Pencil vs Shakr
Pencil
trypencil.comShakr
shakr.comSide by side
| Figure | Pencil | Shakr |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $11/mo | $200/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 13 | 7 |
| Spec score · Video Advertising Software | 8.5 (#1) | 8.0 (#3) |
| Spec score · Ad Design Software | 8.3 (#10) | 7.9 (#15) |
| Founded | 2018 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom | Seoul, South Korea |
| Licence | Pencil is proprietary cloud SaaS owned or licensed by Pencil AI Limited; its terms prohibit copying, modification, reverse engineering and resale. | Shakr is presented as a commercial subscription platform rather than open-source software. |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 3.8 out of 5 from 7 reviews | 3.3 out of 5 from 9 reviews |
| Support | Core includes chat support, Growth includes direct access to the product team and roadmap, and Pro includes dedicated customer success. | The site links to the Shakr Guide and a contact page for support. |
| What it does | Pencil is a browser-based AI marketing platform that generates and publishes advertising creatives. | Shakr is a creative hub for producing and automating video and static advertising for marketing teams. |
Plans
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
Shakr
- Create$200 a month
- Creative On-Demand$5,000 a month
- Image DPA$2,000 a month
- Video DPA$2,500 a month
- Dynamic Geo Ads$2,000 a month
- Dynamic Data Ads$3,500 a month
- Creative API & SDKPriced on request
In their own words
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.