only, without displaying the results close to them in meaning or spelling.
Adbeat
This platform has a free version for teaser network search, while its full version gives access to one of the most complete databases with different sources. The paid option allows you to use the spy service from both the PC and smartphone.
Do your spying through many networks, including the largest:
Google;
AdSonar;
Pulse 360;
MSN;
Doubleclick.
With the help of the service, you can find out which ads bring more leads and how to set up contextual advertising so that it generates profit. Even the free version lets you save your favorite ads and view data without any limit imposed. The paid option expands the functionality.
Macaw
Macaw can monitor competitors' advertising around the world and on different networks, including mobile:
Facebook;
Instagram;
MyTarget and others.
Millions of work connections are collected on the servers, and lists of advertisements are replenished every minute. The test period allows you to work with only 17% of creatives, and search queries will show up to 20 results. In this version, downloads are available, but only videos or images. The entire creative can be saved if you pay for access.
Facebook Spy Tools
These spy tools are designed to monitor online ads related to Facebook. They display creatives from Instagram and YouTube.
AdSpy
This is a paid spy service with trial access for 14 days, letting you explore the functionality. The search has various filters:
GEO (203 countries in total);
keywords;
affiliate network;
landing page;
ID.
The search results are detailed, and affiliates can get acquainted with statistics, working combinations, advertising texts, and images.
The service has already accumulated more than 100 million creatives for different verticals. Every day, at least 30,000 new advertisements are added to this list. You can track offers with landing page addresses.
AdEspresso
AdEspresso is an official partner of Google, Facebook, and Instagram, which stands out from the crowd of other spy services that collect data by bypassing the rules. You can use this tool to search for creatives and manage advertising campaigns.
The tool is suitable for optimizing your own campaigns and saving money.
The free version is available only after linking the card; it provides access to search for 14 days.
BigSpy
BigSpy is a free and powerful tool for analyzing advertising campaigns on several platforms:
Facebook;
TikTok;
Pinterest;
Twitter;
YouTube;
search engines and advertising networks.
Many functions are available for free; you pay only for an in-depth analysis. 5 requests per day via Facebook are provided free of charge. You can work in 46 GEOs that are popular among affiliate marketers.
PowerAdSpy
A universal SPY service for monitoring competitors’ advertising campaigns on social networks, YouTube, and Google Ads. The list includes 20+ popular GEOs, mostly from Tier 1, and 50 million creatives. The tool adds more than 10 thousand ads to its database every day.
In just a few clicks, you can track:
effective ads for specified keywords;
working combinations your competitors use;
statistics on creatives;
individual photos, videos, and text performance.
The trial version of the service gives 100 search runs for 10 days. Native, targeting, and search ads can also be analyzed.
SocialAdScout
This tool works in Scandinavia, Austria, Brazil, Italy, Russia, and other countries. Flexible filters available:
the audience of the working combination;
click rate;
display intervals;
standard targeting.
Requests are processed in less than 1 second. Social media ad monitoring is non-stop; all types of it are available. The tool does not provide a trial period, but there is a discount on the purchase.
Mobile Advertising Spy Tools
Mobile advertising is tricky. Smartphone holders are different, and the conversion rate may depend on the slightest of changes, including the client's mood. To track this, you need monitoring services that help plan a campaign in advance and reduce its costs.
AdHeart
AdHeart is a multi-platform tool that allows you to track:
creatives;
promoted applications for any platform;
app creative statistics, including campaign dynamics.
With its help, you can download any creatives found by keywords, domain, GEO, and other parameters. This service perfectly matches the needs of the affiliates who work with social networks and mobile traffic.
Limited free access will not allow you to take advantage of all the functions, but you will have time to check out its interface.
AdMobiSpy
AdMobiSpy is a tracking system for the biggest traffic exchanges. Works with:
any GEO (180 countries on the list);
6 PopUp and 23 major ad networks;
mobile traffic sources.
The tool's library is updated with 30,000+ ads every day. Mobile creatives include videos, texts, and pictures. A key feature is the built-in forecasting system. You can upload a creative for the service to evaluate the chance of the campaign's success.
AdPlexity
AdPlexity is one of the best spy services that can be used in different situations. It's great for:
mobile traffic;
pop-up banners;
push notifications;
in-app ads.
The platform can search for suitable traffic sources. There are subscription plan variations, so you can choose the ad types you work with and save up. If you're into mobile, you'll be excited to find out that the tool is enabled with filters by telecom operators and Wi-Fi providers. In case you are not pleased with the work of the service, you can cancel your subscription within 24 hours and get your money back.
WhatRunsHere
WhatRunsHere works with mobile and desktop advertising, searching 500+ networks. There are all advertising formats, 17 solvent GEOs, and millions of ads from thousands of sites. You can find working combinations and traffic sources that bring the most leads.
Mobile advertising is only available with a full subscription. You can save $100 if you work with desktop and native ads. There are filters for affiliate and branded advertising.
Teaser Advertising Spy Tools
Almost every affiliate marketer has worked with teaser networks at least once: they are the oldest traffic source, have an excellent reputation, and are still popular.
Monitoring competitors in teasers can be carried out using the previously described tools, for example, AdPlexity and Adbeat. However, there are other services that you might want to check out: their functionality can astound even the pickiest affiliates.
Advance TS (Spy.House)
The service works with 37 networks, finds working combinations, and provides detailed analysis. Functions:
search by keyword, redirect, and domain;
choosing the ad lifetime;
creative trend analysis by a number of impressions;
sorting search results by popularity and novelty.
You can get trial access after registration, but its functionality is limited.
SpyOver
SpyOver provides teaser network analytics and advertising campaign launch functions. That's what you can do:
find a creative or profitable combination;
download it in one click;
sort ads by novelty or popularity.
There's no such thing as a trial version, and solo affiliates pay a professional fee, while companies can enjoy corporate access, allowing up to 6 sessions at the same time.
Native Advertising Spy Tools
Native advertising does not irritate users as it disguises itself as the page content. Beginner affiliates may have problems detecting such ads, so they cannot do without spy services.
There have been tools that suit different types of advertising:
Adbeat;
Adplexity;
WhatRunsWhere and others.
Still, you can improve your result by registering for the spy services designed specifically for native advertising.
Advault
Advault works with 13 ad networks, displaying:
the number of views in the form of a scale;
clickability;
conversion;
ad lifetime.
To date, more than 20 million ads have been collected. There is no trial period, but you can purchase access or subscribe to the Network plan. This is how you can launch a campaign in partner networks for free, as you are given a starting amount of up to $2,300 (the money is issued as a discount from 10 to 100%.)
Works with popular GEOs. It is possible to display keywords that are currently converting, so you can choose the right vertical.
Anstrex
Anstrex is a popular tool that allows you to subscribe to native advertising or choose the Native+Push plan. This service does not have a trial period, but you can get your money back if you decide to stop using it within 2 days.
Works with 64 countries; most GEOs are in Tier 1 and 2 countries. Controls 28 networks, finding creatives by keywords, traffic sources, affiliate networks, tracker, popularity, and other filters. Flexible monitoring.
Native Ad Buzz
Native Ad Buzz is a good tool for tracking native advertising. There are different paid options:
standard: access to two networks and 2 GEOs: UK and USA;
professional: allows you to work with 10 networks and 12 countries.
Both plans provide access to the analytical functions of the service, as well as the search and evaluation of competitors' campaigns.
The system has a forum where affiliates can communicate with colleagues, find out the latest trends, and leave their comments about the creative. Flexible filters by region and advertiser URL.
Push Advertising Spy Tools
Push notifications are a perfect fit if you want to interact with your target audience. Users tend to be curious about the information they can receive, so they often subscribe to notifications themselves. Therefore, the conversion here is high, and you can even increase profit by analyzing successful creatives.
Two SPY services for free push notification analysis have already been mentioned above: Push. CPA.rip and AdFind.
SpyPush
SpyPush works with large networks, regularly collecting information. The list of functions includes flexible search settings and convenient management of the saved creatives database. Web tool features:
working combinations search;
best creative selection;
competitors' advertising campaign analysis.
The trial version allows you to work with a limited GEO for 24 hours. After purchase, you have access to 95 popular countries.
Mobidea Push
Experienced affiliates always choose Mobidea Push. There are 19 million creatives available, more than 40 networks, and over 90 GEOs. This tool also lets you track trends. Users are provided with:
search for campaigns launched just 1-2 hours ago;
landing pages display;
CPC information display.
You can search for each traffic source using filters based on a dozen parameters.
Google ADS & Bing ADS Spy Tools
Advertising networks and big search engines are always expensive, so you should contrive an approach that would develop your creatives and optimize the working combination without additional expenses. That's where spy services come to the rescue, saving you time and money.
Idvert
Idvert covers several popular traffic sources at once: social networks, search, and contextual advertising. Each ad in the search results contains information about:
first viewing date;
search results ranking;
targeting settings;
total number of views;
Advertiser URL.
With the tool, you can automate your work as much as possible by copying someone else’s campaign, analyzing your own ads, and optimizing them according to the advice of the spy service.
iSpionage
iSpionage is a smart tool with built-in automation of routine processes. Find the essential information in 2 clicks:
profitable key queries;
converting niches;
high-impact creatives.
Search results can be uploaded to your personal account or saved to your computer's memory.
This spy service is suitable for those who work with Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK. The search is carried out by Yahoo, Google, and Bing.
SEMrush
This spy service was initially created for marketing specialists, but affiliates couldn't stay away from such a peculiar option and began to actively use it as well.
The tool can:
quickly find successful creatives;
see the relevance of key queries;
work with a database of 810 million domains, 35 trillion backlinks, and 20 billion keywords.
A free version for 7 days is available after linking the card. Afterward, you can sign up for a monthly subscription. Information is collected in 142 countries, with the main focus on English-language GEOs.
SpyFu
Neither once nor twice was SpyFu declared the best. It researches the market by:
an extensive database of keywords;
detecting competitor creatives, including landing page addresses;
search for trending verticals;
analysis of publisher campaigns (you need to enter its ID).
Filtering is configured according to a dozen criteria, but the tool only works with two GEOs: the US and the UK. There is no trial period for use, but there are paid plans.
Getting Things on the Road
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your tools:
Write requests in the language of the selected GEO. Additionally, before searching, you can run a keyword through Google Analytics to assess whether it is popular in the desired country.
Set the search interval to 7-14 days to evaluate the campaign performance. For relatively fresh creatives, the audience has not yet developed banner blindness.
Customize your filters as much as possible to find really good campaigns.
Do not copy other people’s creatives: optimize them for your campaign, making them better.
Exclude marketing campaigns from your search, as copyright issues with their creatives may pop up.
Filter results by daily traffic volume and monitor campaigns. If the volume of attracted leads remains high within 2-3 days, the creative may work for you, too.
Filter campaigns by advertisers to select converting promos.
Don’t forget about analytics: pay attention to the devices from which the creatives convert; look at the date the ad was launched. It is also worth assessing the stage of ad promotion: the material should not be used if it is at the decline stage.
FAQ
