13 Best Facebook Ad Spy Tools for Dropshipping in 2024

Facebook continues to be one of the most effective social media platforms for advertisers, with over 3 billion monthly active users and over 3 million businesses actively advertising on the platform. In fact, Facebook generates the highest ROI among the top social media platforms, followed closely by Instagram. With both platforms now owned by Meta, Facebook is a powerful advertising platform for all businesses.

In the fast-paced world of Facebook ecommerce, staying ahead of the competition is crucial. One of the most effective strategies to achieve this is by leveraging Facebook ad spy tools. Facebook ad spy tools offer a unique glimpse into the creative and strategic approaches used by other brands on the platform to create the best-performing ads. By analysing their ad creatives, targeting tactics, and performance metrics, you can uncover what's driving success in your industry and apply these insights to your own campaigns. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a business owner aiming to enhance your social media presence, understanding and utilising Facebook advertising spy tools can give you a significant competitive advantage.

In this blog, we'll delve into the world of Facebook ad spying, exploring how these tools work, their key features, and how they help you create successful ad campaigns. We'll also highlight some of the top spy tools available today and provide practical tips on how to choose the best Facebook ad spy tool for your online business. 

What are Facebook Ad Spy Tools?

Facebook ad spy tools include software or platforms designed to help marketers, advertisers, and businesses monitor and analyse their competitors' Facebook ad campaigns. Spy tools collect and analyse publicly available data to provide insights into ad strategies, enabling users to refine their own campaigns for better performance. While spy tools vary in terms of features and functionality, most work as follows:

1. Data is collected using web scraping or crawling techniques that extract structured data from websites. 

2. This data is fed to an algorithm that breaks it down and analyses each part, from ad copy to web traffic.

3. These algorithms make predictions based on the collected data to identify patterns and trends, from projected sales data to best advertising practices.

The effectiveness and accuracy of each tool will depend on the databases available to each tool, the algorithms used, whether the tool is native to the platform, and whether competitors are using spy-blocking tools.

How do they benefit your dropshipping business?

Dropshippers work in a dynamic, competitive, fast-paced industry. By eliminating traditional logistics issues such as inventory management, dropshipping retailers can add new products to their stores with ease. Unfortunately, so can your competitors. Staying ahead of the curve is crucial for success. One of the most effective strategies to achieve this is by conducting thorough competitor analysis on the most influential social media platforms, including Facebook.

Here are some key benefits of using Facebook ad spy tools for your dropshipping business:

Understanding market trends

By analysing competitors' Facebook ads, you can identify current market trends and product demands. Observing which products are frequently advertised and receiving high engagement can guide you in selecting trending products for your store, ensuring you meet consumer demands.

Identifying target audiences

Observing the targeting strategies of successful competitors campaigns can provide insights into potential audiences you may have overlooked. Understanding the demographics, interests, and behaviours that your competitors’ campaigns are targeting can help you refine your own audience targeting, improving the relevance and performance of your ads.

Optimising advertising strategies

Competitor analysis allows you to study the ad creatives, copy, and strategies that are working for others in your niche. By doing competitive analysis and understanding which types of ads resonate with your target audience, you can craft more compelling and effective advertisements, leading to higher conversion rates and better ROI. You’ll also learn what doesn’t work, and avoid any potential pitfalls with your campaigns.

Benchmarking performance

Analysing the performance metrics of competitor ads, such as engagement rates, likes, shares, and comments, can help you develop benchmarks for your own performance. Knowing the current industry standards and how your ads compare can drive continuous improvement in your advertising efforts.

Discovering new marketing angles

Competitor analysis can reveal your rival’s unique selling propositions (USPs) and marketing angles that resonate with customers. From here, you can identify gaps in your competitor’s messaging, find new ways to highlight your product’s benefits and differentiate your brand to attract new customers. 

Paid Facebook ad spy tools

AdEspresso

Designed by Hootsuite, AdEspresso is a great all-around ad management tool that also features a free Facebook Ads Gallery. The gallery is updated every 30 minutes, giving you a buffet of new and trending ads to view and analyse. You can search the ads by keyword, industry, placement, ad objectives or other attributes. With over 250,000 ad examples at your disposal, you can find examples of Facebook ad designs to inspire your own campaigns. They also have an extensive learn centre, AdEspresso University, where you can learn how to create, test, optimise and measure your own ad campaign performance. 

Pricing: AdEspresso offers a 14-day free trial and three pricing plans. The Starter plan costs $49USD per month and gives you access to the essential features. The Plus membership costs $99USD per month and includes various campaign creation features and detailed reporting. The Enterprise plan starts from $259USD per month and comes with more premium campaign management features, including a dedicated marketing consultant.

Pros for AdEspresso:

• Combination spy tool and ad creation/optimisation platform

• Developed by marketing giant Hootsuite

• Great for lead generation

Cons for AdEspresso:

• Spy functions are lacking compared to other tools

• Limited platform integration 

• Reviews indicate a lack of customer support

AdFlex

With a comprehensive ad database consistently updated, Adflex’s Facebook Ads Spy Tool gives you real-time access to your competitor’s ad information through an easy-to-use interface. The platform was designed by advertising professionals with over 15 years of experience in the industry, and they have used their knowledge to craft a tool that takes data directly from the ad source without using third party intermediaries. Their advanced filtering helps find ads targeting specific demographics, on individual platforms, in particular formats, or with specific CTAs. The tool provides detailed information about each ad, such as its duration, estimated ad spend, engagement rates, and more. You can also bookmark ads you want to keep track of or analyse later. Finally, you can preview the landing pages of any ads you select and download them as an HTML file, allowing you to view the source code and inform your own landing pages. For new users, the AdFlex YouTube channel has plenty of easy-to-follow tutorials to help you get the most out of the tool. Overall, this tool is an excellent investment for beginners and experienced marketers alike.

Pricing: Adflex offers three plans. The Basic plan is free but only gives you access to the AdFlex analytics page and access on one device. Most features are locked behind the Pro plan at $99 per month. Finally, the Enterprise plan for large-scale businesses costs $1999 per month. You can also pay annually for a 20 per cent discount. 

Pros for AdFlex:

• Comprehensive ad database, updated in real-time

• Advanced filtering options

• Accessible YouTube tutorials

• Easy-to-use interface

• Landing page viewer and downloader

Cons for AdFlex:

• The free plan has minimal functionality

• Reviews often report errors with the landing page downloader

• Massive price differences between plans 

AdSpy

The AdSpy spy tool delivers a large database of Facebook and Instagram ads from across the world with a simple yet fast and intelligent interface, helping you view competitors' ads with ease. You can search for ads using typical queries (such as keywords, page name or ad text), audience reactions, or by affiliate network, offer ID or landing page technologies. That's right - the tool is also useful for affiliate marketers if that is an avenue you would like to explore. You can even search through user comments to see the kinds of feedback your competitor’s ads receive. AdSpy also offers product research tools that will be useful for dropshippers looking for new and trending products. Finally, AdSpy allows you to see screenshots of competitor landing pages and their landing page URL even if the website is no longer available. While this feature is welcome, it is not as comprehensive as other landing page viewers. 

Pricing: AdSpy only offers one plan at $149 per month.

Pros for AdSpy:

• Offers affiliate tracking

• Simple pricing strategy

• Includes product research tools

• See landing pages even when a website is not available

Cons for AdSpy:

• No free trial

• The plan is expensive compared to other tools

• The amount of data available can be overwhelming for beginners

Anstrex

Short for Analyse, Strategise and Execute, Anstrex is another multi-platform spy tool that has dedicated Facebook ads spy functionality and was built with dropshippers in mind. With a massive database of ads from 90+ countries covering most major ad networks, you can easily find the exact ads you want to analyse and extract real-time data on their performance and bidding history. You can set alerts according to specific criteria, so you can stay on top of the latest high-performing ads in your niche. Dropshippers can also take advantage of Anstrex’s product discovery tool, which can identify new trending products and the types of ads they’re selling them with using data directly from other dropshipping stores and their suppliers. Like AdFlex, it also has a landing page ripper and downloader that can also be used to edit, optimise, and deploy landing pages for your campaigns. 

Pricing: Anstrex offers three plans. The Native Only plan costs $69.99 per month, per user, for native ad network access. The Native + Push plan costs $139.99 per month, per user, which adds access to push ad networks. Finally, the Native + Push + Pops plan costs $219.99 per month, per user, and adds access to pop ad networks and data from mobile devices.

Pros for Anstrex:

• Free plan option

• Built with dropshippers in mind

• Extensive product portfolio

• Immediately download and deploy ads and landing pages

Cons for Anstrex:

• Free plan does not include product research tool

• The interface can be difficult to learn

• Only integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce stores

BigSpy

BigSpy is an ad spy tool that allows users to monitor and track competitors' ads in real-time across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google ads, and more. With advanced filtering options, users can search for ads based on keywords, ad format, industry and ad type. BigSpy provides comprehensive analytics and performance metrics for ads, including engagement metrics, ad spend estimates, audience demographics, targeting preferences, ad frequency and placements, and more. It also offers a curated collection of ad creatives from top-performing campaigns across different industries and platforms, which can be used to inspire new campaigns. BigSpy’s tools suit various marketers and industries, making it a versatile addition to any business’s arsenal. Although the platform advertises a free plan, it is very limited at only 5 queries a day, with many results locked behind a paywall. 

Pricing: BigSpy offers 5 plans, including a limited free plan. Standard plans include the Basic plan for $9 per month, the Pro plan for $99 per month, the Group plan for $249 per month and the VIP Enterprise plan for $3600+ per year. You can also save 10-30 per cent by billing annually.

Pros of BigSpy:

• Large database across multiple popular social media platforms 

• Affordable basic plan under $10

• Pro plan $1 trial available

Cons of BigSpy:

• Not specialised for ecommerce or dropshipping

• Large pricing gap between plans

• No product research tools

• Free plan is very limited

Dropispy

Dropispy is a service provided by AdSpy and designed specifically for dropshippers and ecommerce businesses. The tool scrapes Facebook ads and allows you to search for them using keyword search, ad text, target audience, redirect links, engagement, page names, first and last seen date, and more. Not only do they have a comprehensive ad database, but they have unique features tailored to dropshippers. The Shop Spy feature provides a list of the top-performing dropshipping stores online and allows you to duplicate the top-selling products in your own store. Finally, it comes with a Chrome extension that you can use on any competitor’s website to view general site data, any Facebook adverts the site is showing, and their ecommerce products. 

Pricing: Dropispy comes with three plans. The Free plan gives you access to the Chrome extension, media downloads and basic filtering. The Premium plan costs $29.90 per month and adds advanced filtering, audience metrics and shop spy features. The Business plan costs $249.90 per month and comes with 7/7 customer support. 

Pros for Dropispy:

• Comes with a Chrome extension

• Offers a free plan with unlimited search

• Made for dropshippers

Cons for Dropispy:

• Does not provide product supplier information

• Free plan is very restricted

• Unclear whether Instagram ads are now included on the platform post-Meta merge

Minea

A highly rated and affordable tool, Minea is a popular choice for dropshippers, marketers and influencers looking to spy on competitors and source best-selling products. It has a large database of ads from across Facebook, Shopify, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat. Advanced ad search functions allow you to filter ads using keywords, dates, audience reactions, type of media, and the type of ecommerce platform competitors are using. You can even exclusively make ad search only for stores that are dropshipping. The tool also offers an influencer placement feature, which allows users to search for influencers and provides detailed information such as frequent partnerships, number of placements per month, and engagement rates. If you’re looking to work with influencers in the future, this feature may be valuable for your business. Finally, with Minea’s Magic Search, you can find products based on photos - simply upload a picture from your PC and let the tool do the rest.

Pricing: Minea offers three plans. The Starter plan costs $49 per month and gives you access to Facebook ads, influencer placements, advanced filters and the chrome extension. The Premium plan costs $99 per month and adds TikTok, Pinterest and shop analytics. The Business plan costs $399 per month and unlocks supplier information, AI features, and 1-click product imports to Shopify.

Pros for Minea:

• Chrome extension included

• Extensive database with advanced filtering

• Includes influencer placements

Cons for Minea:

• No refunds

• Only for a single user

Niche Scraper

Niche Scraper is an excellent spy tool for dropshippers looking to not only spy on competitors, but also find trending and new profitable dropshipping opportunities. You can use it to spy on the top Shopify merchants online and observe not only their current performance but also their speed of growth. You’ll also be able to see top-performing products and niches across multiple marketplaces including Aliexpress, Amazon and Shopify. Most importantly, and why this tool has made it on our list, you can use the Ad Spy function to see competitor’s highest-performing ads across TikTok and Facebook. You can even leverage its straightforward Video Ad Generator to craft basic product slideshows tailored for social media advertising.

Pricing: Niche Scraper offers two plans. You can sign up for a free trial with limited access to all tools and a 3-day delay on winning product recommendations, or sign up to the Pro membership plan for $49.95 per month to unlock all features.

Pros for Niche Scraper:

• Includes a Video Ad Generator to create ads for social media use

• Ideal for dropshippers

• Can find trending products and niches

Cons for Niche Scraper: 

• The video ads are very basic

• Supplier recommendations don’t include local suppliers

PowerAdSpy

PowerAdSpy is a great all-round tool that allows you to spy on your competitors’ ads across a wide variety of platforms including Google ads, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can search for ads using exact keywords, domains, advertisers, audience targeting, landing page properties, and much more. Once you’ve found the ads you’re interested in, you can view their performance history and target audience information. You can even search for ads using site properties such as ecommerce or marketing platforms and domain registration date. PowerAdSpy uses AI to analyse the available data and accurately predict trends ahead of your competition. This tool also comes with a Chrome extension that you can use to dissect ads where you find them, right in your browser. 

Pricing: PowerAdSpy offers seven different plans with varying levels of access. The free trial gives you access to a handful of their features across four platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube) for 100 searches. The Basic plan costs $69 per month and unlocks most features and filters, but is still restricted to four platforms. The Standard plan costs $129 per month and unlocks most features and two more social networks, but ecommerce platforms, marketplaces and affiliate networks remain blocked. The Premium ($179 per month), Platinum ($279 per month), Titanium ($349 per month) and Palladium ($399 per month) plans have all features unlocked, but differ in terms of their social network access.

Pros for PowerAdSpy:

• Free trial available - no credit card required

• Wide range of ad platforms, including Reddit and Quora

• Advanced filters

Cons for PowerAdSpy:

• Some reviews note issues with customer service

• TikTok ad coverage is lacking compared to other platforms

• The interface has a learning curve - may not be suitable for beginners

SocialPeta

SocialPeta is a spy tool that specialises in ecommerce product research, including a specialised branch for mobile apps and games. On their Ad Research database, you’ll find plenty of ads collected from various social networks for a wide variety of products, courses, webinars and apps. You can filter by platform, CTA, network, language and time period, as well as exact keywords. The platform will show you plenty of information on each ad and the products featured, as well as the stores they come from. You’ll also get plenty of insights into the estimated ad cost. The only thing SocialPeta is not transparent about is their pricing, which is only available by contacting their sales department. 

Pricing: At this time, SocialPeta’s pricing is by quotation only.

Pros for SocialPeta:

• Offers direct integration with several major marketplaces including Shopify, Etsy and Amazon

• Acts as an ad spy tool, product research tool, and store research tool in one

Cons for SocialPeta:

• Cannot filter by product category or niche

• Pricing information is not readily available

Free Facebook ad spy tools

Meta Ads Library (formerly Facebook Ad Library)

That’s right! The best free Facebook ads spy tool comes directly from the source. The Meta Ads Library is a comprehensive database that lets you see all the ads currently active on Meta platforms - that includes Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Ads are added to the library within 24 hours of their first impression, and any changes are updated within 24 hours, so you’ll always be looking at the most current ads and versions. You can search the ad library by location, ad type (limited to “All ads” or “Issues, elections or politics”) and keywords. You can also narrow the search by filtering by language, advertiser, platform, media type, active status and impressions by date. You can click on the ad to view information about the advertisers, target audience, and ad reach (across the EU), and even if the ad has multiple versions. You don’t even need a Facebook or Instagram account to use it - anyone can access the Meta Ads Library. This tool is perfect for gathering ad ideas and checking on the competition, but if you want more detailed ad information, you’ll need to branch out to other tools. 

Pricing: The Meta Ads Library is completely free to access and does not offer premium memberships.

Pros for Meta Ads Library:

• Completely free to access

• Regularly updated with currently running ads

Cons for Meta Ads Library: 

• Very basic tool - not many ad details available

Koala Inspector

Koala Inspector is a competitor analysis Chrome extension designed for dropshippers. You can simply visit your competitor’s website, click on the tool, and receive a wealth of information about their site development, their best-selling products, their pricing strategies and their ad campaigns. With the Ad Campaigns tab, you can view all current ad campaigns competitors are running across Facebook, Instagram and Google. You can also track online stores of interest and get notified whenever they make changes to their website. With its user-friendly interface, basic pricing structure and robust free version, Koala Inspector is an excellent resource for beginner dropshippers who want a simple, yet powerful spy tool. 

Pricing: Koala Inspector offers three plans. A Free plan is available with limited usage per month. The Pro plan costs $7.99 per month with more credits, but still limited usage. The Unlimited plan costs $19.99 per month for unlimited access and tracking for up to 50 Shopify stores.

Pros of Koala Inspector:

• Beginner-friendly

• Robust free plan

• High customer reviews

• Easy to use

• Incredibly affordable paid plans

Cons of Koala Inspector: 

• The free plan has limited functionality

• Not as comprehensive as other tools on the market

• The free trials for paid plans only last 3 days

Swipe-Worthy

Swipe-Worthy is not advertised as a spy tool, but it is still an excellent resource for anyone looking for ad inspiration. It is an online “swipe file” (a collection of marketing and copywriting examples) containing thousands of successful ads, with expert analysis on what made each of them successful. You can search for ads in a variety of niches and ad types, and you’ll find a wide variety of both classic and current ad copy. Clicking on an ad will take you to a dedicated page with expert commentary, including contextual information about the ad, annotated notes highlighting areas of interest, and key takeaways from the piece. 

Pricing: Swipe-Worthy is completely free to access and does not offer premium memberships.

Pros for Swipe-Worthy:

• Excellent resource for marketers and copywriters

• Provides deep insights into why an ad works, written by industry experts

• Completely free tool - no plans, no trials, all features available

• Includes both classic and modern copy

Cons for Swipe-Worthy: 

• Compared to dedicated spy tools, the ads library is limited, especially when it comes to Facebook ads

• Very limited search functionality

• Does not show performance metrics such as engagement rates

Choosing the right tool for your ecommerce store

Are you having trouble deciding what tool would work best for your ecommerce store? Here are some key considerations as you explore your spy tool options:

• Business size: If you’re a small business or just starting out, you may not need to invest in an expensive enterprise-level spy tool. If you’re a larger business or have a large marketing team, you may need a more robust tool with a flexible pricing plan.

• Data accuracy: You’ll want to find a tool that is regularly updated with the latest data, and uses that data to make accurate predictions and reports.

• Functionality: Some tools focus solely on competitor research, while others will also help you find trending products, influencers or affiliates.

• Filtering capabilities: Depending on your niche, you may want a tool that allows for highly specific searches. 

• User interface: You’ll want to find a tool that is easy for you and your team to use.

• Pricing: Consider your marketing budget when looking at new tools for your business.

• Reputation: Choose a tool that has positive customer reviews and a positive, well-established reputation in the marketing sphere.

Want to hear more about ad spying tools? Check out our blog "20+ Best Dropshipping Spy Tools to Improve Your Businesses' Profitability in 2024" for even more spy tools to help you break down competitors' marketing strategies and conduct winning product research.

Conclusion

Competitor analysis on Facebook is a powerful tool for dropshipping businesses. It provides critical insights into market trends, effective advertising strategies, and audience preferences. By leveraging these insights, you can optimise your marketing efforts, outperform competitor's campaigns, and achieve sustainable growth in your dropshipping business. Stay informed, stay competitive, and use the power of competitor analysis to drive your success on Facebook and create winning ads every time.