Answer: Arcads is an AI ad platform built around talking AI actors, and it suits brands that need lots of UGC-style hooks and script variations without hiring creators. Plans run from Starter (8,000 credits a month) to Business (192,000 credits), and an Arcads 1.0 talking-actor video costs 800 credits for up to 2 minutes (Arcads help center, checked 30 October 2026). Arcads doesn’t publish dollar prices outside the app, so check the in-app pricing page before you commit.
Quick verdict
- Best for: performance teams testing many hooks, actors and languages on Meta and TikTok.
- Skip if: you want public, upfront dollar pricing or full ownership of every video.
- Watch out for: Audio-Driven and OmniHuman 1.5 bill 800 credits per started minute, so a 65-second script on those models costs two minutes of credits.
- Safe for paid ads: yes, under a non-exclusive licence, as long as the AI actor isn’t presented as a real customer.
Arcads at a glance
| Tool | Entry paid plan | Credits | Rights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcads | Starter (dollar price shown in the app) | 8,000 a month | Non-exclusive commercial licence |
| Creatify | Standard, $15/month ($10 billed annually) | 55 a month | See Creatify’s terms |
| HeyGen | Creator, $29/month ($24 billed annually) | See HeyGen’s pricing page | See HeyGen’s terms |
Prices checked on the Arcads help center, Creatify pricing and HeyGen pricing pages on 30 October 2026.
What is Arcads?
Arcads is an AI ad platform from FRESHR, a French company. It turns a script, a product image or a prompt into video ads, talking-actor videos, product images and B-roll. The core product is its library of AI actors, which Arcads says are based on real actors who consented to the use of their likeness and are paid for it.
Arcads also runs third-party video models from the same credit balance. Its pricing article lists Veo 3.1, Seedance 2.5 and Kling 3.0 Pro alongside its own Arcads 1.0 talking model, plus tools for captions, translation and actor replacement.
What Arcads does well
- Volume of variations. Workflows (Creator plan and above) can turn one script into the same ad with 10 actors or in 2 languages.
- Languages. Arcads says talking actors speak 74 languages, and Translate Video offers 176 language and accent options.
- One credit pool. Actors, video models, captions and translation all draw from the same monthly balance, and the Generate button shows the cost before you start.
- Failed generations are refunded automatically, per the help center.
Where Arcads falls short
- No public dollar pricing. Arcads says current prices are shown in the app, so you can’t compare plans properly until you sign up.
- Credits reset on smaller plans. Starter and Creator lose unused credits each cycle and stop generating at the limit.
- Editing limits in the licence. The terms allow cropping, music, text, subtitles, emoji, B-roll, GIFs, sound effects, format changes and your logo. Any other change needs FRESHR’s written approval.
- Card required for the trial. The 72-hour trial rolls into the Starter monthly plan if you don’t cancel.
How much does Arcads cost?
Arcads sells monthly credit pools. Per its help center (checked 30 October 2026), the plans are:
| Plan | Credits per month | At the limit | Unused credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 8,000 | Generation stops | Reset each cycle |
| Creator | 16,000 | Generation stops | Reset each cycle |
| Pro | 48,000 | Extra usage billed | Roll over |
| Scale | 96,000 | Extra usage billed | Roll over |
| Business | 192,000 | Extra usage billed | Roll over |
Enterprise plans are custom. Yearly billing is 20% off. Arcads says current dollar prices appear on the pricing page inside the app, so we haven’t listed numbers here. Check them in your account before you pick a plan.
What a video costs in credits depends on the model:
- Arcads 1.0 talking-actor video: 800 credits, up to 2 minutes.
- Audio-Driven or OmniHuman 1.5: 800 credits per started minute.
- Veo 3.1 clip (8 seconds): 800 credits.
- Seedance 2.5, 5 seconds: 210 credits at 720p or 520 at 1080p.
- Kling 3.0 Pro: 240 credits for 5 seconds or 400 for 10 seconds.
- Custom actor: 1,600 credits, once.
So 8,000 Starter credits cover about 10 Arcads 1.0 talking-actor videos a month. Each actor is a separate video, which means one script run across 10 actors uses 10 videos’ worth of credits. Arcads also notes that it tests new pricing from time to time, so your account may show different rates.
Can you use Arcads ads commercially?
Yes. Arcads’ Terms and Conditions (in force from 16 October 2026) grant you a non-exclusive, personal and non-transferable licence on each video, worldwide, covering reproduction, distribution, broadcast and paid marketing use. FRESHR says it can’t grant an exclusive licence because another customer could use the same script and actor and get a similar video.
There are limits. The licence bans using the actors for misleading or deceptive advertising, and Arcads’ prohibited content list rules out adult, harmful and hateful content for every plan and actor. Material you upload (scripts, product images, prompts) stays yours, but the terms give FRESHR a licence to use it to run and improve the service. Read that clause if you work with sensitive client assets.
The bigger risk is how you script the ad. The FTC’s 2024 final rule on fake reviews and testimonials bans testimonials that misrepresent who the reviewer is or what they experienced, and the FTC’s Q&A covers AI-generated testimonials. An AI actor saying “I’ve used this for 3 weeks” implies an experience that never happened. Arcads itself says AI actors must not be presented as real or verified customers. Write AI UGC as a demonstration or narration, not as a customer review, and get legal advice for regulated categories.
How to use Arcads (step by step)
This follows Arcads’ own guide, How do I make an AI UGC ad in Arcads?
- Write the script the way a creator talks: hook, problem, product, call to action. Put the hook in the first line so you can swap it later.
- Pick an actor from the library, filtered by age, gender, type and setting, or build a custom actor (Pro and above).
- Choose the talking model: Arcads 1.0 for scripts up to 2 minutes, Audio-Driven for your own voiceover, or OmniHuman 1.5 for a more expressive read.
- Show the product by generating an image of the actor holding it, then animating it.
- Add captions (guide) and use a workflow to multiply the ad across actors or languages, then export.
Arcads vs alternatives
If Arcads’ hidden pricing or reset credits put you off, compare it with Creatify and HeyGen first. See our Arcads alternatives roundup and the head-to-head Creatify vs Arcads comparison.
FAQs
Is Arcads worth it?
It’s worth a look if you need many talking-actor ad variations each month and will run them as demos rather than fake testimonials. If you make only a few videos, or you need to see dollar prices before signing up, start with the 72-hour trial or a tool with public pricing.
How much is Arcads per video?
An Arcads 1.0 talking-actor video costs 800 credits for up to 2 minutes. Audio-Driven and OmniHuman 1.5 cost 800 credits per started minute. The dollar value depends on your plan, which Arcads shows in the app.
Do Arcads credits roll over?
Only on Pro, Scale and Business. Starter and Creator credits reset each billing cycle, and credits are lost if you cancel.
Are Arcads actors real people?
They are AI actors based on real actors who consented to the use of their likeness and are paid for it, according to the Arcads FAQ.
Does Arcads have a free trial?
Yes. It lasts 72 hours with 1,000 credits and every feature unlocked. A card is required, and the Starter monthly plan starts automatically unless you cancel.
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Jitendra Vaswani is an SEO expert, AI and marketing professional, and the founder behind Kreativemedia. He started BloggersIdeas in 2013, runs AffiliateBooster and SchemaNinja, and through DigiExe has worked with 1,400+ clients across 28 countries. He is the international bestselling author of Inside A Hustler’s Brain (20,000+ copies) and has spoken at Affiliate Summit, Affiliate World, DMSS and TES. Find him at jitendra.co.
