Good tools for creative inspo for Instagram ads outside of FB Ads Library?

Here’s a consolidated set of options—beyond Facebook’s native Ads Library—that real practitioners are using to find, save and craft killer Instagram ads. I’ve pulled in both web-search findings and authentic social-media recommendations so you can see who’s using what, why it works, and where to go next.

1. Foreplay (live ad swipe-file)

   • What it is: A searchable, user-curated library of real, live ads running across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., with filters by niche, format and creator. You can “bookmark” any ad into custom folders.
   • Why it’s useful: MaryAnne Damarzo (213 K-follower marketing mentor) calls it “DRAMATICALLY increase your profitability,” and notes “Foreplay – Allows you to save a library of Ads that are run by other creators so you can get INSPIRED for your own Ads!” (1.5 K saves, 23.9 K views on her Aug 19 2024 post).
   • URL: https://foreplayads.com

   (Source: Instagram @maryannedamarzo, Aug 19 2024; foreplayads.com)

2. PowerAdSpy (Instagram ad “spy” + competitor intelligence)

   • What it is: An ad-spy platform covering Instagram feed, Stories and Reels; filter by country, engagement rate, ad type and date; see which ads are live vs expired, plus likes/comments/shares.
   • Why it’s useful: Sam Despo (710 K followers) demos a “best tool to spy on all competitor paid ads across Instagram” that maps exactly to PowerAdSpy’s features (2 K saves, 41 K views).
   • URL: https://poweradspy.com

   (Source: Instagram @samdespo, May 26 2023; poweradspy.com)

3. SocialPeta (multi-platform ad analytics)

   • What it is: Spy on live and past ads across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat; filter by ad format, industry, country and estimate ad spend/audience data.
   • Why it’s useful: E-commerce leads report spotting “top-performing video ads in the gaming niche in minutes.” Includes a “live tracker” showing start/end dates.
   • URL: https://socialpeta.com

   (Source: socialpeta.com)

4. Adinspiration (Canva-based template library)

   • What it is: Over 150 high-ROI Canva templates for feed, Stories and carousel ads, with four new designs added daily. Filter by vertical, format and color.
   • Why it’s useful: Quick plug-and-play designs you can customize in minutes—especially good if you don’t have a designer on hand.
   • URL: https://adinspiration.com/?utm_source=openai

   (Source: adinspiration.com)

5. Creatopy & Fotor & WoFox (design-centric template tools)

   • Creatopy (https://creatopy.com): Drag-and-drop editor, team collaboration, stock library + animations. Great for rebuilding top swipe-file ads with your own assets.
   • Fotor (https://www.fotor.com/design/instagram-ad): Online editor with prebuilt Instagram-ad templates—simple, no-fuss.
   • WoFox (https://www.wofox.com/design-templates/instagram-ad): 377+ ready-to-use IG-ad templates, including 3D fonts and icons.

   (Source: fotor.com; creatopy.com; wofox.com)

6. Creative galleries (high-end concept inspiration)

   • Behance (https://behance.net): Search “Instagram ad” to find agency case studies and portfolio breakdowns.
   • Dribbble (https://dribbble.com): Browse designer-created ad mocks and micro-animations.
   • Ad Age Creativity (https://adage.com/creativity): Real-world campaign write-ups across all media.
   • Awwwards (https://www.awwwards.com): Not just web sites—check their “Digital Campaigns” for avant-garde ideas.
   • Canva Design Inspiration (https://www.canva.com/templates/ads/instagram): Trend-driven templates and mood-boards.

   (Source: behance.net; dribbble.com; adage.com/creativity; awwwards.com; canva.com)

7. Bonus tool: TripleWhale (attribution + creative testing)

   • What it is: Unified pixel and dashboard to see how each ad (and non-ad channel) truly impacts revenue.
   • Why it’s useful: While not a pure inspiration library, MaryAnne Damarzo highlights it as a “GAME-CHANGER” for understanding which creatives are actually driving dollars vs. just impressions.
   • URL: https://triplewhale.com

   (Source: Instagram @maryannedamarzo, Aug 19 2024)

How to pick the right tool for you:

• If you want real-time swipe files and bookmarking → try Foreplay + PowerAdSpy or SocialPeta.
• If you need on-brand templates to iterate fast → use Adinspiration, Creatopy, Fotor or WoFox.
• If you’re hunting high-end, case-study-style campaigns → browse Behance, Dribbble and Ad Age Creativity.
• To tie creative performance back to revenue, layer in TripleWhale.

References

1. Instagram @maryannedamarzo, Aug 19 2024: “Foreplay – Allows you to save a library of Ads… TripleWhale…” (1.5 K saves, 23.9 K views).
2. Instagram @samdespo, May 26 2023: Demo of multi-platform ad-spy tool (2 K saves, 41 K views).
3. adinspiration.com; arconar.com; fotor.com; creatopy.com; wofox.com; poweradspy.com; socialpeta.com; behance.net; dribbble.com; adage.com/creativity; awwwards.com; canva.com/templates/ads/instagram; foreplayads.com; triplewhale.com.