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Comparison

The best Arcads alternatives: MakeUGC is the closest match

CutroomvsArcads logoArcads

MakeUGC is the closest Arcads alternative: AI actors read your script, and the price is on its website. Five more tools cover real creators, presenter videos and ads you film yourself.

In short

  • The best Arcads alternatives are MakeUGC, Creatify, HeyGen, Icon, Billo and Cutroom, and MakeUGC is the closest match.
  • MakeUGC works like Arcads, with AI actors reading your script, and it shows its price: from $59 a month.
  • Icon and Billo use real people instead of AI. Icon costs $1,000 a month, and Billo starts at $99 a video.
  • Cutroom is for ads with you in them. It turns one clip of you talking into a finished 9:16 ad.
  • Arcads does not publish a price. Creatify and HeyGen have free plans, and your first Cutroom video is free.
Young man recording content in living room with smartphone on a tripod.
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels
MakeUGC Startup a month, at a 50%-off sale price
$59
Billo for one 15-second video
$99
Icon a month for six human UGC ads
$1,000

Arcads alternatives at a glance

Arcads turns a script into a video ad read by an AI actor. Here is what each alternative does, what it costs and who it suits.

Arcads alternatives compared

Prices as published on each company's own site. Arcads publishes no price.

ToolBest forEditing approachPlatformPricing from
MakeUGC logoMakeUGCUGC-style ads read by an AI actorWrite a script, pick an AI actor, generateWeb, API$59/month sale price; $1 trial
Creatify logoCreatifyVideo ads made from a product pagePaste a product link, an avatar reads the scriptWebFree plan; Starter $39/month
HeyGen logoHeyGenPresenter videos and translationType a script, an avatar or a copy of you reads itWeb, mobile app, APIFree plan; Creator $29/month ($24 yearly)
Icon logoIconHuman UGC ads made for youIcon writes the scripts, real creators film, Icon editsWeb$1,000/month for 6 ads; 3-day trial
Billo logoBilloReal creators filming your productPost a brief, pick a creator, get the videoWeb$99 per 15-second video; $139 for 30 seconds
CutroomTurning one clip of you talking into a finished 9:16 adEdits your clip for you: cuts, captions, b-roll, hookWebFirst video free; Lite $19.99/month
  • MakeUGC logoMakeUGC

    Best for
    UGC-style ads read by an AI actor
    Approach
    Write a script, pick an AI actor, generate
    Platform
    Web, API
    Pricing from
    $59/month sale price; $1 trial
  • Creatify logoCreatify

    Best for
    Video ads made from a product page
    Approach
    Paste a product link, an avatar reads the script
    Platform
    Web
    Pricing from
    Free plan; Starter $39/month
  • HeyGen logoHeyGen

    Best for
    Presenter videos and translation
    Approach
    Type a script, an avatar or a copy of you reads it
    Platform
    Web, mobile app, API
    Pricing from
    Free plan; Creator $29/month ($24 yearly)
  • Icon logoIcon

    Best for
    Human UGC ads made for you
    Approach
    Icon writes the scripts, real creators film, Icon edits
    Platform
    Web
    Pricing from
    $1,000/month for 6 ads; 3-day trial
  • Billo logoBillo

    Best for
    Real creators filming your product
    Approach
    Post a brief, pick a creator, get the video
    Platform
    Web
    Pricing from
    $99 per 15-second video; $139 for 30 seconds
  • Cutroom

    Best for
    Turning one clip of you talking into a finished 9:16 ad
    Approach
    Edits your clip for you: cuts, captions, b-roll, hook
    Platform
    Web
    Pricing from
    First video free; Lite $19.99/month

Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.

The three kinds of Arcads alternative

The alternatives differ in who appears in the ad: an AI actor, a real creator or you.

  • MakeUGC, Creatify and HeyGen use AI actors or avatars. You give them a script or a link and get a video in minutes.
  • Icon and Billo use real creators. A person films your product, so you wait for the product to arrive and the video to be made.
  • Cutroom uses you. You film one clip of yourself talking, and Cutroom edits it into an ad.

Who is in the ad

Who is on screenToolsWhat you getHow long it takes
An AI actorMakeUGC, Creatify, HeyGenAn AI face reads your scriptMinutes
A real creatorIcon, BilloA person films your productDays. Icon takes 12 to 16 days after your product arrives; Billo publishes no delivery time
YouCutroomYour own clip, edited into a 9:16 adMinutes
  • Who is on screen: An AI actor

    Tools
    MakeUGC, Creatify, HeyGen
    What you get
    An AI face reads your script
    How long it takes
    Minutes
  • Who is on screen: A real creator

    Tools
    Icon, Billo
    What you get
    A person films your product
    How long it takes
    Days. Icon takes 12 to 16 days after your product arrives; Billo publishes no delivery time
  • Who is on screen: You

    Tools
    Cutroom
    What you get
    Your own clip, edited into a 9:16 ad
    How long it takes
    Minutes

This is the whole editor

Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.

CLIPS · 5I have thisexact conversationeverysingle week. Somebody sits down and says,oh yeah, I takecinnamonevery day.And honestly, doc, I have no idea if it works.So let me tell you what isin that capsule.a clip lands on these wordscut from the editTAKING CINNAMONEVERY DAY?is it doing anythingHeadlineMusicCaptionsTHIS VIDEOLength25.0sClips5Words removed18Export video

MakeUGC

MakeUGC is the closest match to Arcads. You write a script, pick an AI actor, and it makes the video.

  • Best for: UGC-style ads with an AI actor, in more than 50 languages.
  • Price: Startup is $59 a month, Growth is $79 and Pro is $149. These are sale prices at half the normal price.
  • Free plan: none, but a $1 trial runs for 72 hours.
  • MakeUGC has more than 1,000 AI actors, and you can create a custom actor as well.
  • The Pro plan adds videos where the actor holds your product, and plans for developers start at $99 a month.
  • Tradeoff: there is no free plan, and MakeUGC does not say how many videos a plan makes, because the cost depends on the AI model, the length and the quality.

Creatify

Creatify makes a video ad from a product page. You paste a link, and it writes the script, picks an avatar and makes the video.

  • Best for: online shops and apps that want many ad versions from one product page.
  • Price: Starter is $39 a month. Pro is $99 a month for about 60 video ads.
  • Free plan: yes, up to 2 video ads or 20 image ads a month, with a watermark.
  • Creatify has 1,500 avatars on Pro, and Pro adds 3 custom avatars.
  • Creatify can make a dozen versions of one ad at once and publish them to Meta and TikTok from the app.
  • Tradeoff: Starter makes about 20 video ads a month and has 300 avatars, against more than 1,000 AI actors on Arcads.

HeyGen

HeyGen makes presenter videos. You type a script, pick an avatar or make one of yourself, and choose a voice and language.

  • Best for: explainers, training videos and translating one video into 175+ languages.
  • Price: Creator is $29 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly. Pro is $49 a month and Business is $149.
  • Free plan: yes, 3 videos a month up to 1 minute long, with a watermark.
  • HeyGen can make a digital copy of you, and it turns PowerPoint and PDF files into videos.
  • Tradeoff: the video looks like a presenter talking to you, not like a customer filming on a phone, which is the look most UGC ads use.

Icon

Icon is a done-for-you service with real creators. You send a brief and get six filmed and edited ads a month.

  • Best for: brands that want human UGC ads without hiring an agency.
  • Price: $1,000 a month for six ads from two creators, with a 3-day trial before the first charge.
  • Icon writes six scripts within 24 hours. Creators film once your product arrives, and Icon edits the videos.
  • Icon works with more than 1,288 vetted creators and 18 ad formats. Revisions are unlimited and you get full usage rights.
  • Tradeoff: each ad arrives 12 to 16 days after your product does.

Billo

Billo is a marketplace of real creators. You post a brief, pick a creator, send your product and get the video back.

  • Best for: physical products that need a real person to hold and review them.
  • Price: $99 for a 15-second video, or $164 if Billo also edits it. Longer videos are in the table below.
  • Free plan: signing up is free, and you pay per video.
  • Billo has more than 5,000 vetted creators in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
  • Billo can write a script from your product link and suggest creators whose past ads got the most clicks.
  • Tradeoff: every video is a paid order that waits on the creator, and a change means another round with them.

Billo price per video

From billo.app, checked 21 September 2026.

LengthVideo onlyWith editing
15 seconds$99$164
30 seconds$139$204
60 seconds$169$234
  • Length: 15 seconds

    Video only
    $99
    With editing
    $164
  • Length: 30 seconds

    Video only
    $139
    With editing
    $204
  • Length: 60 seconds

    Video only
    $169
    With editing
    $234

Arcads alternatives pricing

Arcads has no pricing page, so you only see its price after you sign up or book a demo. Its home page mentions a free trial and offers new subscribers 7 days of unlimited videos from its newest AI video model.

What each Arcads alternative costs

As each company publishes it, checked 21 September 2026.

ToolFree planFirst paid planNext plan
ArcadsNo free plan; a free trial is mentionedNot publishedNot published
MakeUGCNo, a $1 trial for 72 hoursStartup: $59/month (sale price)Growth: $79/month (sale price)
CreatifyYes, up to 2 video ads a monthStarter: $39/monthPro: $99/month
HeyGenYes, 3 videos a monthCreator: $29/month ($24 yearly)Pro: $49/month
IconNo, a 3-day trial$1,000/month for 6 adsOne plan shown
BilloFree signup, pay per video$99 per 15-second video$139 per 30-second video
CutroomFirst video freeLite: $19.99/monthBasic: $39.99/month
  • Tool: Arcads

    Free plan
    No free plan; a free trial is mentioned
    First paid plan
    Not published
    Next plan
    Not published
  • Tool: MakeUGC

    Free plan
    No, a $1 trial for 72 hours
    First paid plan
    Startup: $59/month (sale price)
    Next plan
    Growth: $79/month (sale price)
  • Tool: Creatify

    Free plan
    Yes, up to 2 video ads a month
    First paid plan
    Starter: $39/month
    Next plan
    Pro: $99/month
  • Tool: HeyGen

    Free plan
    Yes, 3 videos a month
    First paid plan
    Creator: $29/month ($24 yearly)
    Next plan
    Pro: $49/month
  • Tool: Icon

    Free plan
    No, a 3-day trial
    First paid plan
    $1,000/month for 6 ads
    Next plan
    One plan shown
  • Tool: Billo

    Free plan
    Free signup, pay per video
    First paid plan
    $99 per 15-second video
    Next plan
    $139 per 30-second video
  • Tool: Cutroom

    Free plan
    First video free
    First paid plan
    Lite: $19.99/month
    Next plan
    Basic: $39.99/month

When is Arcads still the better choice?

Arcads is still a good pick if you never want to be on camera and you test many scripts every week.

  • Arcads has more than 1,000 AI actors, and you can add custom avatars.
  • It translates ads into more than 30 languages.
  • You can edit, translate, lengthen and remix your ads in the same app, and choose which AI video model makes the video.
  • Arcads also has ready-made ad formats you can start from, so you do not begin with a blank script.

Where Cutroom fits

Cutroom is for ads with you in them. You film one clip of yourself talking, and Cutroom edits it into a finished vertical ad.

  • You upload one clip of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
  • Cutroom cuts it, adds captions timed to your voice, puts b-roll on the words you pick and adds a hook.
  • You get a finished 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Reels or Shorts.
  • Lite, at $19.99 a month, covers about 10 finished 30-second ads.
  • Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.

Which Arcads alternative should you choose?

It depends on who you want in the ad.

Which Arcads alternative to choose

  • Choose MakeUGC if you want AI actors like Arcads, with a price you can see and a $1 trial.

  • Choose Creatify if you sell from a product page and want many avatar ads from one link.

  • Choose HeyGen if you need a presenter video translated into many languages.

  • Choose Icon if you want real creators in your ads and want Icon to handle everything, for six ads a month at $1,000.

  • Choose Billo if you want to pick real creators yourself and pay per video.

  • Choose Cutroom if you are happy to film yourself and want a finished 9:16 ad from one clip. Your first video is free.

Questions people ask

What is the best Arcads alternative?
MakeUGC is the closest Arcads alternative. AI actors read your script, and it publishes its prices. Creatify is better for ads made from a product page, and Icon or Billo if you want real people.
Is there a free Arcads alternative?
Yes. Creatify's free plan makes up to 2 video ads a month, and HeyGen's free plan makes 3 videos a month up to 1 minute. Both add a watermark. Your first Cutroom video is also free.
How much does Arcads cost?
Arcads does not publish its price. Its site has no pricing page, so you see the price after you sign up or book a demo. New subscribers get 7 days of unlimited videos from its newest AI video model. MakeUGC starts at $59 a month and Creatify at $39.
Which Arcads alternative uses real people instead of AI?
Icon and Billo. Icon manages real creators for you at $1,000 a month for six ads. Billo lets you pick a creator and pay per video, from $99 for 15 seconds.
Can I use my own face instead of an AI actor?
Yes. With Cutroom you film one clip of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes, and get back a finished 9:16 ad with captions, b-roll and a hook. HeyGen can also make a digital copy of you, but that copy reads a script.

Want to be the person in your own ad? Film one clip and get the finished ad back. Your first video is free.

Try for freeYour first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99/month removes it