BigSpy vs. SpyFu Review: Which Tool Is Best For You?

Staying ahead of competitors requires the right tools. This BigSpy vs. SpyFu review aims to edge closer to the better of the two tools that you can use for competitive analysis. 

Between BigSpy and SpFu, you have access to features designed to help marketers and businesses gather competitive insights, spy on ads, get detailed information on competitors, optimize campaigns better, and more.

But which tool suits your needs best? This detailed comparison will help you decide.

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BigSpy vs. Spyfu: What does each tool do? 

BigSpy

Spanning 9 major ad traffic platforms (such as YouTube, Google, Meta, and many other small ones), BigSpy focuses mainly on paid advertising analysis (for yourself or if you want to check on your competitors). 

BigSpy boasts a multi-platform library, competitor ad tracking, competitor analysis, and in-depth niche market research tools. 

BigSpy specializes in ad intelligence, tracking advertisements across platforms like Facebook (Meta), Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Tracking more than 1000+ million creatives and more than a million users, a cross-border ad library (multi-platform), and an ever-growing database (including tracking merchants across major platforms such as Shopify and Amazon) – it’s a competitor tool that can quickly help you uncover overall global marketing trends or drill down on specific competitors you track. 

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SpyFu

SpyFu works differently: it covers domain analysis, SEO campaigns, competitor backlinks, influencer marketing, pay-per-click campaigns, organic traffic, ads (and their variations, stretching back to a period covering 18 years), keyword rankings, keyword tracking, ad rank tracking, and more. 

SpyFu tracks more than 7 billion results across 109 million domains – helping you uncover data and trends across paid ads, search engine marketing, or competitive intelligence. 

While SpyFu isn’t dedicated to ad intelligence, it provides insights into SEO-related data, keyword ranking data, competitor keyword tracking, and also PPC campaign strategies. 

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BigSpy vs. SpyFu: Key Differences 

BigSpy and SpyFu are built differently. Catering to marketers, affiliates, and businesses – the two competitor analysis tools differ in the type of data they collect and the extended features one offers over the other. 

Here’s how they differ mainly: 

1. Ad Intelligence

• BigSpy:
  BigSpy specializes in ad intelligence, tracking advertisements across platforms like Facebook (Meta), Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

BigSpy, specifically, also extends itself by finding information on “niche” advertising markets such as gaming ads. It allows you to analyze competitor creatives, track trends, and identify high-performing ads. 

BigSpy is particularly useful for advertisers who want to focus on niche markets, paid advertising, and so on. 

Some of the key features of BigSpy include advanced filtering by ad type, platform, and engagement.

This is in addition to an endless supply of creative inspiration with detailed performance metrics.

• SpyFu:

While SpyFu isn’t dedicated to ad intelligence, it provides insights into SEO-related data, keyword ranking data, competitor keyword tracking, and also PPC campaign strategies. You can see what keywords your competitors are bidding on, analyze ad copy, and uncover their paid search tactics.
Some key features include keyword-driven ad analysis, comprehensive tools for managing SEO and content performance, and historical data on ad performance and spend.

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2. SEO and Keyword Research

• BigSpy:

BigSpy doesn’t prioritize SEO. It’s not the competitor analytics tool for you if you want something that’s “do-it-all”. 

Its focus is primarily on social media and display ads – and it does that job well – making it less suitable for those looking to improve organic search strategies, keyword ranking information, content strategy, backlink profiles, and so on. 

• SpyFu:

SpyFu shines in this area, pretty close to what its direct competitors such as Semrush and Ahrefs offer. 

It offers a wealth of data on organic and paid keywords, helping you identify opportunities to outrank competitors. It also provides backlink analysis, domain comparisons, and keyword tracking, making it an excellent tool for SEO-driven campaigns.

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3. Ease of Use

• BigSpy:

The interface is intuitive, with straightforward filtering options for finding ads by niche, platform, or region. However, it lacks deeper customization options, which can be limiting for advanced users. 

Please do note that BigSpy is “big” (pun intended) on paid ad traffic across more than 9 ad platforms.

• SpyFu:
  SpyFu’s dashboard can feel overwhelming at first due to the sheer volume of data available and the extended feature list covering not only PPC ads but also SEO, keywords, ranking, tracking, and more. 

However, once you’re familiar with it, the platform offers more robust features for detailed analysis and provides a fairly accurate representation of the data it collects. 

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BigSpy vs. SpyFu: The Verdict (and An Alternative) 

The verdict is clear: BigSpy is for you if you are a marketer, an app creator, or a business that depends on social media ads, display ads, and so on. A primary focus on paid ads (across regular platforms and niche platforms) allows you a wealth of information for this specific purpose. 
If you want paid ads plus some competitor tracking ability for SEO profiles, keywords, SEM ranking, backlinks, and more, that’s when SpyFu shines. 

On that note, if you want to go beyond the paid ads and SEO profiles of your competitors, consider Panoramata. 

Establish a broader base of competitive intelligence by tracking not only ads and keyword rankings but also an entire spectrum of marketing assets your competitors use (including websites, landing pages, ads, email marketing campaigns, marketing tools used, and so much more). 

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do BigSpy and SpyFu differ in their approach to competitive analysis?

BigSpy focuses on ad tracking, offering a massive database of ads from various platforms, including social media. SpyFu specializes in keyword and PPC campaign analysis, making it ideal for SEO and paid search strategies.

2. Which tool is better for tracking competitor ads?

BigSpy excels in tracking ads across multiple platforms and is better suited for brands heavily invested in social media advertising. SpyFu provides ad insights too but is more effective for search engine advertising campaigns.

3. Why should I consider Panoramata as an alternative?

Panoramata offers a broader scope of competitor monitoring, including real-time data on ads, emails, websites, landing pages, and even tech stacks. Its benchmarking features make it a powerful choice for businesses looking for a comprehensive view of competitors’ strategies.