Meta Ad Library alternatives that keep ads after they stop running (8 tools, 2026)

Meta Ad Library alternatives that keep ads after they stop running: AdSwipeFile (free, then $39 a month), OpenAdLibrary ($29.99 a month, deleted-ads archive) and Foreplay or Swipekit, which keep the ads you save, from $39 a month. The Meta Ad Library is free, but outside political and EU ads it shows an ad only while it runs.

We make AdSwipeFile, so it is listed first. Every other tool's facts come from its own site, checked on 6 November 2026, with sources at the end.

Why people look for Meta Ad Library alternatives

• Ads disappear: outside social issue, election and political ads and ads delivered in the EU, an ad leaves the library when it stops running, so the example you meant to study next week can be gone.
• Saved searches keep a brand's search, but nothing tells you when it starts a new ad, so you rerun the same advertiser Pages every time.
• Its filters are built for transparency: nothing by industry or by creative format such as UGC or testimonial that we found.
• No save or export: to keep an ad you screenshot it or paste its link, and links die with the ad.
• Its API covers political and issue ads and ads delivered in the EU or UK, and we found no MCP server from Meta, so an AI agent cannot pull most commercial ads.

What the Meta Ad Library keeps and what it drops

It keeps every ad while it runs, and after that only two kinds. From Meta's own pages, checked 6 November 2026:

• Running: every active ad on Facebook, Instagram and Meta's other apps, searchable free with no account.
• Stopped, kept: Meta's tools page says social issue, election and political ads are visible whether they are active or inactive, and are stored in the Ad Library for 7 years. Ads delivered in the EU are archived for a year after their last impression.
• Stopped, dropped: any other commercial ad. A US-only product ad, for example, is shown only while it is active.
• API: Ad Library API: political and issue ads worldwide and ads delivered in the EU or UK, plus active public branded content for authorized users; needs an identity check and a developer app. Meta limits the Ad Library API to authorized users, who can also analyze active public branded content on Facebook and Instagram, and its Ad Targeting dataset (targeting detail for social issue, electoral and political ads, kept 7 years) to approved researchers.
• Never for ordinary ads: spend and performance. Spend and reach ranges are for political ads, reach and targeting detail for ads shown in the EU.

More: Meta Ad Library limitations and the Meta Ad Library API guide.

Which tools keep ads after they stop running

Only two designs keep an ad once Meta has dropped it.

A library that holds the ads for you. AdSwipeFile keeps the creative and copy of the 63,244+ ads it files after Meta takes them down. OpenAdLibrary: They claim millions of ads. A deleted-ads archive keeps ads after they stop, with the day each was last seen (Founders only). AdsLibrary.ai: its Discovery page shows historical or current ads saved on the platform.

A swipe file you fill yourself. You save the ad while it is live and the tool stores the creative: Foreplay ($59/mo), Swipekit ($39/mo) and AdsLibrary.ai, each with a Chrome extension.

Where a site doesn't say whether stopped ads stay, we write "not listed". Ask the vendor before you pay for history.

Which tools follow brands, search across brands, export or connect to an AI agent

• Follow a brand: AdSwipeFile (Pro 10 brands, Agency 50, in one feed), Gethookd, AdLibrary, Swipekit, SpreshApp, Adspo and AdsLibrary.ai.
• Search across brands: AdSwipeFile by copy, brand and visual description; AdLibrary across ad networks; SpreshApp by audience.
• Export or download: AdsLibrary.ai offers bulk download of ad media and data. BigSpy's free plan has no downloads.
• Connect to an AI agent: AdSwipeFile (every plan, 50 MCP/API calls for the life of the account on Free), Swipekit, SpreshApp, AdLibrarySpy, OpenAdLibrary, Foreplay (from Workflow), AdLibrary (Business) and Gethookd (Team and up).

More on the agent route: the best Meta Ad Library MCP servers.

The best Facebook Ad Library alternatives that are free

Free as of 6 November 2026: AdLibrarySpy (Free, every feature; it says there is no paid tier), BigSpy (A free plan: Facebook ads only, 10 searches a day (visual and feature search included), 20 tracked creatives, 5 video analyses a month, no downloads, no ad copy. No free trial listed; refunds follow its refund policy, whose terms its pricing page does not give), OpenAdLibrary (Free account, no card: the 20 newest ads and the top three of each ranking. Search, filters, saved research and the API need Founders) and AdSwipeFile (a free account, no card, the first 50 ads of every list and 50 MCP/API calls for the life of the account from your AI agent).

The free method for one ad is manual: download the media, then paste the ad link, Page name, copy and date into a sheet. How to save ads from the Facebook Ad Library gives the clicks and columns.

How to pick one, and what to check before you pay

1. Name the job: keep ads for a brief, follow brands, browse by niche or format, or hand the search to an agent.
2. Ask where the ad lives after it stops. For AdLibrary and SpreshApp our records say it is not listed.
3. Check the networks and the agent terms: the MCP server is not always on the cheapest plan.
4. Test with a brand you know: search a competitor you watch and see whether its stopped ads are there.

Browse before you buy: niches, formats and brands are open on AdSwipeFile.

At a glance

Scroll sideways to see every column.

1. AdSwipeFile

AdSwipeFile keeps the winning Facebook and Instagram ads it files, creative and copy included, after Meta takes them down, filed by brand, niche and format. Paid plans follow brands (10 on Pro, 50 on Agency) in one feed, and your AI agent searches it from Claude or ChatGPT on every plan, Free included. Gaps: Facebook and Instagram only, no Chrome extension, no spend or performance data, still images not video, and 63,244+ ads, far fewer than Foreplay's.

• Price: Free; Pro $39/mo ($390/yr); Agency $99/mo ($990/yr); plus tax.
• Free plan or trial: Free plan, no card: 50 MCP/API calls for the life of the account and the first 50 ads of every list. 7-day trial on paid plans (card required); 14-day money-back.

AdSwipeFile vs Meta Ad Library, row by row

2. OpenAdLibrary

A deleted-ads archive that keeps ads after they stop, with the day each was last seen, across Meta, TikTok, Google and native networks. The archive is on its Founders plan, $29.99 a month.

• Price: Founders $29.99/mo, or $299 a year ($24.92 a month); Unlimited Track add-on $49.99/mo.
• Free plan or trial: Free account, no card: the 20 newest ads and the top three of each ranking. Search, filters, saved research and the API need Founders.
• MCP: Yes, hosted, on Founders: sign in with an OpenAdLibrary account or send an API key.
• Best for: media buyers and affiliates who run native ads and want the funnel behind them, for $29.99 a month.

Keeps ads after they stop? Yes, on Founders: the deleted-ads archive with the last-seen day, stated on its own site.

Beats the Ad Library at: native networks (Taboola, Outbrain, MGID) with each native ad's redirect chain, and TikTok and Google ads in one library.

Limits: the free account shows only the 20 newest ads; search, filters and the API need Founders. Its size is "millions of ads", no count.

Pick it if you buy native or TikTok traffic too and want stopped ads with a date.

3. Foreplay

Keeps every ad you save with its Chrome extension or mobile app, which its home page describes as saving ads from anywhere, forever, from $59 a month.

• Price: Basic $59/mo ($49/mo billed annually), Workflow $175/mo ($149), Agency $459/mo ($389), Enterprise custom. Basic covers the swipe file, Discovery and briefs; Workflow and Agency add Spyder, Lens and the MCP/API connections.
• Free plan or trial: No free plan. 7-day free trial with a card, then billed; 14-day money-back after the first charge.
• MCP: Yes, hosted, sign in with a Foreplay account. Listed on Workflow and Agency, not on Basic.
• Best for: creative teams and agencies that save ads all day, track competitors and write briefs in one tool, with a budget from $59 to $459 a month.

Keeps ads after they stop? The ones you save: the extension stores ads from the Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries in your swipe file, with transcripts. An ad you never saved is not there.

Beats the Ad Library at: a swipe file, boards, a brief builder, Spyder brand tracking and Lens analytics for your own Meta ads.

Limits: no free plan (7-day trial with a card), and tracking and the MCP server start on Workflow ($175 a month). See AdSwipeFile vs Foreplay.

Pick it if a team saves ads all day.

AdSwipeFile vs Foreplay, Foreplay alternatives

4. Swipekit

The same save-it-yourself idea for less: a Chrome extension saves ads from the Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries into your own swipe file, from $39 a month.

• Price: Basic $39/mo, Plus $69/mo, Agency $99/mo billed monthly ($26, $46 and $66 a month billed annually). All three include the swipe file, Multiplayer (the shared library), Brand Tracker, MCP, API and whitelabel share links.
• Free plan or trial: No free plan. First 14 days free, no credit card.
• MCP: Yes, on every plan, and it can create boards and tag ads. Its MCP page names Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini and shows operations to list ads, list boards, create a board, save an ad and tag an ad.
• Best for: small teams that want to build their own swipe file from ad libraries and track a few brands.

Keeps ads after they stop? The ones you save, plus organic posts. Its pricing page also describes a shared library of 1.5M ads.

Beats the Ad Library at: keeping and organizing. Brand tracking (5, 10 or 15 brands by plan), 5 seats and an MCP server that can create boards and tag ads come on the first plan.

Limits: no free plan (14 days free, no card).

Pick it if you want your own file and a few tracked brands under $59 a month.

AdSwipeFile vs Swipekit, Swipekit alternatives

5. AdsLibrary.ai

A swipe file filled with a Chrome extension from the Facebook Ad Library, TikTok and more, with an Ad Tracker for Facebook advertisers and bulk download, from $19 a month.

• Price: Basic $19/mo, Advanced $49/mo, Unlimited $99/mo billed monthly (Advanced and Unlimited at 3 members, more members cost more); annual plans 50% off until Dec 31: $114, $294 and $594 a year.
• Free plan or trial: Its plan table has a Free column (1 user). Its pricing FAQ says it offers no trial now, while its Ad Tracker page offers a free trial with no card. No refunds.
• MCP: Not listed on its site.
• Best for: creative teams that collect ads from many platforms and want to download and share them, from $19 a month.

Keeps ads after they stop? What you save, and its Discovery page shows historical or current ads saved on the platform. Whether it keeps every ad Meta removes is not stated.

Beats the Ad Library at: export (bulk download of media and data), share links with comments, and an Ad Tracker for 1, 20 or 100 Facebook advertisers by plan. Limits: no MCP server listed, no refunds.

Pick it if you collect from several platforms and share with clients.

6. AdLibrary

One search across Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube and other networks, with brand tracking and a daily email on every plan, from €29 a month (euros, excluding VAT).

• Price: Starter €29/mo (€19/mo billed yearly), Pro €179/mo (€159), Business €329/mo (€299), in euros excluding VAT, on a monthly credit allowance (50 credits on Starter, 300 on Pro, 1,000 on Business); first Business month €49.35; Enterprise from €2,000/mo. Its pricing page says prices rise on January 1. Its home page instead says $179 a month with a $29 first month.
• Free plan or trial: Its pricing page lists no free plan; saving ads, folders and saved searches cost no credits, and a repeated search within an hour is free. Its home page offers a pay-as-you-go plan with onboarding bonus credits (“Free Forever Option”). 14-day money-back on Starter only, once per account, if you tracked 3 brands, saved 5 ads and logged in on 3 different days.
• MCP: Yes, on Business only (€329/mo), using API credits. Its pricing page includes Claude skills set up for you on Business, and it offers one agent skill, adlibrary-research, that calls the REST API with curl and needs no MCP server; Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot and Cursor are listed. Setup for the MCP server itself is not described on its site.
• Best for: teams that research ads on many networks in one search, from €29 a month; the API and MCP server need Business at €329.

Keeps ads after they stop? Not listed on its pricing page, where brand insights show a 30-day history. Its blog post on historical ad data says it keeps all-time history with images and video archived: a claim to test on a brand you know.

Beats the Ad Library at: one search across many networks, unlimited tracked brands on the first plan and a daily email when a brand launches or stops ads.

Limits: the API and MCP server need Business, and its pricing page and home page disagree on price.

Pick it if you research Meta, Google and TikTok together.

AdSwipeFile vs AdLibrary

7. AdLibrarySpy

Free: Meta ads ranked in Meta's own impressions order, a free brand tracker, a Chrome extension and an MCP server, with no paid tier.

• Price: Free, every feature; it says there is no paid tier.
• Free plan or trial: Everything free for you and your team, no card, no trial; fair-use rate limits.
• MCP: Yes, hosted, free: 1,000 calls a day per workspace. Its tools can also save ads to swipe boards, write briefs and build a store.
• Best for: shopify sellers who want free Meta ad and store research, from the browser or an AI agent.

Keeps ads after they stop? Not listed. It reads Meta Ad Library creatives and ranks them by Meta's impressions order, with AI labels for hook and angle.

Beats the Ad Library at: being free: a brand tracker, store research, a weekly report and an MCP server (1,000 calls a day) that can save ads to boards. Limits: Meta only, fair-use rate limits.

Pick it if you sell on Shopify and want free research.

8. SpreshApp

AI search over the live Facebook Ad Library, a brand feed and an MCP server on every plan, from $19 a month.

• Price: Solo $19/mo, Growth $49/mo, Agency $99/mo billed monthly ($17, $42 and $83 billed annually); extra brands $3/mo, extra seats $5/mo, extra API credits $3 per 5,000. Its FAQ also mentions a Pro plan the pricing page doesn't show.
• Free plan or trial: No free plan or trial terms on its pricing page; its home page says “No signup, free to try” and its MCP page offers free credits.
• MCP: Yes, on every plan (Claude, Codex, OpenClaw, Hermes), with a Spresh API key.
• Best for: small teams that want to search the live Facebook Ad Library with AI and plug it into their agents, from $19 a month.

Keeps ads after they stop? Not listed. Its MCP searches active and inactive Facebook ads, but it reads the public library live and does not say it keeps what Meta removes.

Beats the Ad Library at: plain-words search by audience, Brand Spy (a daily feed on a competitor's active ads) and API credits on the first plan. Limits: its FAQ mentions a Pro plan the pricing page doesn't show.

Pick it if you want an agent to query the live library cheaply.

Which Meta Ad Library alternative fits

• You want winning ads that stay, filed by niche and format, searched by your AI agent: AdSwipeFile.
• You need a dated deleted-ads archive, native ads included: OpenAdLibrary.
• You want to keep exactly the ads you find: Foreplay, Swipekit or AdsLibrary.ai.
• You research many networks in one search: AdLibrary.
• You want an agent to query the live Facebook Ad Library: SpreshApp.
• You only need to check one advertiser today: the Meta Ad Library itself.