On this page
MakeUGC and AdSmash both help teams make AI video ads, but they start from different bottlenecks. MakeUGC is built to produce UGC-style actor videos quickly; AdSmash puts creative research, generation, review and read-only Meta performance data in one workflow. AdSmash publishes this page, so every MakeUGC claim below links to MakeUGC's own pages, checked on October 2, 2026.
- Our view: MakeUGC fits teams whose bottleneck is producing many actor-led UGC-style videos from a script and product shots.
- Our view: AdSmash fits teams whose bottleneck is deciding what to make and learning from Meta results.
- Cost: every MakeUGC Platform plan starts with a "$1 trial". In the Monthly view, Start up is $59 (list $89), Growth $79 (list $119) and Pro $1, renewing at $149. AdSmash Pro is $20 a month with $25.00 of credits (as of October 14, 2026).
- MakeUGC bills in credits and AdSmash in dollar-denominated credits, so compare mechanics, not headline prices.
MakeUGC vs AdSmash at a glance
This table follows the stages of making an ad. "Not documented" means we found no primary source either way.
| Stage | MakeUGC | AdSmash |
|---|---|---|
| Research and ideas | Content Library of videos to recreate; Video Agent rebuilds a reference ad | Ad creative intelligence (a Pro and Team plan feature) and competitor watchlists |
| Scripting | AI scripts | Not documented |
| Production formats | AI actor video, product in hand, B-roll, custom AI actors, motion-control recreation | Not documented |
| Models | Start up: selected models; Growth and Pro: all models | Seedance 2.5, Gemini Omni, GPT Image 2.5, Grok Imagine 1.5, Happy Horse 1.1, MiniMax H3 |
| Brand memory | Not documented | Brand references stored once and reused |
| Publishing | Not documented | None: the Meta connection is read only |
| Performance data | Not documented | Meta only, read only |
| Human or managed option | Enterprise card lists a creative strategist | Managed service with human review before ads ship |
| Pricing | Start up $59 a month, Monthly view (list $89), as of October 2, 2026 | Free $0, Pro $20 a month, Team $89 a month, as of October 14, 2026 |
What MakeUGC does in 2026
MakeUGC makes AI UGC ads: UGC-style videos in which an AI actor delivers your script (our post on AI UGC ads versus traditional production covers the format). Its homepage advertises "1000+ realistic AI actors", product-in-hand video, custom AI actors and motion-control recreation, and the pricing page lists 50+ languages. The pricing page counts actors by plan: Start up says "1000+ realistic AI creators" and API Starter says "500+", while the Growth and Pro cards state no actor count.
Two features go beyond generation. The Video Agent analyzes an uploaded reference video and rebuilds its flow with your product and creator images. The Content Library holds "hundreds of real, high-performing videos" you can recreate; the homepage text does not say how performance is measured.
Both reviews also say MakeUGC lacks built-in editing. The current homepage lists an editor for captions, music, B-roll and trims, so that claim is out of date. We have not tested it.
AdCreate and Superscale still quote "5 videos" for MakeUGC's entry plan, at $39 and $29 a month; Superscale's table lists 5, 10 and 20 videos across three plans. The current pricing page sells monthly credits instead (500, 1,000 or 2,000 on the Platform plans) and publishes no per-video rate, so treat any videos-per-plan figure as dated until MakeUGC states one.
For teams making AI generated video ads at volume, the pricing page's "Unlimited" generation needs reading closely. It applies only to specific models listed per plan, and it "only activates after your $1 trial ends and your first full billing cycle begins".
What AdSmash does, and what it doesn't
AdSmash is an AI ad creative platform built around four things:
- Brand references. Products, likenesses, colors and typography are stored once and reused across generations.
- Models from several providers on one canvas. Seedance 2.5, Gemini Omni, GPT Image 2.5, Grok Imagine 1.5, Happy Horse 1.1 and MiniMax H3.
- Meta performance data. The connection is read only and covers Meta only. AdSmash cannot create, edit, publish, pause or delete anything in Meta.
- Managed service. You send a brief instead of building the ads yourself, and ads go through a human review step before they ship. Human review belongs to the managed service, not every plan.
It states no actor library. Ad creative intelligence is a plan feature on Pro and Team, alongside competitor watchlists; Free has no watchlists. For other actor tools, see our comparisons with Arcads, Creatify, Pencil and Laria.
MakeUGC pricing vs AdSmash pricing
Every MakeUGC Platform plan carries a "Start for $1" button, and MakeUGC's Trial Policy (effective January 2, 2026) calls it a "$1 promotional trial", limited to one trial per individual or legal entity. We found no stated trial length, and for Start up and Growth the page shows a monthly price but no renewal note, so check the checkout screen for the first full charge and its date before you start the trial. Credits are the units MakeUGC charges per generation. The tables below use the pricing page's default Monthly view; the "50% OFF" badges are MakeUGC's wording, and we haven't recomputed them.
| As of October 2, 2026 | Displayed price, Monthly view | Struck-through list price | Credits a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start up | $59 a month | $89 | 500 |
| Growth | $79 a month | $119 | 1,000 |
| Pro | $1 trial, "Renews at $149" | $149 | 2,000 (slider: 3,000 renews at $199, 5,000 at $249) |
| API Starter | $99 a month | $149 | 2,000 |
| API Pro | $299 a month | $449 | 6,000 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Not applicable | Custom |
Source: MakeUGC pricing. A "30% off, Special 24h offer" banner also shows. Its countdown differs between page loads, so we cite no end date.
The Monthly view is the page's default, so the $59 and $79 figures are what a visitor sees first. They sit below the struck-through list prices of $89 and $119, a gap of $30 and $40 by our calculation. For Start up and Growth the page does not say whether or when the struck-through list price is charged; Pro says it renews at $149. The displayed price is the only Start up and Growth figure we can tie to a billing period.
Quarterly and annual billing show lower per-month figures, billed quarterly or annually, and they are not the Monthly price. Don't let an annual per-month figure stand in for what a monthly subscriber pays.
| Per month, billed as stated | Quarterly | Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Start up | $41 | $29 |
| Growth | $55 | $39 |
| Pro, 2,000 credits | $104 | $79 |
| As of October 14, 2026 | Price | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| AdSmash Free | $0 | Trial credits; 1 seat |
| AdSmash Pro | $20 a month | $25.00 of credits, valid two months; 1 watchlist; 1 seat |
| AdSmash Team | $89 a month | $100.00 of credits, valid two months; 5 watchlists; 5 seats |
AdSmash figures come from its pricing page; per-generation rates are not published. Enterprise & Services is quoted.
What a MakeUGC credit costs
Our calculation: price divided by monthly credits. Start up and Growth use Monthly-view prices; Pro's is the renewal price.
| Plan and tier | Billing | Price a month | Credits a month | Cost per credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start up | Monthly | $59 | 500 | $0.118 |
| Growth | Monthly | $79 | 1,000 | $0.079 |
| Pro | Monthly, renews | $149 | 2,000 | $0.0745 |
| Pro slider | Monthly, renews | $199 | 3,000 | $0.066 |
| Pro slider | Monthly, renews | $249 | 5,000 | $0.050 |
| Start up | Annual | $29 | 500 | $0.058 |
| Growth | Annual | $39 | 1,000 | $0.039 |
The annual rows assume the same monthly credits as the Monthly view; the capture shows credits only for that view.
The pricing page says only that each generation costs a set number of credits depending on model, duration and resolution. MakeUGC publishes no per-video credit rate, so a cost-per-ad table is not possible from its own pages. AdSmash credits are dollar amounts, not a unit comparable to MakeUGC credits, so we don't convert between them.
Credits, renewal and refunds
- MakeUGC says credits "do not roll over". AdSmash plan credits are valid for two months.
- MakeUGC says more credits come from upgrading or from credit packs "without changing your subscription"; pack prices are not shown.
- Subscriptions auto-renew and are cancelled in account settings.
- The refund policy (last updated September 4, 2025) refunds 100% if you notify within three business days, "provided credits have not been substantially consumed".
- Outside that window, "Under 50% Credits Used: 50% refund of the subscription value may be granted"; at 50% or more used, "No refund will be provided". "Over 2 Weeks Active: No refunds permitted."
Using AI actors in ads: what the FTC rule says
MakeUGC's core format is actor-led UGC-style testimonials, so the FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) applies to how you script them. The FTC's Q&A says the rule "has no blanket prohibition on the use of AI-generated avatars in marketing", and an avatar testimonial breaks it "only if the underlying testimonials were fake or false". Avatar use "could also be deceptive in violation of the FTC Act" (Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR 255.1(g) and 255.2(c)). The rule went into effect on October 21, 2024.
MakeUGC's Fair Use Policy forbids using outputs to "fabricate testimonials".
This is a US rule, and other markets have their own. Check scripts written in a customer's voice with counsel before they run.
Which one fits your team: MakeUGC or AdSmash
Our view, tied to what each tool documents:
- Our view: MakeUGC is the better choice when you need many actor videos from a script and product shots. Its actor library, product-in-hand format and editor are built for that, and AdSmash states no actor library.
- MakeUGC also fits when you want to recreate a reference ad's structure: the Video Agent does this and is listed on Pro. AdSmash makes no comparable claim.
- Our view: AdSmash fits when you run Meta and want performance data and competitor watchlists next to the creative. Pro and Team include ad creative intelligence; the Meta data is read only.
- AdSmash fits when you want to hand off a brief for human-reviewed ads through its managed service. MakeUGC's Enterprise card lists a creative strategist.
- For budget certainty, start from the pricing section above, which covers the trial, the list-versus-displayed gap and rollover.
If you already run on MakeUGC, ask what the next plan step buys. The Pro slider moves from 2,000 to 3,000 or 5,000 credits. Credits do not roll over, so size the tier to what you will generate in one billing cycle.
Some teams may use MakeUGC for actor footage and AdSmash for research and review. That is our suggestion, not a documented integration.
Before you pick, write down how many ads you need next month and whether the bottleneck is producing them or choosing them. For testing context, read how many ads it takes to find a winner and our roundup of AI video ad tools. If AdSmash's workflow fits better, you can create an account and try it on your own brand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does MakeUGC cost?
As of October 2, 2026, MakeUGC's Monthly view shows Start up at $59 and Growth at $79 per month, with $89 and $119 struck through. Every Platform plan starts with a $1 trial; in the Monthly view, Pro shows $1 and renews at $149. The pricing page lists no free plan, and the Fair Use Policy licenses outputs only with an active paid subscription.
Can I cancel MakeUGC or get a refund?
MakeUGC's pricing page says subscriptions auto-renew each billing cycle and can be cancelled in account settings. Its refund policy gives 100% back if you notify within three business days of purchase or renewal, provided credits have not been substantially consumed. Later requests are limited by usage and plan age: with 50% or more of credits used there is no refund, and plans active over two weeks get none. See the pricing section above.
Do MakeUGC credits roll over?
No. MakeUGC's pricing page says credits refresh each billing cycle and do not roll over. AdSmash plan credits are valid for two months, as of October 2, 2026. See the pricing section above for how the two plans compare.
How many credits does a MakeUGC video use?
MakeUGC's pricing page publishes no per-video rate. It says each generation costs a set number of credits depending on model, duration and resolution. Some third-party reviews quote videos per plan (for example 5 videos on the entry plan); those are older figures. AdSmash credits are dollar amounts, so they do not convert to MakeUGC credits. See the pricing section above.
Does MakeUGC have a video editor?
Yes, according to MakeUGC's homepage, which lists captions, music, B-roll and trims inside an editor. AdCreate and Superscale say MakeUGC has no built-in editing; that is out of date against the current page, which governs. We have not tested the editor ourselves.