Pencil vs QuickAds (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pencil grades higher than QuickAds: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pencil grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pencil
AI ad creation across many image, video and text models
QuickAds
AI ad creation platform with an optional managed creative service
Which one is for you
Pick Pencil if
- Fits if you want to try several AI image and video models under one subscription
- Works for teams that make ads and launch them to Meta, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn from one place
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're on Core, as 50 credits go quickly and unused ones don't roll over
- Skip it if you want to track what rivals are running, as nothing on record does that
- Not for you if you want a refund after the trial, since none are given once a plan starts
- Watch out: the free trial's length isn't stated, and Core and Growth can't go past their credits until the reset
- Pricey if you need bulk generation from feeds, IP assignment or no-train terms, which are on Pro, priced through sales
Pick QuickAds if
- Fits if you want ideas from a 32M-ad library before you make anything
- Works for brands that would rather pay staff to produce ads
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want the agents, at $299 a month against $49 for the category's middle
- Watch out: the page doesn't say whether $199 is monthly or annual billing
- Skip it if you want a price for managed work, because those tiers are quoted
- Tight if you rely on the trial: it is $1, for new users only, and its length isn't stated
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPencilFair | 2.0GPAQuickAdsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CGraded on a few dozen ads a month. Core's 50 credits at $11 billed annually won't go that far, since each action is charged by model and resizing costs 1 credit per format, so it's Growth: 250 credits for $44 billed annually ($55 monthly). That's the middle of this category. | DSoftware from $199 a month, $299 with AI agents and publishing, against a middle of $49. Managed tiers are quoted. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. The refund policy mentions a free trial and says you choose to upgrade to a paid plan afterwards, but no length is given anywhere on record. | CDiscover, the ad library search, is free. The $1 trial is for new users and its length isn't stated. |
| Features | CText, image, video and voice models, ready-made and custom agents, editors with Figma and Photoshop imports, launching to seven ad platforms and scores before launch. It covers making ads, but nothing on record studies rivals' ads, and bulk generation from feeds is Pro only. | CAd library, AI image and video ads, photoshoots, pre-testing and publishing. The managed tiers add staff, and the free part is only search. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Choosing among many models, each priced differently in credits, is a learning curve of its own, and agents and workflows take setting up. | CPick references and brand kit, then generate. We found no store rating. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no apps. It launches to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google Display, DV360 and LinkedIn, imports from Figma, Photoshop and After Effects, and can add CreativeX scores. | BWeb app with Meta, Google, Amazon and TikTok connections. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | many AI models for ads in one workspace | AI ad creative with a done-for-you option |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Pencil and QuickAds. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pencil starts at $11 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. QuickAds starts at $199 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Pencil starts $188 a month lower. Of the other ad creative and reporting tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Pencil for less, and 8 score higher than QuickAds for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Pencil also covers templates and AI agents.
At a glance
| Pencil | QuickAds | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $11 per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $199 per month and up, billing basis not shown |
| Free plan | None | Discover, the search of the 32M+ ad library, is free. |
| Free trial | Free trial mentioned in the refund policy; length not stated | $1 trial, for new users only; its length is not stated |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Pencil AI Limited | 88 Ventures US, LLC |
| Price read from | trypencil.com | quickads.ai |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pencil
- Core and Growth cannot go past their monthly credits; you upgrade or wait for the reset, and unused credits do not roll over.
- Each AI action costs credits by model and size of the job, so 50 credits can cover very different amounts of work.
- Enterprise terms such as IP assignment, no-train, data ring-fencing and SSO are on Pro, priced through sales.
- Refunds are not given once a paid plan has started after the free trial; cancelling stops billing at the end of the period.
QuickAds
- The software price is shown only as 'from $199 a month' ($299 with AI agents, publishing and the influencer agent); the page does not say whether that is monthly or annual billing.
- Managed tiers are priced by volume and scope and are quoted through sales.
- The pricing page offers an annual toggle marked Save 20%, but the yearly figures are not readable in the page text.
- The $1 trial is for new users only and its length is not stated.
Key features
Pencil
- Many AI models in one place
- Text, image, video and voice models from OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Runway, Stability AI and others, chosen per task, with each model priced in credits by what it costs to run.
- Agents and Scribble
- Ready-made agents for common marketing jobs, plus your own agents and multistep workflows; Scribble is its chat assistant for briefs and campaigns.
- Ad editors and resizing
- Drag-and-drop, image, video and display ad editors, Figma, Photoshop and After Effects imports, and AI resizing to any ad format at 1 credit per format.
- Launch and track ads
- Sends ads to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google Display, DV360 and LinkedIn and shows their results in a dashboard.
- Predictions and creative insights
- Scores creatives before launch and gives insights from connected ad accounts on how to improve them; CreativeX scores can be added.
- Bulk generation from feeds
- On Pro, generates variations in bulk from product, audience and market feeds, with role-based access across brands and markets.
QuickAds
- Ad library
- Search a library of 32M+ ads, filtered by niche, platform, format and performance.
- Image and video ads
- Generates static and video ads from ideas and reference ads, with one saved brand kit on the DIY tier.
- Product and fashion photography
- Builds product photoshoots and on-model fashion imagery from references.
- Pre-testing and publishing
- Checks ad performance before launch and schedules publishing to several platforms.
- Managed creative and campaigns
- Higher tiers add QuickAds staff to produce creative and, on the top tier, manage campaigns.
Plans
Pencil
Core$11
per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)
For one person: AI agents for text, images, video and ad creatives, AI scores, ad launch and tracking, 1 workspace and chat support.
Growth$44
per month for 250 credits, billed annually ($55 billed monthly)
Everything in Core with more credits at a lower cost each, unlimited workspaces and direct access to the product team.
ProCustom
Sold through sales: committed-use credits, bulk generation from product feeds, unlimited users and brands, IP assignment and no-train terms.
QuickAds
Discover$0
Search the ad library for inspiration, with filters by niche, platform, format and performance.
DIY Creatives$199
per month and up, billing basis not shown
Software for AI image and video ads, photoshoots and publishing. $299 a month adds AI agents, publishing and the influencer agent.
Performance CreativesCustom
QuickAds staff design and produce creative. Priced on volume and scope; 100+ creatives a month, 5-7 day turnaround.
Creatives + CampaignsCustom
Everything in Performance Creatives plus campaign management on Meta, Google, Amazon and TikTok, with a dedicated team.
Ways to pay less
Pencil
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Billed annually, Core is $11 a month instead of $14 and Growth $44 instead of $55.
QuickAds
- Annual discount
Save 20% on annual billing
The pricing page has a Monthly/Annual toggle with a Save 20% label.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pencil or QuickAds?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pencil is cheaper to start with: $11 a month, against $199 a month for QuickAds. Pencil starts at $11 per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and QuickAds starts at $199 per month and up, billing basis not shown.
Which has a free plan, Pencil or QuickAds?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only QuickAds has a free plan. Pencil does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.