The Pencil Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Pencil in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Pencil
The Insider’s Guide
AI ad creation across many image, video and text models
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among ad creative and reporting tools, read from Pencil’s own pages.
Made by Pencil AI Limited · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Pencil’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Pencil’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 4 of the 11 other ad creative and reporting tools we grade
Pencil makes ads: its AI agents write copy and generate images, videos and ad creatives using models from OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Runway and Stability AI in one workspace. Connected ad accounts on Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Google and LinkedIn add a results dashboard, creative insights and performance predictions. Self-serve plans are sold by monthly credits; Pencil Pro is its enterprise edition.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Pencil, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Choosing among many models, each priced differently in credits, is a learning curve of its own, and agents and workflows take setting up.
- 1
Best for many AI models for ads in one workspace
Pencil puts image, video and copy models from OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Runway and Stability AI in one ad workspace, then launches ads and reports on how they do.
- 2
Paid plans start at $11 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $11 per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
Free trial mentioned in the refund policy; length not stated
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 4 of 11
That is against the other ad creative and reporting tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Pencil you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Pencil at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $11 per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free trial mentioned in the refund policy; length not stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Pencil AI Limited
- Category
- Ad Creative & Reporting
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for many AI models for ads in one workspace
Pencil puts image, video and copy models from OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Runway and Stability AI in one ad workspace, then launches ads and reports on how they do. It's cheap to start at $11 a month billed annually. But every action costs credits by model, so a few dozen ads a month means Growth at $44.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Graded 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No 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. |
| Features | C | Text, 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. Plenty for making ads, but nothing on record for studying rivals' ads, and bulk generation from feeds is Pro only. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Pencil is for
- Great if you want to try several AI image and video models without paying for each one
- Handy when you make ads and launch them to Meta, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn from one place
- Good for big brands that need IP and no-train terms, which come with Pro
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Marketers who want several AI image and video models in one ad tool
- Solo marketers needing a low-cost credit plan for ad creatives
- Enterprise brand teams that need governance and IP terms for AI content
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$11
A month to start
Pencil is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $11 per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly).
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.
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.
Pro
Custom
Sold through sales: committed-use credits, bulk generation from product feeds, unlimited users and brands, IP assignment and no-train terms.
Trying it first
Free trial mentioned in the refund policy; length not stated
Read from trypencil.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Billed annually, Core is $11 a month instead of $14 and Growth $44 instead of $55.
Stated on trypencil.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
AI ad creation across many image, video and text models. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, templates, AI agents, image generation, video generation, ad creative.
Plenty for making ads, but nothing on record for studying rivals' ads, and bulk generation from feeds is Pro only.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Meta Ads
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Google Display Network
- Google DV360
- Figma
- Adobe Photoshop
Pencil is made by Pencil AI Limited.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/11
Other ad creative and reporting tools it is graded above
Pencil's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 11 other ad creative and reporting tools we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 1 of 11) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $11 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 3 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 12 ad creative and reporting tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Pencil’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 11
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 11
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 11
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 11
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 11 ad creative and reporting tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Pencil is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Pencil you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $132 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Ad images and videos made to each network's sizes.
- It plugs into other products, Meta Ads, TikTok and YouTube among them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Pencil’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
AdCreative.ai, Omneky, Predis.ai, Creatify and Superads
The 5 tools Pencil is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
AdCreative.ai
Free trial · from $20/mo
AI ad banners, product photos and video ads, with creative scoring.
- Only AdCreative.ai lists an iOS app.
- Pencil also covers AI agents.
- 2.0GPA
Omneky
Free trial · from $24/mo
AI image and video ads from a product link, launched across channels.
- Pencil also covers templates.
- Omneky also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
Predis.ai
Free trial · from $19/mo
AI ads, videos and social posts, with scheduling and rival ad tracking.
- Only Predis.ai lists iOS and Android apps.
- Pencil also covers templates and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Creatify
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI video ads with AI actors, made from a product link.
- Creatify has a free plan. Pencil does not, though it has a free trial.
- Pencil also covers templates.
- 2.2GPA
Superads
Free trial · from $125/mo
Creative analytics across Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and Google Ads.
- Pencil also covers templates, image generation, video generation and ad creative.
- Superads also covers reports and dashboards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Pencil free?
No, Pencil is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial mentioned in the refund policy; length not stated.
How much does Pencil cost?
Pencil lists 3 plans. Core: $11 per month for 50 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly).
What platforms does Pencil work on?
Pencil is available on Web.
Does Pencil offer any discounts?
Pencil publicly lists the following: Save 20% with annual billing.
Does Pencil have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Pencil is listed for Web.
Does Pencil have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Pencil is listed for Web.
Is Pencil open source?
Pencil is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Pencil integrate with?
Pencil's listing names Meta Ads, TikTok, YouTube, Google Display Network, Google DV360, LinkedIn, Figma and Adobe Photoshop.
Who makes Pencil?
Pencil is made by Pencil AI Limited.
What are the alternatives to Pencil?
The closest alternatives to Pencil in our directory are AdCreative.ai, Omneky, Predis.ai, Creatify and Superads.
How does Pencil compare with other ad creative and reporting tools?
Pencil's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 11 other ad creative and reporting tools we grade, and level with 3.
Is Pencil good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Pencil C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $11 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 3 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Pencil?
To replace Pencil you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Pencil’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Pencil's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Pencil AI Limited. Prices change, so check trypencil.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Pencil, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pencil
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Pencil: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pencil
Know someone choosing between ad creative and reporting tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pencil/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded ad creative and reporting tools after Pencil, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Ad Creative & Reporting Insider's GuideEvery one of the 12 ad creative and reporting tools we grade, compared
- Atria Insider's GuideMeta and TikTok ad library, ad reports and AI ad ideas in one place2.4 GPA
- Creatify Insider's GuideAI video ads with AI actors, made from a product link2.4 GPA
- Madgicx Insider's GuideAI optimization, automation and reports for Meta ad accounts2.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Pencil’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Pencil is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Pencil AI Limited. Prices and plans change: check trypencil.com before you buy.