Pencil vs Smartly.io for enterprise teams
Two platforms with different shapes. Pencil leans on AI ad generation. Smartly.io is an enterprise platform for ad automation at scale. advrt isn't an enterprise tool, but if you're a smaller brand it may cover what you need.
Pencil
AI ad generation platform for brands.
Pick Pencil if AI ad generation is the core need and its plans fit your team after a demo.
Smartly.io
Enterprise ad automation platform for creative production and campaign management at scale.
Pick Smartly.io if you run large, multi-market campaigns and need enterprise ad automation with a dedicated team.
advrt
Ads built around your real product photos, then fair live tests on Meta.
Pick advrt if you're a smaller brand or agency: ads from your real product photos and fair live tests on Meta, self-serve. No SSO, roles or enterprise features.
Feature by feature
| Capability | Pencil | Smartly.io | advrt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | AI ad generation | Enterprise ad automation | Product-photo ads + live Meta tests |
| Self-serve signup | See vendor site | See vendor site | |
| Free plan, no card | See vendor site | See vendor site | |
| AI image + video generation | See vendor site | ||
| Live tests judged vs your account baseline | See vendor site | See vendor site | Basic+ (Meta) |
| Dynamic creative / catalog feeds | See vendor site | See vendor site | |
| Brand kit from your website | See vendor site | See vendor site | |
| Roles, approvals, SSO | See vendor site | See vendor site | |
| Lowest tier | See vendor site | See vendor site | Free |
Competitor details come from each vendor's public site. “See vendor site” means we couldn't verify it either way.
Which one fits your team
Pick Pencil if
- AI ad generation is the core need
- You're happy evaluating through a demo
- Their current plans match your requirements
Pick Smartly.io if
- You run large media budgets across many markets
- You need enterprise ad automation and support
- Enterprise procurement and contracts are expected
Pick advrt if
- You're a smaller brand or agency testing on Meta
- You want self-serve, free-to-start evaluation
- Product-photo ads + fair live tests cover your needs
- You don't need SSO, roles or dynamic catalog creative
Pricing
List prices from each vendor's public site. Plans change, so check before you buy.
| Pencil | See vendor site |
|---|---|
| Smartly.io | See vendor site |
| advrt | Free $0 · Basic $19.99 · Pro $49 per month |
advrt's live tests and publishing start on Basic. Compare advrt plans
Questions buyers ask
- Is advrt a real alternative to enterprise tools?
- Not for enterprise requirements. advrt has no SSO, roles, approvals, SOC 2 or dynamic catalog creative. It's built for smaller brands and agencies that want ads from their real product photos and fair live tests on Meta, self-serve.
- Does advrt support enterprise needs (SSO, SOC 2, DPA)?
- No. advrt doesn't offer SSO, SOC 2 or team roles today. If those are requirements, an enterprise platform is the right call. Check Pencil's and Smartly.io's current security pages.
- Which has the best DCO?
- advrt doesn't do dynamic creative optimisation or catalog feeds. Smartly.io is an enterprise ad automation platform; check its current product pages for DCO specifics, and Pencil's for theirs.
- Can I run Pencil or Smartly alongside advrt?
- Yes. advrt runs its tests as a separate Meta campaign with one ad set per creative, so it can sit alongside campaigns managed in other tools.
- Which has predicted performance?
- advrt doesn't predict performance. Its pre-launch score is a heuristic check. Instead it runs a live test and judges each creative against your ad account's last 30 days (purchases if you have pixel history, otherwise CTR). For Pencil and Smartly.io, check their current product pages.
Other comparisons
Try advrt on your own products.
Ads from your real product photos, tested live on Meta against your own account. Free plan: 5 ad generations a month, no card.