TikTok Ad Spy: 15 Best Free Tools to Spy on Competitors in 2025

Key Takeaways

• TikTok Creative Center is the best FREE official ad spy tool with millions of ads
• Third-party tools like Minea, BigSpy, and PiPiAds offer deeper analytics
• Filter by industry, engagement, and time period to find winning ads
• Save and organize competitor creatives for inspiration
• Most successful TikTok ads follow specific patterns you can replicate

Why Spy on TikTok Ads?

TikTok advertising is growing faster than any other platform. But creating ads that actually work on TikTok is challenging — the platform rewards authenticity and trends over polished production.

Here's why competitive intelligence matters:

1. TikTok Creative Center (FREE - Official)

The best free TikTok ad spy tool, straight from the source.

TikTok Creative Center is TikTok's official ad library. It contains millions of ads with performance metrics, making it the most reliable source for competitive research.

Features:

• Top Ads: See highest-performing ads by industry
• Trend Discovery: Find trending hashtags, songs, and creators
• Keyword Insights: Search volume and trend data
• Creative Templates: Pre-built templates for inspiration
• Regional Data: Filter by country and language

How to Use It:

Visit ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter

Navigate to "Top Ads" section

Filter by region, industry, objective, and time period

Sort by likes, CTR, or 6-second view rate

Click any ad to see details and save for later

Limitations:

• Only shows TikTok-approved ads
• Limited historical data
• No spend estimates
• Can't track specific competitors

Best For: Getting started with TikTok ad research, finding trending formats, free access.

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2. Minea (Freemium)

Best for e-commerce and dropshipping spy.

Minea specializes in finding winning products and their associated ads across TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Features:

• TikTok ad library with millions of ads
• Product detection (links to product pages)
• Engagement metrics and trends
• Chrome extension for easy saving
• Competition level scoring
• Influencer ad tracking

Pricing:

Best For:

E-commerce brands, dropshippers, finding winning products.

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3. BigSpy

Largest ad database across platforms.

BigSpy claims to have the largest ad database with over 1 billion ads tracked across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more.

Features:

• 1B+ ads in database
• Filter by ad type, CTA, engagement
• Download ad creatives
• Track competitor ad history
• Chrome extension
• Ad creative analysis

Pricing:

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4. PiPiAds

TikTok-focused with detailed analytics.

PiPiAds focuses exclusively on TikTok ads, offering deeper insights than multi-platform tools.

Features:

• TikTok-only focus (deeper data)
• Ad performance scoring
• Product links and pricing
• Audience insights
• Daily new ad updates
• Advertiser tracking

Unique Feature: Ad Score

PiPiAds rates each ad on a 0-100 scale based on:

• Engagement rate
• Creative quality
• Trend alignment
• Longevity

Pricing:

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5. AdSpy (Premium)

The original ad spy tool.

AdSpy pioneered the ad intelligence space and remains one of the most comprehensive tools, though it's more Facebook-focused.

Features:

• 150M+ ads tracked
• Advanced filters (text search, demographics)
• Engagement history over time
• Affiliate/network detection
• Landing page tracking
• Comment analysis

TikTok Coverage:

AdSpy added TikTok support in 2023. While not as deep as TikTok-native tools, it offers:

• Basic TikTok ad library
• Cross-platform comparison
• Historical data

Pricing:

$149/month (no free tier)

Best For: Agencies needing cross-platform coverage, advanced filtering needs.

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6. Dropispy (E-commerce Focus)

Built for dropshippers.

Dropispy combines ad spy features with product research specifically for e-commerce.

Features:

• TikTok and Facebook ads
• Product finder with AliExpress links
• Sales estimation
• Shop spy (track competitor stores)
• Chrome extension
• Winning product alerts

Pricing:

Best For: Dropshippers, e-commerce product research.

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7. Foreplay (Creative Swipe Files)

Organize and save ad inspiration.

Foreplay isn't a spy tool per se — it's a creative organization platform. But it integrates with ad libraries to help you save and organize winning ads.

Features:

• Save ads from any platform
• Organize in boards and collections
• Team collaboration
• Brief generator
• Chrome extension for easy saving

How It Works:

Install Chrome extension

Browse TikTok Creative Center or other spy tools

Click to save any ad to your swipe file

Organize and share with team

Pricing:

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8. Free Alternatives

TikTok Native Search

Simply search TikTok for "[product] ad" or "TikTok made me buy" to find organic ad content.

Facebook Ad Library

While focused on Meta, many brands run similar ads across platforms. Use it to research competitors' overall strategy.

Social Blade

Track competitor TikTok account growth and posting patterns.

TikTok Hashtag Search

Search branded hashtags to see influencer partnerships and UGC campaigns.

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How to Analyze Competitor TikTok Ads

Finding ads is only step one. Here's how to extract actionable insights:

1. Study the Hook (First 3 Seconds)

The hook determines whether viewers keep watching. Look for patterns:

2. Analyze the Creative Format

Common winning formats on TikTok:

• UGC/Testimonial: Real people, authentic reactions
• Problem-Solution: Show problem, reveal product as solution
• Before/After: Visual transformation
• Day in the Life: Product integrated naturally
• Tutorial: How to use the product
• Unboxing: First impressions and reactions

3. Track Engagement Metrics

When using spy tools, pay attention to:

4. Reverse Engineer the Funnel

Click through to landing pages when possible:

• What's the offer?
• What's the price point?
• What's the CTA?
• Is there a discount/urgency?

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Creating Your Own Winning TikTok Ads

After analyzing competitors, here's how to create your own winners:

Formula for TikTok Ad Success

Hook (0-3s) + Problem (3-8s) + Solution (8-20s) + CTA (20-30s)

Best Practices from Top Performers

Keep it short: 15-30 seconds is optimal

Use trending sounds: Check TikTok Creative Center for trends

Native feel: Avoid polished production

Text overlays: 80% of TikTok is watched without sound

Strong CTA: Tell viewers exactly what to do

Testing Framework

Create 3-5 variations of winning ad formats

Test different hooks with same body

Run each for 3-5 days minimum

Scale winners, kill losers

Iterate based on data

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Comparison Table: TikTok Ad Spy Tools

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Conclusion

TikTok ad spy tools are essential for understanding what works on the platform. Start with the free TikTok Creative Center, then upgrade to paid tools as your ad spend grows.

Remember: The goal isn't to copy competitors directly. It's to understand patterns, test your own variations, and find what resonates with your specific audience.

Ready to launch TikTok campaigns based on competitive insights? AdBid helps you manage TikTok ads alongside Facebook, Google, and more. Start your free trial.