Best 7 Smartly alternatives - 2025
Are Smartly alternatives more powerful than the real thing?
Smartly has built a solid reputation over the years for helping individuals create image and video content, automate workflows, and optimize ad campaigns.
Still, plenty of marketers, those who have yet to try Smartly but also existing users, find themselves wondering if there’s a better fit out there. One that offers more features all while costing less. And that’s where we can help!
After digging through similar tools, we’ve narrowed it down to 7 of the best Smartly alternatives, which we broke down by features, pros, cons, and pricing. Moreover, we compared each to Smartly to make it easier to decide which one wins the race.
Curious about the results? Let’s get into it!
Overview of Smartly
What is Smartly?
Smartly is a marketing automation platform meant to simplify the process of creating ads for marketers and businesses. That said, you can use it to produce image and video creatives at scale, push ads directly to Meta, Google Ads, and other platforms, and also automate your campaign optimization.
Advantages of Smartly
Smartly io is designed to save time, increase efficiency, and deliver results.
But speaking of its greatest strengths, we can’t help but mention its:
- Automation features that allow you to scale image and video creative production to save you countless hours on manual edits.
- Cross-channel compatibility, which enables you to run and optimize campaigns across major platforms (Meta, Google Ads, TikTok, and more) from one centralized dashboard.
- AI-driven real-time optimization to ensure your ads perform at their best at all times.
- Collaborative features that streamline workflows and improve teamwork.
Drawbacks of Smartly
Albeit useful, certain limitations of Smartly can be a deal-breaker, including:
- High price: Smartly’s cost can be prohibitive for smaller businesses or teams with limited budgets.
- Complex setup: Some users have found the initial setup and onboarding process challenging and time-consuming.
- Limited functionality: The platform lacks some features and integrations that similar tools have, as reported by some users.
- Frequent bugs: People have also complained about how buggy it can get.
Quick comparison table of all Smartly.io alternatives
If you’re looking for alternatives to Smartly io but are short on time, this table gives you a quick overview of our top picks.
Nonetheless, we strongly recommend you read on for a full breakdown of each of these tools. As a cherry on top, we’ll also introduce you to a bonus add-on at the end!
7 top Smartly alternatives
So, you know which tools have made it to the list. Now, it’s time to review their pros, cons, and costs and see how they stack against Smartly.io itself.
1. Hunch: Best Smartly alternative for data-driven creative automation
Hunch is a powerful creative automation platform that integrates data, creative production, and media buying to help marketers create highly personalized, scalable campaigns with ease.
You can upload data from any source to Hunch and enhance it with additional information to create impactful ads that bring results.
Also, Hunch offers its Creative Studio, which you can use to design templates, animate images into videos, and even build localized creatives for different markets. Its AI tools take this a step further, allowing for background removal, product images orientation detection, and dynamic font and color adjustments to facilitate production.
Additionally, Hunch makes campaign delivery simple and effective since you can use it to create and manage campaigns across Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and more.
Pros of Hunch
- Seamless data feed integration and enhancement.
- Advanced features for creative production, including animation and video localization.
- Automated workflows for managing complex campaigns.
Cons of Hunch
- Some metrics (e.g., reach, audience size, etc.) are not available on the Analytics page.
- Occasional errors while creating an ad campaign.
Hunch pricing
Hunch doesn’t have a dedicated pricing page. However, their comparison pages with other tools indicate that pricing starts at €2,500 per month.
Nevertheless, for precise details based on your use case, we recommend you book a demo with their team.
Hunch vs. Smartly
Hunch is a great fit for agencies and businesses managing complex campaigns across diverse markets. Choose it if you need advanced creative capabilities, hyper-targeted ads, and flexibility with data integration.
Meanwhile, Smartly is better suited for teams that prioritize ease of use over extensive customization. Go for it if you’re looking for a simpler, more intuitive tool that gets you up and running quickly.
2. Sprinklr: Best Smartly alternative for its After Effects integration
Sprinklr is an AI-powered platform designed to streamline both organic and paid campaign management across 30+ channels, with a specific focus on Meta. It’s the solution for brands looking to replace multiple tools with a single platform.
Sprinklr is particularly powerful for its After Effects capabilities, which allow users to create advanced video variations. With this feature, you can design anything that’s possible in After Effects and integrate those templates directly into your campaigns.
On top of that, Sprinklr’s AI-driven insights allow for better targeting, budget utilization, and, ultimately, a higher return on investment.
Pros of Sprinklr
- Advanced video creation with After Effects capabilities.
- Campaign management across 30+ channels, including social, digital, and traditional media.
- Real-time social listening and campaign performance insights to help make data-driven decisions.
Cons of Sprinklr
- Issues with generating specific reports and occasional data inaccuracy.
- The platform has a steep learning curve due to its extensive features, like Hunch. Thus, it may not be the best fit for beginners.
Sprinklr pricing
Sprinklr customizes the cost of their Enterprise solution to each client individually. Thus, to get the full details, you need to reach out to their sales team.
Sprinklr vs. Smartly
Sprinklr is the go-to option for enterprises looking for one platform to plan, produce, and distribute ads across the board (30+ channels). However, since it’s a bit complex to use, Smartly can be a better choice for beginners to marketing automation tools.
3. Celtra: Best Smartly alternative for multi-format ad production
Celtra is a cloud-based platform that empowers marketers to produce, manage, and deliver high-quality, on-brand ads with ease. It’s particularly well-suited for teams who’d like to improve their processes and enhance collaboration across media and creative teams.
With Celtra, you can put repetitive tasks on autopilot and create pixel-perfect, multi-format ads at scale using modular templates.
The tool also has a real-time reporting feature and over 100 industry-standard metrics to ensure your creatives are not only captivating but also backed by actionable performance data.
Pros of Celtra
- Advanced automation tools for static, HTML5, and dynamic video ads.
- Cloud-based platform for seamless collaboration across teams.
- Real-time reporting with 100+ video marketing metrics for data-driven decisions.
- User-friendly interface.
Cons of Celtra
- Lags and slower overall performance during heavy workflows.
- Occasional challenges with customizing templates.
- Some users find Celtra to be on the pricier side.
Celtra pricing
Much like Hunch and Sprinkl, Celtra does not publicly disclose its pricing. Again, you’ll have to contact their sales team for more details.
Celtra vs. Smartly
Celtra has real-time reporting and 100+ industry-standard metrics, along with support for multi-format ads. Thus, it’s a top choice for teams who need detailed performance insights to guide creative decisions in various shapes and forms.
On the other hand, Smartly is better suited for marketers who need a one-stop-shop tool that combines creative production with ad automation and campaign optimization.
4. AdCreative: Best Smartly alternative for AI-powered creative scoring
AdCreative claims to be the #1 AI tool for advertising that lets you generate high-quality ad banners, photoshoots, texts, and videos.
However, perhaps its most impressive feature is the ability to predict creative performance. Using AI, AdCreative scores your creatives before they go live, thereby providing actionable insights to improve them. Combine this with its competitor analysis feature, and you’ll always stay one step ahead.
AdCreative also empowers teams to scale production with its Template Builder, which enables building custom, on-brand, autonomous ads across the board. Therefore, it’s an excellent option for those who’d like to save time, maintain brand consistency, and increase ROI.
Pros of AdCreative
- Cretive performance predictions.
- Competitor analysis to identify top-performing ads in your industry.
- Rapid generation of conversion-focused ad creatives.
- User-friendly interface suitable for less tech-savvy users.
Cons of AdCreative
- Limited customization options for AI-generated ads’ creatives.
- Occasional technical issues.
AdCreative pricing
AdCreative's pricing structure includes 4 plans that differ in cost based on the number of downloads and brand limits:
- Starter Plan: $39/month for 10 downloads and 2 brands
- Professional Plan: $249/month for 100 downloads and 3 brands
- Ultimate Plan: $599/month for 500 downloads and 10 brands
- Enterprise Plan: Custom with tailored credits
AdCreative vs. Smartly
AdCreative is a great tool for simplifying creative production. It does a lot for you, so it doesn’t require much design experience. Not to mention, its AI prediction and competitor analysis features can help you easily outperform your competitors.
Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a scaleable tool, Smartly may be a better option. Even more so since it allows you to manage the entire ad cycle.
5. Mediaocean: Best Smartly alternative for omnichannel advertising
Mediaocean is a powerful platform that is built to bring large-scale advertising strategies to life.
That said, it combines AI and automation to help brands and agencies plan and optimize omnichannel campaigns.
Its Ad Tech solution helps advertisers deliver personalized, impactful ads while tracking their performance.
Meanwhile, the Ad Infrastructure tools simplify planning, buying, and financial management for campaigns, making it easier to manage both digital and traditional media.
Pros of Mediaocean
- Supports omnichannel campaigns across multiple formats and platforms.
- AI tools for optimization and performance tracking.
- Optimized workflows for planning and financial management.
Cons of Mediaocean
- A steep learning curve, especially for beginners.
- Interface design issues that may affect usability.
- Limited functionalities for search ad planning and targeting.
Mediaocean pricing
Unfortunately, Mediaocean also doesn’t have the pricing details available on their website. This means you need to get in touch with their team for a quote.
Mediaocean vs. Smartly
Mediaocean is built with complex, cross-channel campaigns in mind. However, if your advertising needs aren't as extensive, and you're simply looking for a user-friendly solution for social media ad creation and automation, Smartly is by far a better option.
6. ROI Hunter: Best Smartly alternative for e-commerce ad campaigns
ROI Hunter is a perfect solution for e-commerce businesses that enables them to design, automate, and manage ad campaigns easily.
With its image and video editing tools, you can create thousands of engaging creatives in minutes, all while staying true to your brand’s style.
Its standout feature is the ability to connect ad templates directly to your product feed. This allows users to create data-driven ads, whether they’re static images or eye-catching videos.
Additionally, ROI Hunter’s integration with Unsplash gives users access to millions of free photos to enhance their creatives further.
Pros of ROI Hunter
- Perfect for e-commerce with product-specific ad targeting.
- Dynamic ad creation connected to product feeds.
- Access to millions of free stock photos through Unsplash.
Cons of ROI Hunter
- Limited features for non-e-commerce businesses.
- The platform may not scale well for agencies managing multiple clients.
- Analytics aren’t that detailed.
ROI Hunter pricing
ROI Hunter works on a flexible pricing model, charging 1–5% of your ad spend. However, they back this up with bold promises of boosting sales and ROAS by 10–20% and delivering 5–40x return on their fees.
For a precise quote for your business, book a call with their team.
ROI Hunter vs. Smartly
Compared to Smartly, ROI Hunter primarily caters to e-commerce businesses that want to create product-specific campaigns using dynamic ad templates. On the flip side, the former is a more versatile solution that can be a good fit for many businesses, regardless of the industry they belong to.
7. Rocketium: Best Smartly alternative for collaborating as a team
If scaling creative production without burning out your team is a priority, Rocketium might just be what you need. This AI-powered CreativeOps platform is designed to help brands and agencies scale ad production without compromising quality.
The platform helps with repetitive tasks like bulk editing and auto-adaption. You can also use it to adapt designs to different channels, create custom templates, and tailor ads to specific customer journeys.
What’s more, with features like work management, on-canvas commenting, and a centralized asset catalog, teams can work seamlessly, stay aligned with brand guidelines, and reduce bottlenecks while bringing their best creative ideas to life.
On top of that, Rocketium offers advanced Analytics to track performance in real time, analyze competitor campaigns, and get data-backed recommendations to improve results.
Pros of Rocketium
- Bulk editing and adaptation for scaling creative production.
- Centralized asset library and workflow management for super easy team collaboration.
- Template customization and auto-adaption for on-brand, channel-specific creatives.
- On-canvas commenting and in-editor brand compliance for consistent outputs.
Cons of Rocketium
- Some features have been described as ‘’difficult to use’’ by the users.
- The final output is heavily influenced by the quality of the original materials used.
Rocketium pricing
This is another one of Smartly.io alternatives that doesn’t provide insight into its pricing. Still, some sources suggest that pricing is influenced by usage metrics such as the number of creatives produced and team size.
For precise information, be sure to message their team.
Rocketium vs. Smartly
Rocketium could be a great fit if you want to amp up your creative production. After all, it’s built to automate manual tasks and help teams churn out on-brand, channel-specific creatives at scale. Speaking of teams, one of its greatest advantages is the ample team collaboration options.
On the other hand, Smartly io is the superior choice if you need a full-scale platform to manage entire ad campaigns. With its multichannel optimization and advanced automation, it’s ideal for handling campaigns that require more than automating content creation.
Great add-on for Smartly or alternatives: Plainly
When it comes to advanced video versioning, most tools—even leading Smartly.io alternatives—fall short. Except for Sprinklr, After Effects capabilities are usually missing, limiting users to basic video variations and forcing them to use these tools’ built-in template editors rather than AE to create templates. That said, if you need something more impactful and customizable, Plainly is the ideal solution.
Plainly is a video automation software that works with After Effects to create advanced video variations at scale.
With it, you can:
- Use After Effects templates to produce thousands of video variations effortlessly.
- Customize elements like text, images, and animations using data from Google Sheets, CSV files, or API.
- Upload ready-made videos to Smartly and its alternatives to use them as ads. You can also automate this process using Webhooks or API.
So, while not a replacement for Smartly.io or its alternatives, Plainly is the perfect add-on to elevate your video campaigns.
How to cancel Smartly?
Feel like switching to one of the Smartly alternatives? No problem!
But the thing is, you can’t cancel your subscription in-app. Rather, you need to do it via email. That said, here’s how you can cancel Smartly, as per their Terms and Conditions, section 9:
- Draft a written notice stating your intent to terminate.
- Send the email to your assigned account manager or Smartly’s general email address at info@smartly.io.
- Await a confirmation email to ensure the termination has been finalized.
Most subscriptions can be canceled immediately after sending the email, with the exception of Managed and Creative Services, which require a 30-day prior notice.
Also, keep in mind that if you cancel before the end of a calendar month, a minimum monthly fee will still apply. Smartly doesn’t refund paid fees either, so you won’t get back any unused portion of your subscription. We'd also like to emphasize that any fees owed must still be paid, regardless of the termination.
What will it be: Smartly vs alternatives?
While Smartly has established itself as a powerful tool, exploring Smartly alternatives may prompt you to consider solutions that better suit your needs and goals.
Each of these platforms brings something special to the table—be it automation features, advanced analytics, or team collaboration capabilities.
Now, it’s up to you to evaluate your priorities and decide whether to stick with Smartly or go with another option.
But whatever you do, don’t overlook the potential of adding Plainly to your tool stack. After all, thanks to its seamless integration with After Effects, you can use it to create dynamic videos that stand out…and do it at scale!
Curious to see Plainly in action? Book a demo today and discover how it can take your advertising game to the next level!
