I have had the opportunity to launch ads in the past. Some of them failed, and I will show you some of them later. Had I known there were ad tools like this at that time, I certainly would have leveraged them to my advantage. 

I built this list based on several factors: cost, usefulness, features, and platform coverage.  

We will also discuss: 

• What ad spy tools do and why do you need them
• Things to look for in an ad spy tool
• The best alternatives to PiPiAds  

In the end, you should have adequate knowledge about what these ad spy tools offer. Ultimately, you can decide which of them works best for your dropshipping business.  

For starters, here is our list:

1. Dropship.IO – best overall spying tool for dropshipping

2. Dropispy – best for finding winning dropshipping products

3. TikTok Ads – best free alternative

4. Facebook Library – best for general ad spying

5. Anstrex – best for in-stream and native ad spying

6. BigSpy – best multi-platform PiPiAds alternative

7. AdPlexity – best for mobile ads

8. PowerAdSpy – best for project-based ad spying

9. SpyFu –best for SEO and PPC dropshipping

10. AdFlex – best for filtering ads

Ready to explore? Let us start!

10 Best PiPiAds Alternatives for e-Commerce and Dropshipping

1. Dropship.IO – best overall spying tool for dropshipping

Dropship.IO is a tool that spies on Shopify stores.  Apart from providing you with secret data about these stores, you also get to access the ads of these business establishments and pick up best practices from them. 

Dropship.IO

• Product Database – you can use Dropship.IO to search for winning products based on their respective sales stats.
• Ad Spy Tool – if there is a product or competitor that grabs your attention, the tool can direct you to the ads that the same entrepreneur launched on Facebook. 
• Top Stores and Products – there is a section where you can easily view the top stores making money or top products currently trending.   
• Competitor Spying – you can view the sales stats of a dropship competitor, the products they have on their store, and what apps they use to market their products. 
• Ad Spot – this tool makes it possible to search for ads with specific filters. Some examples of these filters are reactions, comments, shares, and video length.

Dropship.IO Pros

• The tool is easy to use
• Multiple research and spying programs rolled into one
• You can track stores, and sales, and view data not publicly available 

Dropship.IO Cons 

• Can only track Shopify stores for now

With Dropship.IO, you can also figure out expected results with its set of calculators. It has a profit margin calculator, BEROAS and ROAS calculator, a CPA calculator, and more.

Summary: Dropship.IO is an all-in-one spy tool and product research tool. Use it to find what competitors are doing and what ads are converting. Click here to try it for free.

2. Dropispy – best for finding winning dropshipping products 

Dropispy is a tool dedicated to finding winning products based on the advertising reactions of the viewers. I recommend this if you are looking for a tool that can show you a deeper level of analysis than just likes and shares.   

Dropispy Features

• Unlimited downloads – you can download the videos or images of the ads; this is helpful if you want to create the same ads. You can send these files to your marketing team or freelancers, so they have an idea of what ad you want them to do.
• Ad stats – the tool shows the countries where an ad has impressions. You will also see the demographics of the ad performance for age and gender, along with likes and shares.
• Real-time – if the ad is currently active, you will have a view of its performance in real time along with historical data.   

Dropispy Pros

• They offer a free account
• There are advanced filters for better, personalized search
• You can access the most recent ads, not old ones

Dropispy Cons 

• The spy tool works on a credit basis even if you pay a subscription

As far as research goes, the company gives you credits in a given month. You consume credits if you perform a search, which means that there is a limit to the searches you can do based on your subscription plan and remaining credits.

Summary: Dropispy is a tool that shows you a deep-dive analysis of how ads are performing. It has a filter function that helps you narrow your search to ads that matter to your business. 

3. TikTok Ads – best free alternative

The screenshot above is the ads library of TikTok. You do not need a TikTok business account to access it. It is one of the best ad spy tools because you can view ads of your competitors, but you can only access TikTok ads. 

TikTok Ads Features

• Filter Function – you can use filters like location, industry, ad objective, period, language, number of likes, and ad format to narrow your search.   
• Sorting – you can sort the ad results by reach, CTR, and metrics. If you sort by CTR, you will easily see ads that have the highest click-through rate.  
• Analytics – you can view the performance of an ad in detail where you can the number of likes, comments, and shares. The analytics section also tells you if the budget for the ad is high or low and if it has a high CTR. 

TikTok Ads Pros

• There is a filter function
• You do not have to be an advertiser to access
• There is an analysis section 

TikTok Ads Cons

• You cannot download the videos

One thing I like about this tool is I can access the ad page (provided it is still active). From here, I can view the comments and see what people are talking about. 

Summary: TikTok Ads is a library of advertisements that entrepreneurs launched on the TikTok platform. It is highly useful even if you do not want to advertise on TikTok because it shows a lot of data. 

4. Facebook Library – best for general ad spying

The Facebook Ads Library is similar to what TikTok has. The big difference is that while Facebook has filter options for search, it does not provide as much data to the user.  

Facebook Ads Library Features

• Filters – at the beginning, you can filter your search based on country, industry, and the keywords used in the ads. 
• Data points – some ads will show you which countries an ad shows, the target demographics by age and gender of the ad, and the reach or number of accounts that the ad was shown to. If you are lucky, you can also see a breakdown of reach based on country, age range, and gender. 
• Advertiser Identity – you can investigate further by looking for the advertiser’s Facebook page, which is always readily available in the ad search results. If they have an Instagram account, the analytics page will also show you this info.

Facebook Ads Library Pros

• You have access to all ads on Facebook 
• You can search by keyword, industry, and country
• You can find details about the advertiser     

Facebook Ads Library Cons

• Not all ads have analytical details  

The Facebook Ads Library is an excellent choice if you want to find ideas on how Facebook advertisers execute their marketing campaigns. It is not the best option overall, but it does work if you want to advertise on Facebook. 

Summary: The Facebook Ads Library is where you will find all ads launched on the Facebook platform. It is useful also if you want to see ads on Instagram. 

5. Anstrex – best for in-stream and native ad spying

Anstrex is an ad spy tool that focuses on the type of ads, like in-stream, native, and push ads. They have a total of five product lines, and three out of these five are free to use. 

Anstrex Features

• Coverage – you can find ads in the Anstrex library for 55 countries; you can filter your ad spying activities per country, making your research more tailor-fit to your target market. 
• Exclusive – it is possible to filter only ads for a specific type of retail. For example, you can search dropshipping ads only, thereby eliminating ads from other types of retailers, such as ads from big brands.
• Keyword – you can search ads based on keywords of your choice; in addition, you can also search for keywords in non-English languages. 

Anstrex Pros

• You can access ads on over 32 platforms
• There are over five million ads that you can review
• There is no data cap to the ads you can view

Anstrex Cons

• The push and native ad spy tools are separately billed 

The one you want to use is Anstrex In-stream. Do not subscribe to Anstrex dropship, as it is not an ad spy tool. Instead, Anstrex Dropship is their supplier and product import tool that allows you to automate your dropshipping store. 

Summary: Anstrex is a multi-tool for e-commerce, spying, and dropshipping. It is best for spying on ads that have a specific format such as in-stream, push, or native ads.   

6. BigSpy – best multi-platform PiPiAds alternative

BigSpy offers access to multiple advertising platforms. As the screenshot shows, you have the option to search for ads in a network of your choosing. 

BigSpy Features 

• Ad Tracking – if there is an ad you like, you can save that ad and then view it every day to see its progress.
• Downloads – you can download the ads to your desktop or device for review later. There is a limit to how many videos you can download based on your subscription plan. 
• Feature and Ideas – the system will show your feed some of the best ads that are performing well. These ads are trending and getting positive results, and it is a good way to catch up with trends. 

BigSpy Pros

• Has coverage on multiple social net
• There is a featured ad that you can draw inspiration from
• You can track ad performance (save ads you like and visit them later)

BigSpy Cons

• You can only access all networks if you upgrade

At the most basic plan, you can only search and view ads on Facebook and Instagram. In addition to this, you have a maximum of 20 searches per day. It works best for a beginner dropshipper, but not anymore if you want to scale your business or marketing activities.   

Summary: BigSpy is an ad spy tool that makes it possible to search ads on many platforms. However, you will only get the full benefit if you spend $3,600 per year. 

7. AdPlexity – best for mobile ads

AdPlexity is different in the sense that you can spy on ads based on their types and on what devices or platforms they exist. The five major divisions of this ad spy tool are mobile, desktop, native, push, and enterprise. 

AdPlexity Features

• Filters – you can find ads by typing keywords or by using the name of an advertiser. It is also possible to find ads based on the publisher (blog sites) or by affiliate network. 
• Analytics – the system allows you to view data points from so many perspectives like ad trends, the devices that the advertiser is targeting, the traffic sources of the ad, etc.  
• Search by Ad Types –AdPlexity can show you ads that are not running on social media. For example, you can view ads that dropshippers run via pop-ups on mobile games, carrier SMS, native ad feeds like Taboola and many more.    

AdPlexity Pros

• The system has a wider scope
• There are many filter options to narrow your search efforts 
• You can download landing pages in a zip file

AdPlexity Cons

• The platform is expensive; prepare to spend at least $199 monthly

AdPlexity works differently. While most ad spy tools focus on the social media or advertising network, AdPlexity focuses on the device. 

Summary: AdPlexity is an ad spy tool that covers all kinds of ads on different devices and platforms. the tool makes it possible to spy not only on ads on social media, but also by other means like pop-ups, carrier traffic, affiliate networks, and so much more.   

8. PowerAdSpy – best for project-based ad spying

PowerAdSpy is what you need if you want to search for ads at the lowest cost possible. With this spy tool, you can search for ads on dozens of networks for as little as a dollar. 

PowerAdSpy Features

• Multiple Networks – the tool covers a wide array of advertising networks. At the very least, you can spy on ads from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and Pinterest. 
• Filters and Search – you can search by keyword, advertiser, domain, popularity, and dates. You can also filter your search by ad position and placement, like if the ad is in a feed or if it is on the sidebar of a blog. 
• Bookmarking – you can save the ads you like and then visit them later to see how the ads are performing. 

PowerAdSpy Pros

• The tool covers lots of areas, including sites like Quora
• They add over 250,000 new ads daily 
• The tool is available in over 100 countries

PowerAdSpy Cons

• You need to pay more to access more social and ad networking sites 

I can say that PowerAdSpy is best for dropshippers who want to run their ad spying activities once every few months. The trick here is to have a plan and then pay the last amount, like $7, and use the tool extensively for three days.  

Summary: PowerAdSpy is a multi-platform ad spy tool that allows you to filter and search ads on over a dozen platforms. It is one of the most powerful spy tools at the lowest cost possible.

9. SpyFu –best for SEO and PPC dropshipping

Advertising on a social media platform is not the only way to reach a market. You can also advertise on search engines like Google. If this is what you want to do, then SpyFu is one of the best options. 

SpyFu Features

• SEO – the ad spy tool can show you which keywords your competitors are using and how many ad clicks they are getting. You can either avoid these keywords or compete directly at a higher bid.  
• SEM Visibility – you will have a view of the best ads for search engine marketing. The tool will give you keywords advertisers bought in the last 17 years.
• PPC Competitor – if you want to use a keyword for your ad, you can use SpyFu to search for other companies using the same keyword. You can monitor how much money they are spending, and how many clicks they are getting, and then decide who you can best use this information to your advantage when bidding for Google ads placement.   

SpyFu Pros 

• You can access up to 10 years of historical ad data
• There is an overview of a domain (your competitor) and you can see its traffic sources   
• There is no limit to ad searches, provided that you subscribe to the Professional package

SpyFu Cons

• The tool costs $39 monthly; there is no free account

Summary: SpyFu is an ad spy tool that not only covers social media sites but also search engines. It is best for dropshippers who want to reach out to potential buyers who read blogs, news channels, and YouTube.   

10. AdFlex – best for filtering ads

There are many AdFlex businesses out there, but the one we want for dropshipping is AdFlex.IO. It is a spy tool that provides you with lots of filter options. Like other ad tools, you can save or bookmark the ads and visit them later.  

AdFlex Features

• Native Ads – if you do not want to search for social media ads, AdFlex provides a way to search for native ads in feeds and blogs. This option can help you explore more ways to find customers instead of focusing on social media sites only. 
• Social Media – you can search for ads on Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), Quora, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. 
• Ad Count – AdFlex has aggregated more than 15 million ads; this should be more than enough to provide you with what you are looking for. 

AdFlex Cons

• You can filter ads by fan page, domain, timeline, and many more options
• You can get a plan that will give you unlimited access
• The platform covers major social media sites 

AdFlex Pros

• You cannot download the ads or the videos 

I recommend AdFlex if you want an ad spy tool like TikTok Ad Library, but want to search beyond TikTok.   

Summary: AdFlex provides users the benefit of narrowing the search based on many filters. This process or tool can help you detect ads based on your target goals such as interests, categories, engagement, and many more.

Why Do You Need an Ad Spy Tool?

You need a spy tool because it is so difficult to create ads that convert. The world is inundated with millions of videos and marketing materials. Content creators themselves are marketers—they create educational or entertaining content to convince the viewer to buy something. 

Below are some more reasons to use a spy tool:

• Get ideas from ads – there are millions of ads that come from millions of people. You do not have to rely on yourself when it comes to creativity. There will always be someone out there whose ideas are better than yours, and all of us can learn from them. 
• Create ads that convert – you can use ad spy tools to view only the ads that have the highest conversion rates, likes, shares, and comments. The ad spy tool makes it easier for you to filter your research efforts according to your target results. What you can do next is create a similar ad.  
• Follow trends and be in circulation – from the “ice water bucket challenge” to the “a day in the life” trend, there are hundreds of popular content types that you can use to promote your products. Being “in the know” allows you to create socially relevant ads.     

Advertising is a never-ending process of learning. It is one of those things where you do not need to reinvent the wheel. Ad spy tools are there to help you gather data, learn from ads that exploded in the social scene, and help you create ads that will make sales. 

Things to Look for in an Ad Spy Tool

There are many ad spy tools, and it can be difficult to find what best fits your business. At any rate, you should be able to use the following features:   

• Filter Options – there has to be a way to search what you are specifically looking for. If the ad tool has no search filter, you will spend so much time researching before finding the winning ad that applies to your business. 
• Statistics and Analytics – choose a PiPiAds alternative that provides you with as much data as possible. It does not make sense to just see the ad; you must see how it performed so you can make an informed decision. 
• Social Network Coverage – if possible, pay for an ad tool that has data on several advertising platforms. This way, you have a little flexibility in ad options as you expand your marketing efforts.  

Summary: an ad spy tool should provide you with informative data that will help you win the advertising battle. In addition, it must make your research efforts easier, not harder.  

Ad Spy Tool and Dropshipping: How to Use Ad Spy Tools to Win

Ad spy tools are one of the best investments you can make. I am placing its importance up there with the best Shopify sales trackers and other software programs for dropshipping. 

In this section, I will provide you with the ways you can use an ad spy tool to become a competitive dropshipper. Ultimately, the goal of using an ad spy tool is to become a winner. 

1. Find Ads That Generate Good Results

I have had some failed ads in the past; these ads did not generate the results I was looking for. Take a look at this: 

For the top ad, I managed to reach 50,656 people with a total of about 70,000 impressions. However, nobody purchased my product. The other two ads also did not convert.    

So, essentially, I wasted money, not because Facebook is a bad network for advertising but because something was missing from my ads. 

You do not have to go through this if you use ad spy tools. With PiPiAds or its alternatives, you can find ads based on likes, shares, CTR, etc. Once you find these ads, you can figure out what the advertiser did well and then use the same strategy in your ads.  

2. Get Ideas from Winning Ads 

Creativity knows no bounds. The sad reality is that while we may be great at being entrepreneurs, we may not be great artists or marketers. This is why many corporations employ the services of marketing companies. 

With ad spy tools, you will get exposure to thousands of ads that are ingenious. Here are some examples: 

• Coca-Cola Share-a-Coke – they printed the most popular names in bottles and focused the ads on personalization. The idea: make people feel special. 
• Red Bull Stratos – they commissioned a man to jump from a high altitude. Of course, you do not have to do this, and you can’t. However, the idea is simple: do something crazy.  
• Procter & Gamble Thank You, Mom – this campaign capitalized on recognizing the mothers of athletes. The idea: honor and respect a demographic; appeal to their emotions. 

Most of these ads had a huge budget, and some ran in the Super Bowl. You do not need to re-create them. What you need to do is understand the concept or idea behind them and use the same themes for your dropshipping ads. 

3. Filter Ads According to the Market Demographics

Ad spy tools make it easier to look for winning ads for a particular group of people, or people of the same interest.

Let us assume you use these filters in your ad search: 

• At least 1,000 likes, shares and comments
• Male demographics
• Ad target is the United States of America
• Ad click-through-rate at the top 10% of all ads

Once you hit the search button, you will see only the ads that meet your criteria. What do you do from here? you need to watch these ads, see what they do well, and also take a look at what these ads are trying to sell. 

Summary: As a dropshipper, you can use ad spy tools to leverage the content that is already out there. it is not that you are copying the ads themselves, but you are, at the very least, getting ideas from ads that worked well. 

FAQ: PiPiAds Alternative

What are ad spy tools?

Ad spy tools are aggregators of ads where you can search for past and present ads in social and search networks. 

Which is the tool to spy on competitor ads?

There are many spy tools you can use. Not all spy tools cover the same social networking sites so no one ad spy tool will help you find competitor ads. If your competitor is on Facebook and uses Shopify, use Dropship.IO to find their ads in the Facebook library.   

Can you use AdSpy for free?

Yes, there are ad spy tools that offer free accounts. However, free accounts typically only cover one or two social media sites. 

What are spying ads?

Spying on ads means that you are looking for the advertisements of other companies. Instead of waiting for these ads to appear on your own social media channel, the spy tool allows you to search for them, so you know what your competitors are doing to market their goods.   

Summary: Best PiPiAds Alternatives

At this point, I highly recommend that you give Dropship.IO a try. Register for an account and use it free for seven days. Explore the tool and you will realize that Drosphip.IO is the best PiPiAds alternative. 

Not only will you find winning ads and their respective stats, but you will also have an insight into what successful dropshippers do in their stores and marketing efforts.