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Comparisons

Smartly vs Hunch: remove all creative boundaries with Smartly’s best alternative

There is no doubt that every agency and brand is familiar with Smartly.io, a prominent company that helps enterprises skyrocket their Paid Social success.

Hunch is no.1 among Smartly’s alternatives, excelling in creative automation and campaign management across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

But how should you make the right choice?

You can’t go wrong with Smartly - they really have all. However, the potential pitfall lies in the likelihood of not needing all available features, but paying for them anyway. Having numerous big logo clients also makes Smartly unable to provide the same level of support to all clients, resulting in choosing enterprises over SMB and mid-market companies.

If you’re looking for a more agile partner, that will ensure you’re constantly staying ahead of the game and deliver innovative cases your clients couldn’t do without you - try Hunch.

As a technology built for innovation, Hunch puts big emphasis on helping partners to take the most out of the Hunch platform, and turn their strategies into success stories on Paid Social.

Let’s dive into a comprehensive Smartly vs. Hunch comparison (G2 reviews included) that will provide you with a broader perspective and help you make the best decision for the performance of your team.

Meta integration: Hunch is the top choice among Smartly alternatives

Unlike many other Smartly alternatives, from the Meta integration perspective Hunch and Smartly give you the same range of opportunities. That’s because both platforms are covering both creative production and campaign management on Facebook & Instagram.

As Meta Business Partners, Hunch and Smartly provide unique access to the latest innovations, including exclusive features that are still in the beta phase, such as Product Level Video. This ensures that working with either platform positions you at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge Meta technologies and tools.

Facebook & Instagram
Dynamic Ads green-tick green-tick
Catalog Management green-tick green-tick
Product Level Video green-tick green-tick
Image Templates green-tick green-tick
Automated Ads green-tick green-tick
Feed Management green-tick green-tick
Advantage+ Shopping Campagins green-tick green-tick
Video Templates green-tick green-tick


We enlisted the most important features to showcase the vast opportunities that both platforms give. Bear in mind that Smartly is more than just a social ads automation platform, which means that the platform comes with many extensive features, that your clients may not find useful for their businesses.

To put it quite simply, when you buy Smartly, you’re paying for more than one platform, having in mind all of their additional features for advertising on Pinterest, TikTok, or even Google.  When you buy Hunch, you get a platform with a strong focus on Meta and Snapchat advertising. 

Additionally, besides having all the essential features for producing creatives, as a technology built for innovation, Hunch can easily develop a tailored solution for you when needed, which you cannot expect from a company such as Smartly. 

Full Snapchat integration

Snapchat
Dynamic Ads green-tick green-tick
Catalog Management green-tick green-tick
Image Templates green-tick green-tick
Automated Ads green-tick green-tick
Feed Management green-tick green-tick
Video Templates green-tick green-tick


Besides focusing on Meta, Hunch also streamlines ad creation and delivery for Snapchat. As a result, you can expect the same level of expertise and functionality when using Hunch for Snapchat advertising.

For Smartly, Snapchat is another platform they have integration with, which means that you can effortlessly manage your Snapchat campaigns through Smartly too.

Delivering creative excellence: Creative Studio features breakdown

Creative Studio Editor
Image Templates green-tick green-tick
Video Templates green-tick green-tick
PSD Import green-tick green-tick
Custom Fonts green-tick green-tick
Conditional visibility green-tick green-tick
Bulk Export green-tick green-tick
Brand Kit green-tick green-tick


Both Smartly’s and Hunch’s Creative Studios do wonders when it comes to the production of different video and image assets. These tools cater primarily to marketers, bridging the gap in design skills and facilitating the effortless creation of engaging creatives. But emphasizing the importance of creative collaboration, both studios are great tools for designers too. 

Hunch’s Creative Studio significantly differentiates Hunch as a Smartly competitor. Some of Hunch’s partners that have switched from other platforms were amazed by the capabilities of Hunch’s Studio, such as the Multi Artboard tool, video edition options, and even AI-powered background removal

Hunch Smartly's best alternative
Use Hunch's AI enhancements to turn any product image into beautiful on-brand ads at scale.


Hunch’s Creative Studio takes the production of stunning creatives to the next level. Using Hunch’s AI-powered tools, background removal, color discovery, and dynamic layout adjustments,  transform any product image into ad-ready creative at scale.

Other platform integrations: effortless reporting and workflow automation

Google Analytics Integrations green-tick green-tick
Google Ads green-tick green-tick
Appsflyer green-tick green-tick
Adjust Integration green-tick green-tick
Scheduled Reports green-tick green-tick
Rules & Automations green-tick green-tick

Smartly Pricing: Hunch is more affordable for mid and upper-market agencies & SMBs

Pricing
Subscription Model Starts at €2500 per month Get in touch with Smartly.io
Pricing Structure Based on Hunch-created campaigns Get in touch with Smartly.io


When it comes to Smartly’s pricing vs Hunch’s, there’s a critical difference between the two platforms. But the best way to see does Smartly’s pricing works for you is to check their pricing page.

Among all other Smarty competitors, Hunch has the best pricing and functionality ratio. Our pricing is based on ad spend only through the Hunch platform. This is the perfect scenario for agencies that want to test the waters with some clients or scale rapidly.

Service and Support: Hunch turns any marketer into a Master Marketer

Customer Success green-tick green-tick
Onboard & Training green-tick green-tick
Support Chat green-tick green-tick


A thing that differentiates Hunch the most from Smartly, and all the other Smartly alternatives is the level of support that Hunch provides. 

We get that being introduced to a new technology, no matter how great it is, can be challenging because it influences your established workflow. But only marketers who adapt to new technologies can stay ahead of the curve and avoid becoming obsolete. Hunch is here to ensure you excel. 

Our team will lead you through the whole process of understanding how our platform works, but also help you execute and launch campaigns you’ll be excited about. Hunch transforms any marketers into Master Marketers, by uplifting their expertise and operational effectiveness.

Smartly Reviews vs Hunch Reviews: what do users have to say?

Smartly review from G2:

Positive:

Automation features, tools for collaboration and easy-to-use creative tools for image as well as video ads.

Negative:

It's a very glitchy program, there tend to be many errors without explanation and we consistently have to troubleshoot. When a feed reprocesses fails, sometimes the explanation is complete jargon and illegible. I also tend to find the UI rather clunky and I think it could be designed in a more user-friendly flow.

Hunch review from G2:

Positive:

Creating customized ads at scale and publishing them to Facebook works like a breeze. During an important season, we delivered over 700 ads to over 110 ad sets on Facebook in an instant. We were able to customize creatives and copies by including dynamic values such as local slang, area name, and target audiences. I also like that we can run ads directly from a Google Sheet and Google Drive (so we don't have to go into Ads Manager to create ads which is a tedious process). Hunch's customer support is top-notch. They have given us the support needed to bring our ideas into reality.

Negative:

Creating new campaigns can be overwhelming if you don't create them regularly (at least I tend to forget all the nitty gritty settings that need to be set for the campaign to work out properly). However, with Hunch's awesome customer support this hasn't been an issue as they have helped us set up new campaigns every time it has been needed.

When should you choose Hunch over all other Smartly alternatives?

Let’s be honest, vouching for the new tool is no fun at all.

But we’ll try to make it as easy as possible.

If you’re working in a mid-market agency,  constantly being pushed to the breaking points, with everything your clients are asking you to do, and you’re looking for a reliable partner to help you grow accounts without losing your mind - we got you. 

By leveraging AI and automation, Hunch will make sure your cross-channel production and distribution go seamlessly while helping you create and deliver cases your clients can’t do without you. 

With the power of  one of the best creative studio in our industry, and easy to use campaign management system, our team of advertising experts is here to understand your products or service and transform it in beautiful on-brand creatives. 

Reading the comparison is not the end of your research - try out the Hunch platform. Book a demo and discover how can we scale your business together!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What are Smartly.io top competitors?
    Hunch, ROI Hunter and Skai are the best Smartly alternatives. If you’re looking for the platform that can meet your creative demand, it’s budget friendly, and it helps you grow your business with innovation - check Hunch. 
  2. Which Smartly alternative is best for SMBs and mid-market  agencies?
    Among all other Smarty competitors, Hunch has the best pricing and functionality ratio. With the pricing based only on ad spend through the platform, Hunch is the best option for SMBs and agencies that want to test the waters or scale rapidly.
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
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Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
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Knowledge base green-tick green-tick
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
Services
Customer success green-tick green-tick
Account management green-tick green-tick
Training services green-tick green-tick
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Solutions and integrations green-tick green-tick
Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
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Knowledge base green-tick green-tick
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
Services
Customer success green-tick green-tick
Account management green-tick green-tick
Training services green-tick green-tick
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Solutions and integrations green-tick green-tick
Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
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Knowledge base green-tick green-tick
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
Services
Customer success green-tick green-tick
Account management green-tick green-tick
Training services green-tick green-tick
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Solutions and integrations green-tick green-tick
Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
Support (24/7) balck-cross-icon balck-cross-icon
Knowledge base green-tick green-tick
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
Services
Customer success green-tick green-tick
Account management green-tick green-tick
Training services green-tick green-tick
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Solutions and integrations green-tick green-tick
Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
Support (24/7) balck-cross-icon balck-cross-icon
Knowledge base green-tick green-tick
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
Services
Customer success green-tick green-tick
Account management green-tick green-tick
Training services green-tick green-tick
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Solutions and integrations green-tick green-tick
Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
Support (24/7) balck-cross-icon balck-cross-icon
Knowledge base green-tick green-tick
*Hunch vs Smartly: Services&Support
Services
Customer success green-tick green-tick
Account management green-tick green-tick
Training services green-tick green-tick
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Solutions and integrations green-tick green-tick
Creative and production green-tick green-tick
Strategy green-tick green-tick
SUPPORT
Support (24/7) balck-cross-icon balck-cross-icon
Knowledge base green-tick green-tick