Comparison
A Meta Ad Library alternative that watches your competitors for you
The Meta Ad Library is the official, free record of every ad on Facebook and Instagram, and nothing replaces it as a source. What it lacks is everything around the search: it does not watch competitors, rank what it finds, or help you make your own version. Mockingbird reads the same public archive and does those three things.
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What the Meta Ad Library does well
- It is complete. If an ad is running on Meta's platforms, it is listed.
- It is the source. Every other tool, including Mockingbird, reads from it.
- It is free, and most searches need no account.
- It carries disclosures no third party has: who paid for political ads, and reach and targeting for ads shown in the European Union.
For checking what one advertiser is running today, use the library at facebook.com/ads/library. The guide covers how to search it well.
Where it stops
- It does not watch. You learn about a competitor's new ad when you next remember to search for them.
- It does not rank. A strong ad and a weak one sit side by side with nothing to tell them apart.
- It does not remember. There is nowhere to save a shortlist, mark what you have reviewed, or see what changed since last week.
- It does not make anything. Getting from "that is a good ad" to "here is ours" is a separate job.
Meta Ad Library and Mockingbird, side by side
| Meta Ad Library | Mockingbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. | From $29 a month; 7-day trial for $9. |
| Where the ads come from | Meta's own archive. | The same public archive. |
| Adding a competitor | Search for them each time. | Paste their Page once. |
| New ads | You check. | Checked daily and delivered to your feed. |
| Duplicates | Listed separately. | Collapsed into distinct creatives. |
| Ranking | None. | Each ad scored, with a reason. |
| Saving and reviewing | Not in the tool. | Like, save and skip; your choices shape later picks. |
| Making your own version | Not offered. | Rebuilds the ad's structure for your brand. |
| Competitor spend and results | Not shown for commercial ads. | Not shown. Nobody outside the advertiser has them. |
| Political ad disclosures | Yes. | No. |
Which one to use
The free library is enough if you look at competitors a few times a year, you have one or two to watch, and you already have a designer turning ideas into ads.
Mockingbird is worth it if you publish new ads every week or two, you track several competitors, and the slow part of your process is getting from a good idea to a finished ad in your own brand. It replaces the checking, the sorting and the first draft.
Many teams use both: the library for a one-off look at an advertiser, and Mockingbird for the competitors they follow all the time. See how it works or pricing.
Questions people ask
Is there a better tool than the Meta Ad Library?
For looking up a specific ad, no: the Meta Ad Library is the official source and it is free. Tools built on top of it are better at the work around the lookup, such as watching competitors every day, ranking what they find, and turning a good ad into your own version.
Is the Meta Ad Library free?
Yes. It is free, public, and for most searches you do not need to be logged in. You can find it at facebook.com/ads/library.
Does Mockingbird show ads the Meta Ad Library does not?
No. Mockingbird reads from the same public archive. The difference is what happens next: it checks your competitors daily, scores their ads, sends you the strongest ones with a reason, and rebuilds the ones you pick for your brand.
Can any tool show a competitor's ad spend or results?
Not for ordinary commercial ads. Meta only publishes spend and impression ranges for ads about social issues, elections or politics, plus reach figures for ads delivered in the European Union. A tool that claims exact performance numbers for a competitor's ad is estimating.
Try it on your own competitors.
$9 for 7 days. Paste a competitor's Page and see their best ad rebuilt for your brand.
Keep reading
Mockingbird is an independent product from Onwards Analytics and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta. Meta, Facebook, Instagram, Meta Ads Manager and the Meta Ad Library are trademarks of Meta Platforms, Inc. Meta changes its tools often; check Meta's own help pages for the current detail before you rely on it.