BigSpy vs Foreplay vs SellTheClick: Which Ad Spy Tool Do You Need? (2026)

BigSpy, Foreplay, and SellTheClick are three tools that media buyers and ecommerce brands frequently compare. But comparing them directly is misleading because they solve different problems.

BigSpy is a multi-platform ad spy tool. Foreplay is a creative research and workflow platform. SellTheClick is a creative analysis and diagnostic tool. They overlap in the ad intelligence space, but each occupies a different part of the creative workflow.

This guide explains what each tool does, where each one excels, and which combination makes sense for your situation.

What each tool does

BigSpy: Multi-platform ad discovery

BigSpy is an ad intelligence database that covers Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google, and several other platforms. It lets you search for ads by keyword, brand, or category across over 70 countries. The database includes over a billion ad creatives.

What you get: the ability to discover competitor ads across multiple platforms, filter by format and performance signals, and see historical ad data. BigSpy is about volume and breadth. If you want to see what every competitor in your niche is running across every platform, BigSpy is the tool for that.

Foreplay: Creative research and team workflow

Foreplay connects to the Meta Ads Library and TikTok Creative Center and adds a layer of organisation, collaboration, and analysis on top. You save ads into boards (similar to Pinterest), tag them by angle or format, add notes, and share boards with your team or clients.

What you get: a structured creative research workflow. Instead of screenshots scattered across Slack and Google Drive, Foreplay gives you an organised system for saving, categorising, and briefing creative. It also adds spend estimates and engagement signals that the raw Ads Library does not provide.

SellTheClick: Creative analysis and diagnosis

SellTheClick is not a spy tool. You do not use it to see competitor ads. Instead, you upload your own ad (or any ad) with performance metrics from Ads Manager, and SellTheClick analyses the creative at a structural level. It tells you whether the bottleneck is the hook, the message, the visual, or the post-click experience.

What you get: a diagnosis of why an ad is or is not working, with specific recommendations for what to change and what to test next. SellTheClick is the step between "I see what competitors are doing" and "I know what to fix in my own creative."

Side-by-side comparison

When to use BigSpy

BigSpy is the right tool when you need broad, cross-platform competitive intelligence. Specific use cases:

• Multi-platform brands: If you advertise on TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest in addition to Meta, BigSpy gives you visibility across all of them from one dashboard.
• Product research and dropshipping: BigSpy is widely used for finding trending products and seeing which ads are driving sales in specific niches.
• Budget-conscious research: Starting at around $9 per month, BigSpy is the most affordable paid ad spy tool. If you need more than the free Meta Ads Library but do not need team workflow features, BigSpy is the cost-effective choice.
• Market entry research: When entering a new market or niche, BigSpy helps you quickly map what competitors are running and which creative approaches dominate.

When to use Foreplay

Foreplay is the right tool when creative research is a team activity and you need structure around the process:

• Agency teams: Foreplay was built for agencies managing multiple brands. The board system, team access, and client-facing presentation features make it the default for collaborative creative research.
• Structured creative briefing: If you write formal creative briefs based on competitive research, Foreplay streamlines the path from research to brief. You can tag ads by angle, format, and intent, then use those tags to inform your briefs.
• DTC teams with multiple creatives: If your brand has a creative strategist, a designer, and a media buyer, Foreplay keeps everyone on the same page about what to reference and what to test.

When to use SellTheClick

SellTheClick is the right tool when you have ads running and need to understand why they perform the way they do:

• Diagnosing underperforming ads: You are spending money but CPA is too high. SellTheClick tells you whether the problem is the creative itself, the landing page, or the offer, and what specifically to fix.
• Before scaling: Before you increase budget on an ad, upload it to SellTheClick to check whether the creative has structural weaknesses that will amplify under higher spend.
• Creative iteration: When an ad is working and you want to create variations, SellTheClick identifies which elements are driving performance so you know what to keep and what to change.
• Small teams without a creative strategist: If you do not have a dedicated creative strategist, SellTheClick acts as an analytical layer that provides the diagnostic insights a strategist would normally deliver.

The optimal stack

For most ecommerce brands spending $10K or more per month on ads, the strongest workflow combines two or three of these tools:

1. Research (BigSpy or Foreplay): Discover what competitors are running and identify winning angles and formats in your market.
2. Analyse (SellTheClick): Upload your current ads to diagnose performance bottlenecks and get specific improvement recommendations.
3. Produce: Use the insights from research and analysis to brief and produce your next batch of creative.
4. Test and repeat: Launch new creative, collect data, analyse results with SellTheClick, research new competitor angles, and iterate.

FAQ

What is BigSpy used for?

BigSpy is an ad intelligence platform for discovering competitor ads across multiple platforms including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and more. It has one of the largest ad databases and is best for broad, multi-platform market research at an affordable price point starting around $9 per month.

What is Foreplay used for?

Foreplay is a creative research and workflow tool for ad agencies and DTC brands. It helps you save ads from the Meta Ads Library, organise them into collaborative boards, and brief creative based on competitor patterns. It adds spend estimates and team workflow features. Pricing starts around $49 per month.

What is SellTheClick used for?

SellTheClick is an AI creative analysis tool. You upload an ad with your Ads Manager metrics and it diagnoses whether the problem is the hook, message, visual, or post-click experience. It does not spy on competitors or generate ads. It analyses your own creative to tell you what to fix and what to test next.

Can I use all three tools together?

Yes. They solve different problems and complement each other well. Use BigSpy or Foreplay for competitive research and inspiration, then use SellTheClick to diagnose your own ads and decide what to create next. The three tools cover the full creative workflow: research, analysis, and direction.

Which tool is best for a solo founder?

For a solo founder on a tight budget, start with BigSpy for competitor research (it is the cheapest paid option) and SellTheClick for creative diagnosis. Add Foreplay later if you build a team that needs collaborative creative workflows. You do not need all three on day one.

Are there free alternatives to these tools?

The Meta Ads Library and TikTok Creative Center are free alternatives for competitor research. They lack the saved boards, spend estimates, and historical data of paid tools, but they are sufficient for basic competitive intelligence. There is no free equivalent to SellTheClick creative analysis.

References

1. Benly — 11 Best Ad Spy Tools in 2026 (Tested and Compared)
2. AdLibrary — ForePlay vs. BigSpy: Which Ad Spy Tool Should You Pick?
3. SuperScale — Ad Spy Tools in 2026: The Best Free and Paid Options Compared