6 Best Arcads Alternatives (2026): Cheaper AI UGC Ad Tools
The best Arcads alternatives are MakeUGC for product-in-hand ads, Creatify for a free plan and Ad Clone, HeyGen for multilingual avatars, Captions for an AI Twin of yourself, Topview for longer avatar videos and Hedra for talking characters on a small budget.
By Julien — AI & Marketing Expert
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Arcads makes AI UGC video and image ads with more than 1,000 AI actors, custom avatars and 30+ languages. It is a powerful tool, but third-party figures put its plans between $29 and $550, and it prices video in credits, so your cost per video depends on the plan you pick.
We reviewed six alternatives for AI UGC ads, based on each tool's official pricing page and public information. Each one is compared on entry price, free option, key features and best use.
Arcads at a glance
- AI UGC video and image ads
- More than 1,000 AI actors
- Custom avatars with your product in hand, your app or your clothes
- 30+ languages
Plan prices reported by third-party sources:
- Lite
- $29 (as of October 2026)
- Starter
- $110 ($77 on promotion) (as of October 2026)
- Creator
- $220 (as of October 2026)
- Pro
- $550 (as of October 2026)
- Credit cost
- A talking actor costs about 800 credits per minute of video
These figures come from a third-party Arcads pricing breakdown published on Creatify's blog, not from Arcads itself. Check arcads.ai for current pricing.
Still a strong pick if you want one of the largest AI actor libraries and custom avatars built around your product.
Why Look for an Arcads Alternative?
Two points usually drive the search for an Arcads alternative: the price of the plans and the difficulty of estimating cost per video. Some creators also want a specific feature, such as a free plan, more languages or an AI Twin of themselves.
- Plan prices. Third-party figures put Arcads Starter at $110 ($77 on promotion), Creator at $220 and Pro at $550 (as of October 2026). Five of the six alternatives below start under $30.
- Credit-based cost. A talking actor costs about 800 credits per minute, according to third-party figures. To know your cost per video, you need each plan's credit allowance, which you can check on arcads.ai.
- A free way to start. Creatify and HeyGen both have free plans (as of October 2026), which lets you test AI UGC ads before you commit a budget.
Arcads Alternatives Compared
Creatify has the lowest paid entry price and a free plan, MakeUGC is the closest match to Arcads, and HeyGen covers the most languages. Here is how the six compare.
| Tool | Starts at | Free option | Key features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MakeUGC | $29/mo billed annually (as of October 2026) | $1 trial | 1,000+ actors, product in hand, batches of 10, API | Product-in-hand ads at volume |
| Creatify | $12/mo billed annually (as of October 2026) | 10 credits/month (about 2 videos, watermarked) | Ad Clone, AI Ad Library | Testing for free and cloning winning ads |
| HeyGen | $24/mo billed annually ($29 monthly) (as of October 2026) | 3 videos/month, up to 1 min each | Avatars in 175+ languages | Multilingual avatar videos |
| Captions (Mirage) | $24.99/mo (Max) (as of October 2026) | Not published | AI Twin, AI actors, lipdub | Cloning yourself as a digital twin |
| Topview | $36/mo billed annually (Plus) (as of October 2026) | Not published | Avatar 4 up to 180 s, product avatars | Longer avatar videos with your product |
| Hedra | $20 (Basic) (as of October 2026) | "Start free" option | Talking characters, commercial use on paid plans | Talking characters on a small budget |
| Arcads (reference) | $29 (Lite, third-party figure) (as of October 2026) | Check arcads.ai | 1,000+ actors, custom avatars, 30+ languages | Large actor library and custom avatars |
Alternative prices from each tool's official pricing page, checked October 14, 2026. Arcads prices are third-party figures. Where a free option is "not published", check the official site.
1. MakeUGC
MakeUGC is the closest match to Arcads: a large library of AI actors, videos with your product in hand and batch generation. Pick it if you want the same kind of UGC ads at a lower monthly price.
Key features for AI UGC ads
- 1,000+ AI actors and 50+ languages
- Product-in-hand videos: the actor holds and shows your product
- Batches of 10 variations to test hooks and angles
- API access for automated workflows
Pricing
- • Starter: $29/mo, billed annually (as of October 2026)
- • Growth: $39/mo, billed annually (as of October 2026)
- • Pro: $79/mo, billed annually (as of October 2026)
- • Trial: start for $1 (as of October 2026)
The $1 trial renews at the full plan price if you do not cancel, so set a reminder before it ends. Source: MakeUGC pricing page.
Best for: Brands and UGC creators who want Arcads-style product-in-hand ads, many variations per batch and API access, on a smaller budget.
2. Creatify
Creatify is an AI video ad platform with a free plan and the lowest paid entry price on this list. Its Ad Clone feature and its library of tracked Meta ads make it a strong pick for performance marketers.
Key features for AI UGC ads
- Ad Clone: rebuild the structure of an ad that already works
- An AI Ad Library of tracked Meta ads for research and inspiration
- Free plan with 10 credits per month, about 2 videos with a watermark
Pricing
- • Free: 10 credits/month, about 2 videos with a watermark (as of October 2026)
- • Paid plans billed annually: $12, $44, $76 and $156/mo (as of October 2026)
- • Monthly list prices: $15, $55, $95 and $195/mo (as of October 2026)
Annual billing lowers each plan by 20% compared with the monthly list price. Source: Creatify pricing page.
Best for: Marketers who want to try an AI UGC tool for free, then pay the lowest entry price and reuse proven ad structures.
3. HeyGen
HeyGen is an AI avatar video platform rather than a pure ad tool. Its strength is language coverage, which makes it the pick if you localize the same ad for several markets.
Key features for AI UGC ads
- AI avatars for talking-head videos
- 175+ languages to localize the same script
- Free plan with 3 videos per month, up to 1 minute each
Pricing
- • Free: 3 videos/month, up to 1 minute each (as of October 2026)
- • Creator: $29/mo, or $24/mo billed annually (as of October 2026)
- • Pro: $49 (as of October 2026)
Check the pricing page for the billing options of the Pro plan. Source: HeyGen pricing page.
Best for: Brands that run the same talking-head ad in several languages, and creators who want a free plan to test avatars first.
Torn between HeyGen and Creatify? Read our HeyGen vs Creatify comparison.
4. Captions (Mirage)
Captions (Mirage) lets you create an AI Twin of yourself, use AI actors and lipdub existing footage. Pick it if you want ads that feature your own face without filming every variation.
Key features for AI UGC ads
- AI Twin: a digital version of you that speaks your scripts
- AI actors for UGC-style ads
- Lipdub: sync new audio to existing footage
Pricing
- • Max: $24.99/mo (as of October 2026)
- • Frontier: from $69.99 to $279.99 (as of October 2026)
A free option is not published in the billing information we reviewed. Check the official site for current plans. Source: Captions official site (Mirage billing is detailed in its help center).
Best for: Founders and creators who want to appear in their own ads through an AI Twin, and teams that want to lipdub existing videos.
5. Topview
Topview is an AI video tool with product avatars and an Avatar 4 model that handles clips of up to 180 seconds. Pick it if your ads need longer avatar takes than a short hook.
Key features for AI UGC ads
- Avatar 4: avatar videos up to 180 seconds
- Product avatars to feature your product in the video
- Team plan priced per seat
Pricing
- • Plus: $36/mo, billed annually (as of October 2026)
- • Business: $44 (as of October 2026)
- • Ultra: $50 (as of October 2026)
- • Team: $56 per seat (as of October 2026)
Topview’s pricing grid is unusual to read, so check the pricing page for the billing period and the allowance of each plan before you subscribe. Source: Topview pricing page.
Best for: Brands that need avatar videos longer than a short hook, such as product demos, and teams that want per-seat billing.
6. Hedra
Hedra creates talking characters. It focuses on making a character speak rather than on a full UGC ad workflow, which makes it a low-cost way to add a talking persona or mascot to your ads.
Key features for AI UGC ads
- Talking characters: make a character or persona speak your script
- "Start free" option to try it before paying
- Commercial use included on paid plans
Pricing
- • Basic: $20 (as of October 2026)
- • Pro: $50 (as of October 2026)
- • Ultra: $100 (as of October 2026)
Commercial use requires a paid plan. Check the pricing page for the billing period and the limits of the free option. Source: Hedra pricing page.
Best for: Creators and small brands who want a talking character or mascot in their ads, with commercial rights from $20.
How to Choose an Arcads Alternative
Start from the type of ad you make most often, then check whether you can try the tool for free. If you sell a physical product, product-in-hand or product avatars matter more than the size of the actor library.
| If you want… | Look at |
|---|---|
| The closest match to Arcads | MakeUGC (1,000+ actors, product in hand, batches of 10) |
| To try for free first | Creatify (10 credits/month) or HeyGen (3 videos/month) (as of October 2026) |
| The lowest paid entry price | Creatify ($12/mo billed annually (as of October 2026)) |
| To reuse ads that already work | Creatify (Ad Clone, AI Ad Library) |
| The same ad in many languages | HeyGen (175+ languages) |
| Your own face without filming every take | Captions (Mirage) (AI Twin, lipdub) |
| Longer avatar videos with your product | Topview (Avatar 4 up to 180 s, product avatars) |
| A talking character or mascot | Hedra (commercial use on paid plans, from $20 (as of October 2026)) |
| Custom avatars with your app or clothes | Stay with Arcads (custom avatars, 1,000+ actors, 30+ languages) |
Watch how each tool counts usage before you commit. Arcads and Creatify bill in credits, so compare the credits included in a plan with the credits a video costs. A cheap plan that covers only a few videos can end up costing more per ad than a pricier one.
New to AI ads? Our AI UGC creator guide explains how this kind of content is made and sold, and our HeyGen vs Creatify comparison goes deeper on two of the tools above.
FAQ
What is cheaper than Arcads?
Creatify starts at $12/mo billed annually, Hedra at $20, HeyGen at $24/mo billed annually, Captions at $24.99/mo and MakeUGC at $29/mo billed annually (as of October 2026). Third-party figures put Arcads at $29 (Lite), $110 (Starter, $77 on promotion), $220 (Creator) and $550 (Pro). Check arcads.ai for current pricing.
Is there a free Arcads alternative?
Yes. Creatify has a free plan with 10 credits per month, about 2 videos with a watermark, and HeyGen's free plan includes 3 videos per month of up to 1 minute each (as of October 2026). Hedra offers a "Start free" option, and MakeUGC has a $1 trial that renews at the full plan price unless you cancel.
Does Arcads have a free trial?
A free trial is not listed in the pricing information we reviewed, which comes from third-party sources. Check arcads.ai for current offers. If you want to test an AI UGC tool for free first, Creatify and HeyGen both have free plans.
How much does Arcads cost per video?
Arcads charges in credits: according to third-party figures, a talking actor costs about 800 credits per minute of video. The number of credits included in each plan is not part of the figures we reviewed, so check arcads.ai to work out your real cost per video. For comparison, Creatify’s free 10 credits cover about 2 videos.
Which alternative has product-in-hand avatars?
MakeUGC is the closest match: its AI actors can hold and show your product, and it generates batches of 10 variations. Topview offers product avatars, with Avatar 4 clips of up to 180 seconds. Arcads itself offers custom avatars with your product in hand, your app or your clothes.
Still Comparing?
If you need a large actor library and custom avatars built around your product, Arcads remains a strong pick. Otherwise, start with a free plan from Creatify or HeyGen, or read the full reviews before you buy.