TL;DR: Arcads excels at generating UGC-style video ads with AI avatars but is limited to video-only content with no competitive intelligence or analytics. Benly is built for teams who need the complete workflow: discover winning ads in a 50M+ database, generate all creative formats (including UGC video), and track performance across platforms. Choose Arcads if you only need AI avatar videos. Choose Benly if you need spy + all creative types + analytics.
Why Teams Look for Arcads Alternatives
Arcads solved a genuine problem: creating authentic-looking UGC testimonial ads without hiring influencers or managing creator relationships. The AI avatars deliver decent results for testimonial-style content, and the turnaround is fast compared to traditional UGC production.
But as teams scale their creative operations, limitations emerge:
- Video-only output: Arcads generates UGC videos but nothing else. Static ads, carousels, and other formats require separate tools entirely.
- No competitive intelligence: You create videos without knowing what's working in your market. No ad spy means you're guessing at winning formats and hooks.
- No analytics integration: Arcads produces content but doesn't track performance. You need separate tools to understand which videos actually convert.
- Narrow use case: AI avatar UGC works for testimonials but doesn't cover product demos, lifestyle content, or other video styles that require real footage.
These limitations don't make Arcads bad at what it does. But teams needing a complete creative workflow find themselves paying for Arcads plus ad spy tools plus analytics platforms—fragmenting their workflow and increasing costs.
Benly as an Arcads Alternative
Benly takes a different approach: integrated creative intelligence from discovery through production and optimization. Instead of just generating one type of content, Benly connects competitive research, multi-format creative generation, and performance analytics.
The practical difference: search the 50M+ ad database to find winning UGC video patterns in your niche, generate on-brand variations across all formats (including UGC-style video), then track which versions perform best—without switching between multiple tools.
At-a-glance comparison
| Capability | Arcads | Benly |
|---|---|---|
| AI UGC video generation | AI avatar testimonials | UGC-style video + all formats |
| Static ad generation | Not available | 100+ variations per brief |
| Searchable ad database | Not available | 50M+ ads with AI search |
| Performance analytics | Not available | Cross-platform connected analytics |
| Creative formats | Video only | Static, video, carousel, stories |
| Starting price | ~$100-150/month | $99/month (all features included) |
Feature Comparison
Video generation capabilities
Arcads specializes in AI avatar UGC content. You write scripts, select from available AI presenters, and generate testimonial-style videos. The output works well for social proof ads where a "customer" shares their experience. Quality has improved significantly, though trained eyes can still spot AI-generated content.
Benly generates UGC-style video content as part of a broader creative suite. Beyond testimonials, you can create product-focused videos, lifestyle content, and other formats. The key advantage: generate videos informed by competitive intelligence—see what video styles win in your niche before creating.
Bottom line: Choose Arcads if you specifically need AI avatar testimonials and nothing else. Choose Benly if you need video generation connected to competitive research and other creative formats.
Competitive intelligence
Arcads includes no competitive intelligence features. You create videos based on your own assumptions about what might work. No visibility into competitor creatives or winning patterns in your market.
Benly maintains a 50M+ ad database updated daily across Meta, TikTok, Google, and YouTube. Search for UGC video ads in your niche, analyze what hooks and formats perform, then generate your versions based on proven patterns. Natural language search makes discovery fast: "skincare UGC testimonials with before/after results."
Bottom line: Choose Arcads if you're confident in your creative direction and don't need competitive research. Choose Benly if you want creative decisions informed by actual market data.
Creative format coverage
Arcads produces video content only. For static ads, carousels, or any non-video format, you need entirely separate tools. This creates fragmented workflows where different creative types live in different systems.
Benly generates all major ad formats from a single platform: static images, video, carousels, stories, and more. Brand guidelines apply consistently across formats. One brief can produce 100+ variations across multiple formats, all on-brand.
Bottom line: Choose Arcads if your needs are exclusively video testimonials. Choose Benly if you need diverse creative formats from one platform.
Analytics and performance tracking
Arcads has no analytics capabilities. Once you export videos, tracking performance requires separate tools and manual correlation between creatives and results. No feedback loop to improve future creative decisions.
Benly connects to Meta, TikTok, and Google ad accounts. Track which generated creatives perform best, identify patterns in winners, get AI-powered recommendations. The feedback loop connects performance data back to creative generation.
Bottom line: Choose Arcads if you have separate analytics tools you're happy with. Choose Benly if you want creative production and performance tracking unified.
Workflow integration
Arcads operates as a standalone video generator. Export videos, then manually upload to ad platforms or hand off to other tools. No integration with the broader creative workflow.
Benly connects competitive intelligence, creative generation, and analytics in one workflow. Discover winning patterns, generate variations, track performance, and iterate—all within the same platform sharing the same data layer.
Bottom line: Both require some export steps for final deployment. Benly reduces tool-switching within the creative development process.
Pricing Comparison
Arcads pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | ~$100/month | Limited video credits, basic avatars |
| Pro | ~$150-200/month | More credits, premium avatars |
| Business | ~$300+/month | High volume, custom avatars, priority |
Note: Arcads pricing may vary. Check their website for current rates.
Benly pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/month | Full platform: 50M+ ads, AI generation, analytics |
| Growth | $249/month | Additional ad accounts, team features, priority support |
| Scale | $499/month | Unlimited accounts, white-label, dedicated CSM |
Total cost comparison
Arcads at $100-150/month might seem comparable to Benly at $99/month. But teams using Arcads typically also need:
| Tool | With Arcads | With Benly |
|---|---|---|
| AI UGC video generation | $100-150/month (Arcads) | Included |
| Ad spy database | $49-99/month (Minea, Foreplay) | Included |
| Static ad generation | $29-149/month (AdCreative.ai) | Included |
| Analytics dashboard | $72-199/month (Supermetrics) | Included |
| Total | $250-597/month | $99/month |
Teams currently using Arcads plus other tools typically save $150-500/month by consolidating to Benly. The integrated workflow also reduces time spent switching between platforms.
Who Should Stay with Arcads
Arcads remains the right choice for specific scenarios:
- Video-only advertisers who exclusively run UGC testimonial-style video ads and need nothing else
- Teams with complete tool stacks who are satisfied with their separate spy, static generation, and analytics tools
- Niche use case focus where AI avatar testimonials are the primary creative format
- Quick testimonial production where speed of AI avatar generation outweighs broader workflow needs
Ideal Arcads customer: A brand running primarily testimonial-style video ads on social platforms who has separate tools for competitive research, static ads, and analytics—and is happy maintaining multiple subscriptions.
Who Should Switch to Benly
Benly makes more sense when your creative needs extend beyond video testimonials:
- Agencies managing diverse creative needs who produce video, static, and carousel ads across multiple clients
- In-house teams at scaling brands who need competitive intelligence, all creative formats, and performance tracking connected
- Performance marketers who want to see what's winning before creating, not after
- Teams consolidating tech stacks who are tired of managing 4-5 subscriptions for a complete workflow
- Data-driven creative teams who want generation informed by competitive intelligence and performance data
Ideal Benly customer: A creative team producing 100+ ads monthly across multiple formats who needs to discover winning patterns, generate on-brand variations quickly, and track what actually performs—all without switching between multiple tools.
Switching from Arcads
What transfers
- Video scripts: Your existing scripts work in Benly's video generation
- Brand assets: Logos, colors, and fonts transfer to Benly's brand guidelines
- Creative learnings: What worked in Arcads informs Benly briefs
What you gain
- Ad spy database: 50M+ ads to research before creating—not available in Arcads
- All creative formats: Static, carousel, stories in addition to video
- Performance analytics: Track which creatives win across platforms
- Integrated workflow: Research → Generate → Track in one platform
Migration support
Benly offers onboarding support for teams switching from Arcads:
- Brand guidelines setup to maintain consistency
- Onboarding call to configure all features
- Typically complete in 1-2 hours
- Run parallel for a week if you want to compare output before canceling Arcads
What Customers Say About Switching
Switched from Arcads
"Arcads was great for testimonial videos, but we needed static ads too. Switching to Benly gave us all formats plus the ad spy database we were paying separately for. Consolidated three tools into one."— Creative Lead, DTC Supplements Brand
"The competitive intelligence changed everything. Instead of guessing what video styles might work, we see what's winning in our category and create informed. Plus we get static ads and analytics included."— Performance Marketing Manager, E-commerce Agency
Results after switching
- Supplements brand reduced tool costs from $350/month to $99/month
- E-commerce agency increased creative variety 4x with multi-format generation
- Fashion brand improved video ad performance 40% using competitive intelligence to inform creative
Getting Started
Ready to explore Benly as an Arcads alternative? Start with a 7-day free trial:
- Full access to 50M+ ad database including video ads
- AI creative generation for all formats
- Analytics connection available
- See competitor UGC videos before you create
- No credit card required
The best way to evaluate: run your actual workflow through both platforms. Create the same video concept, but in Benly, first research what's working in your niche. Most teams find the competitive intelligence alone justifies the switch—the broader format coverage is a bonus.
