Alternative
Pencil alternative: scoring and video without the enterprise process
Pencil is a serious production suite for brand-safe, high-volume creative. Most accounts do not need that stack on day one. AdRoast puts presets, generation, and a roast on Creator at $29/mo.
Kris Kostovvs PencilQuick answer
Stay on Pencil if you need enterprise brand controls and a production desk. Switch to AdRoast if you want to generate image and video ads, see the score math, and ship tests this week on a flat plan. Pencil Core is $14/mo with a monthly generation cap; the governance layer is custom-priced Pro. Roast an image ad free first.
Pencil
Core $14 / Pro custom
AdRoast Creator
$29/mo
What you pay to generate ads and get a performance read
What you actually pay
Competitor prices as of September 2026. Always confirm on their site — this category changes. AdRoast Creator is $29/mo in our plans.
| Plan | Monthly | Scoring | Video | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pencil Core | $14 | Yes | Yes | Capped generations. Growth is $55/mo. Governance and unlimited generations are on custom-priced Pro. |
| AdRoast Creator | $29 | Yes | Yes | Flat plan. Public roast is free for image ads. |
Sources: Pencil pricing.
AdRoast vs Pencil
AdRoast
Presets, generation, and a roast before spend.
- Best for
- Founders, ecommerce, and agencies testing weekly
- Pricing from
- $29/mo Creator
Pros
- Scoring and video on $29
- Explainable roast math
- Fast enough for weekly tests
Cons
- Not an enterprise DAM / brand OS
- Newer than Pencil in the category
Pencil
Enterprise brand-safe ad production.
- Best for
- Large brands with governance requirements
- Pricing from
- Core $14/mo
Pros
- Brand-safe production controls
- Image and video at scale
- Scoring inside the suite
Cons
- Core and Growth cap monthly generations
- Governance features are on custom-priced Pro
- Heavy if you only need tests
Why people switch from Pencil
You do not need a studio OS to test a hook
Pencil shines when legal, brand kits, and many markets have to agree. Most Shopify and agency testers need five distinct ads this week. AdRoast is that loop: preset, generate, roast, iterate.
A score you can explain to a client
Pencil’s scoring is part of a larger production product. AdRoast’s public roast shows four checks and the formula — useful when a client asks why a concept died before spend.
Price matches the job
Pencil Core is cheap at $14/mo, but it caps generations, and the governance a regulated brand buys Pencil for lives on custom-priced Pro. Creator is a flat $29/mo with scoring, video, and unlimited analysis.
How AdRoast scores
Four checks from the same roast as Creative Lab. Hook, offer, and scroll-stop weigh most. A weak pillar pulls the total down. We never give 100.
Does it stop the scroll?
Hook and scroll-stop. If either is weak, the thumb does not pause.
Is the offer clear in 3 seconds?
Offer clarity. If the benefit is not readable in one glance, it fails.
Would a stranger know what you sell?
Offer, visual, and copy. A stranger should name the product without the caption.
Is it generic?
Hook, psychology, and scroll-stop. High scores mean it is not another template ad.
Overall is a weighted average, then 20% toward the weakest pillar. Below 50, subtract 0.4 per point. Cap 98. The public roast is image-only. Video generation is on Creator and up.
Who should stay on Pencil
Stay on Pencil if you already run brand-safe enterprise production, need their governance, and the seat cost is justified. AdRoast is not trying to replace a global creative OS — it replaces the “we shipped weak ads into learning” problem.
