ADExhibit vs Pencil
ADExhibit
adexhibit.com
Pencil
trypencil.comSide by side
| Figure | ADExhibit | Pencil |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $20/mo | $11/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 6 | 13 |
| Spec score · Ad Design Software | 9.1 (#2) | 8.3 (#10) |
| Founded | The maker's timeline places the originating internal validator in early 2025. | 2018 |
| Licence | The opened maker pages do not state an open-source licence or publish source code. | Pencil is proprietary cloud SaaS owned or licensed by Pencil AI Limited; its terms prohibit copying, modification, reverse engineering and resale. |
| Security | The privacy policy says data is transmitted over HTTPS, passwords are bcrypt-hashed, and production access is restricted to authorized personnel. | Pencil says it has SOC 2 Type II audited security controls and that customer data is not used to train its models. |
| Security controls | The privacy policy states that traffic uses HTTPS, passwords use bcrypt hashing and production access is restricted to authorized personnel. | The homepage states SOC 2 Type II controls, no training on customer data, IP ownership, role-based access and brand-safety controls. |
| Support | The contact page advertises email support at [email protected] with replies within one business day. | Core includes chat support, Growth includes direct access to the product team and roadmap, and Pro includes dedicated customer success. |
| What it does | ADExhibit is a web platform for previewing, validating and optimizing HTML5 banner creatives. | Pencil is a browser-based AI marketing platform that generates and publishes advertising creatives. |
Plans
ADExhibit
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- Freelancer$20 a month
- Agency$60 a month
- Business$180 a month
- Custom SolutionsPriced on request
Pencil
- Basic — 50 generations annual$11 a month
- Core$11 a month
- Basic — 50 generations$14 a month
- Basic — 100 generations annual$19 a month
- Basic — 100 generations$24 a month
- Basic — 250 generations annual$44 a month
- Growth$44 a month
- Basic — 250 generations$55 a month
- Basic — 500 generations annual$79 a month
- Basic — 500 generations$99 a month
In their own words
ADExhibit
ADExhibit is a web-based platform for previewing, checking and optimizing ad creatives, especially HTML5 banners. It also previews image ads, GIFs and video ads, and creates shareable campaign links where clients can review, comment and approve without logging in. Its validation checks cover file size, click tags, custom exits, backup images, metadata and scripts; it can automatically repair these items.
The maker lists support for Google Ads, DV360, Campaign Manager 360, Google Studio, Microsoft Ads, Bit Media, IAB standards and Ströer. Preview mockups include Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Reddit and X, as well as website layouts. Teams can share campaigns, manage roles and include unlimited team members. The free plan is free and includes 100MB of storage, all features, no credit card requirement and no time limit. Freelancer costs $20 a month with 2GB storage; Agency is $60 a month with 10GB; Business is $180 a month with unlimited storage. Custom solutions can include API access and integrations.
Pencil
Pencil is a web-based creative marketing platform that uses AI to generate advertising copy, images, and video ads. Its workflow runs from briefing and generation through editing, approvals, publishing, and evaluation. The browser editor handles text, image, video, and HTML, with exports in GIF, MP4, HTML5, and static formats. Pencil says a single template can produce thousands of variations and be adapted across markets through localization or translation. Listed generally available ad integrations include Meta, TikTok Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads, YouTube, Display & Video 360, and Campaign Manager 360. Users can create six ads for free through a guided experience, but full platform access requires a paid plan. Core costs $11 a month billed annually and includes 50 generations per month and one workspace. Growth costs $44 a month billed annually, with 250 monthly generations and unlimited workspaces. Pro has custom pricing and unlimited generations. Pencil says its security controls are SOC 2 Type II audited and that customer data is not used to train its models.