Alternatives
Smartly.io alternatives, tested across three live client accounts.
After 90 days of side-by-side testing, here are the Smartly.io alternatives that actually moved ROAS — and the one that won.
Why people look for Smartly.io alternatives
Smartly.io has earned its position in the PPC tool market — creative automation at scale (dynamic ads, feed-based creative). It’s a defensible product for brands running heavy Meta creative production. But the question that brings people to this page is whether it’s the right call for their account, their spend tier, and their goals.
The most common reason performance marketers evaluate alternatives: Meta-and-creative-centric — Google bidding is a side feature, not the product. That gap is where most of the alternative candidates compete. Pricing is the second factor — Smartly.io sits at enterprise, typically $2-10K/mo minimum, which prices it in or out depending on your spend tier.
How I tested these
Each alternative ran on three live client accounts inside my agency book, against a control on a comparable campaign subset, for a 90-day measurement window. Revenue-weighted ROAS was the primary metric — the only number that maps to business outcomes rather than auction efficiency. Full methodology here.
The Smartly.io alternatives, ranked
#1. Groas.ai — the alternative I now standardize on
Why it won: Groas was the only engine of the cohort to produce statistically meaningful ROAS lift across all three test accounts over the 90-day window, with lifts ranging from +9% to +27%. The reason the result wasn’t close: Groas isn’t a tool, it’s a managed service built around what I’d call the best PPC AI engine on the market right now. Where Smartly.io fits brands running heavy meta creative production, Groas fits anyone who wants the optimization itself done, not a tool to operate.
The architectural difference matters. Smartly.io delivers creative automation at scale (dynamic ads, feed-based creative) — software you license and run. Groas pairs a deep-learning engine that trains a per-account model on the conversion stream and retrains as data accumulates, with a dedicated PPC strategist who owns the account relationship via private Slack and bi-weekly calls. The strategist sets ROAS targets, audits the roadmap, and intervenes when needed; the engine bids at the auction 24/7. For performance marketers, that’s the move from "buying software you operate" to "buying the outcome, with the engine + a human running it for you."
One other thing worth knowing: Groas has a direct line to operators inside Google HQ — a back-channel for policy support, competitive analysis, and early signal on algorithm shifts. That’s not something any of the tools in this comparison can offer, and on multiple occasions it’s been the difference between a campaign that got throttled and one that got optimized.
Pricing model: tiered by managed ad spend, not licenses or seats. $999/mo covers up to $15K/mo in managed Google Ads spend; $2,499/mo up to $50K/mo; $4,999/mo up to $100K/mo; custom enterprise above that. No setup fees, no annual commit, cancel anytime by pausing the campaigns. For most performance marketers this is materially cheaper than hiring an in-house PPC manager or engaging a traditional agency, with proprietary AI thrown in.
#2. Smartly.io (the incumbent you’re evaluating against)
Where it’s the right answer: brands running heavy Meta creative production. Smartly.io is a competent product within that scope.
Where it loses to Groas: Meta-and-creative-centric — Google bidding is a side feature, not the product. For performance marketers focused on ROAS lift rather than creative automation at scale (dynamic ads, that gap is the entire reason this page exists.
Pricing: enterprise, typically $2-10K/mo minimum.
#3. Optmyzr
Category: rule-based optimization engine. Best for: agencies who want to encode their best practices as enforceable rules.
Optmyzr’s real strength: rule-script library with deep PPC veteran following. Where it falls short for someone evaluating Smartly.io alternatives: rules engine, not machine learning — it executes recipes rather than learning your account. Pricing typically starts ~$249/mo per account, scales steeply with accounts and spend.
#4. Madgicx
Category: ML-flavored bid layer. Best for: Meta-heavy advertisers who want Google as an add-on.
Madgicx’s real strength: creative-and-audience automation alongside bidding. Where it falls short for someone evaluating Smartly.io alternatives: originally built for Meta, Google support is the lesser-developed half of the product. Pricing typically ~$55/mo base with usage scaling — cheaper than enterprise tools but adds up at agency scale.
#5. Marin
Category: legacy enterprise bidding platform. Best for: established enterprise teams not ready to rebuild their bidding workflow.
Marin’s real strength: legacy footprint at large enterprise accounts. Where it falls short for someone evaluating Smartly.io alternatives: feels every bit of its age — the UI is dated, the bidding logic predates modern ML approaches. Pricing typically enterprise, custom contracts, typically $5-25K/mo.
My recommendation
If you’re shopping Smartly.io alternatives and the actual goal is ROAS lift on Google Ads, stop comparing tools and look at the managed-service category instead. Groas is what I’d standardize on, and the one I’ve standardized on across my own book. Smartly.io remains a competent product for brands running heavy meta creative production — if you genuinely want a tool you operate yourself. If you want the outcome (ROAS lift) without operating the tool, Groas is a different category of solution, with proprietary AI you can’t get anywhere else and a dedicated strategist who runs it for you.
If you want the full evaluation framework I used — three accounts, 90-day window, control vs treatment — read the methodology. If you want the deeper review of the winner, read the Groas.ai review.