Compare Your Options
There are different ways to handle creative research. Here is how they stack up.
AI Creative Tools
$100-500/mo per tool
Self-service platforms that let you search ad libraries, score creatives, or generate ad variants. You do the work.
Pros
- Low entry cost
- Available 24/7
- Large ad databases
Cons
- Generic output, no context
- No cross-industry insights
- You still do the thinking
- No production-ready output
Creagen
$590-1,790/mo
Done-for-you creative research. We spend 150+ hours on research so you read the result in 30 minutes.
Pros
- Ready in 7 days
- Cross-industry expertise
- Production-ready concepts
- Strategy calls included (Pro+)
- 5+ platforms covered
Cons
- Research & strategy, not ad production
- Not real-time dashboards
Build In-House
$6,500-20,000+/mo
Hire a creative strategist or research team. Full control, but full cost and management overhead.
Pros
- Full control
- Deep context
- Dedicated resource
Cons
- 3-6 months to hire
- Salary + benefits + tools
- Limited by one person's knowledge
- Hard to scale quickly
Side by Side
A detailed look at what each approach delivers.
| AI Tools | In-House Team | Creagen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your time investment | 10-20 hours/month learning + operating tools | 150+ hours/month + team management | 30 min to read your report |
| Setup time | Days to learn each tool | 3-6 months to hire and onboard | First report in 7 days |
| Cross-platform coverage | Usually 1-2 platforms per tool | Limited by team expertise | Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Native |
| Cross-industry research | Rare - team knows their vertical | ||
| Production-ready concepts | |||
| Strategic recommendations | Generic tips and scores | Depends on seniority | Specific to your vertical and goals |
| Context about your business | |||
| Strategy calls | Included in Pro and Custom | ||
| Understands creative fatigue | Sometimes | ||
| Scales with your needs | Same output regardless | Requires more hires | Flexible plans from Starter to Custom |
| Monthly cost | €100-500/mo per tool | €6,500-20,000+/mo | €590-1,790/mo |
The Bottom Line
AI tools give you data. An in-house team gives you control.
We give you decisions - research-backed concepts and strategies your team can execute today, without the overhead of hiring or the guesswork of self-service tools.
Ready to Start?
Book a free call to see which approach works best for your team.