The verdict
For a small team that wants leads from people already searching for what you sell, pick Google Ads. It is the only one of the two that can send you traffic. Open the lookup site first, though. It is free and takes minutes, and it shows what your competitors promise before you write your own copy.
If you are not ready to spend yet, start with the lookup site and build your research notes. If you want to test demand this week, open a Google Ads account with a small budget. Neither one tells you what a click costs in your market. Only a live Google Ads account does that.
Side by side
| 5 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | ||
| Free plan | ||
| API | Yes | |
| MCP server | Yes | No |
| Sells its own search ad inventory | Yes | No |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Google Ads
Pricing not in our catalogue yet.
Google Ads Transparency Center
Pricing not in our catalogue yet.
Who each is for
Choose Google Ads if…
Pick Google Ads if your buyers search before they buy and you have a landing page that can convert them. It suits businesses of any size, as long as someone can manage keywords, negatives and bids on a continuing basis. It is not set and forget.
It also suits teams that want to test demand quickly. You can cap daily spend, so a small test does not need a large commitment. Watch the cost in competitive B2B categories, because clicks can be expensive, and make sure conversion tracking works before you spend. Without it, the bidding learns from the wrong signals.
Choose Google Ads Transparency Center if…
Pick the lookup site if you are a marketer or founder planning paid search or display and want to see what a competitor, or any advertiser, has actually run. It also helps when you want to check a vendor that pitched you.
Treat it as research, not as a recipe. It shows what was shown, not what worked, and it says nothing about spend, conversions or targeting. It covers Google only, so check each platform's own ad library for LinkedIn or Meta. It is a free public site with no support, so do not build a process that depends on its layout staying the same.
Other options worth a look
Automates and optimises paid search campaigns across Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and LinkedIn.
Audits and optimises Google and Microsoft Ads accounts with automated testing and performance alerts.
Audits and optimises Google, Microsoft and Meta ad campaigns from one dashboard with alerts and fix suggestions.
Buy search, display and video ads across Bing, Yahoo and other networks on a pay-per-click basis.