Pencil
Pencil is an AI-powered tool that helps ecommerce brands and agencies create ad variations faster and more efficiently. With Pencil, users ...
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What is Pencil?
Pencil is a GenAI ad creation platform designed for modern marketers and enterprise brands to generate, test, and scale high-performing ads. The platform aggregates every AI model from top providers like OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Runway, and Bria into one secure workspace, enabling users to always use the right model without vendor lock-in. Pencil turns production savings into media growth by reducing creative production costs by 50% while improving ROAS by 79%.
Key features include self-serve AI Agents that generate text, images, video, and ad creatives, realtime AI insights and performance scores, and the ability to launch and track ads across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google Display, DV360, and LinkedIn. The platform offers enterprise-grade compliance with SOC 2 Type II certification, a no-train policy ensuring data never trains models, full IP indemnification, regional data compliance for EU/US/APAC, role-based access controls, and brand safety guardrails. Pencil also includes AI agents for audience insight, unified editors for image generation and post-gen tools, and integrations with Figma, Photoshop, and After Effects.
Pencil is built for businesses of all sizes—from solo entrepreneurs on the Core plan to fast-growing teams on Growth and enterprise organizations on Pro. It is trusted by global brands including Diageo, L'Oréal, Unilever, Salomon, Diageo, William Grant & Sons, Barilla, and Japan Airlines. The platform specializes in GenAI-driven ad creatives, streamlining the journey from initial brainstorm to large-scale production while helping companies increase ROAS and reduce CPA.
Pencil pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Pencil has 3 tiers with no free tier. Core plan: $14/month billed monthly or $11/month billed annually, includes 50 generations per month, 1 workspace, chat support, self-serve AI Agents, realtime AI insights, and ad launch tracking on 7 platforms. Growth plan (most popular): $55/month billed monthly or $44/month billed annually, includes 250 generations per month, unlimited workspaces, direct access to product team and roadmap, and more generations at lower cost. Pro plan (most popular for enterprises): custom pricing with unlimited generations, includes committed consumption pricing, bulk AI generation using feeds, unlimited users/brands/markets with entity and role access controls, enterprise-ready terms with IP assignment and no-train policy, data ringfencing, AI governance controls, complete GenAI training curriculum, and dedicated customer success. Pro add-ons include custom integrations, managed fine-tuning, BYO AI models, managed pilots, dedicated creatives, and training sessions.
Pencil pros
- 50% reduction in creative production costs
- 79% ROAS improvement proven across global brands
- 24x markets scaled simultaneously
- Aggregates all top AI models without vendor lock-in
- SOC 2 Type II certified enterprise security
- No-train policy keeps data private
- Full IP indemnification for all creations
- Regional data compliance for EU, US, and APAC
- Role-based access with granular permissions
- Brand safety guardrails enforce standards at scale
- Self-serve AI Agents for text, image, video generation
- Realtime AI insights and performance scoring
- Launch and track ads on 7 major platforms
- Unlimited workspaces on Growth and Pro plans
- Bulk AI generation using feeds across audiences
- Direct access to product team and roadmap on Growth
- Dedicated customer success on Pro plan
- Complete GenAI training curriculum included
- 35,000+ teams making 2,000,000+ ads
- AI video cutdowns and concepting features
Pencil cons
- No free tier advertised on public pricing page
- Core plan limited to 50 generations per month
- Growth plan capped at 250 generations monthly
- Many features marked as 'Coming soon' across all plans
- Core plan only includes 1 workspace
- Core plan has chat support only
- Unused generations do not roll over monthly
- No refunds for fees after free trial upgrade
- Pro plan requires custom pricing negotiation
- Low quality inputs produce low quality outputs
Frequently asked questions about Pencil
How are generations counted in Pencil?
In most cases, a generation is every time a customer interacts with an AI model to generate something. Knowing how many generations you've used is important as most subscriptions include a set number of generations. You can find detailed information on how Pencil counts and charges generations in their documentation.
Does Pencil provide governance protection?
Yes, all Pro plans include comprehensive enterprise governance protection. This includes data ringfencing, managed service SLAs, AI governance controls, entity and role-based access controls, custom models with fine-tuning options, and custom integrations.
Can I create my own agents?
Yes, in addition to selecting from Pencil's pre-made agents, you're able to create your own agent for your own unique use cases.
Can Pencil provide ad performance analytics?
Yes, after you connect your ad accounts to Pencil you will be able to see your ad results dashboard and receive creative insights for how to improve your creative ad strategy.
Will my data be private and safe?
Yes. Pencil's terms of service, privacy policy, and AI ethics policy ensure data privacy and safety. These policies are always updated at the bottom of their website.
Who is Pencil for?
Pencil is a creative marketing platform designed for businesses of all sizes—from solo entrepreneurs and growing teams to large enterprises. Specializing in GenAI-driven ad creatives, Pencil streamlines the journey from initial brainstorm to large-scale production, helping you increase ROAS while reducing CPA. For optimal results, have at least 3-5 product images and 3-5 videos in your brand library and connect your ad accounts to Pencil.
What is your cancellation or refund policy?
You can cancel your subscription at any time, and any charges will stop at the end of your billing period. Pencil cannot process refunds for fees incurred after a customer has used their free trial and explicitly upgraded to a paid plan. If unhappy with Pencil, contact via chat inside the platform, email [email protected], or your Customer Success Manager.
What kinds of Inputs do I need to use Pencil?
Pencil requires correct inputs to generate ads. Required inputs include: 1) A brand kit with logos, fonts, colors, and a short description of your brand and products. 2) Assets including product images, lifestyle images, product video or UGC video. Images and video must not contain any text or supers as this text will interfere with Pencil's automated video editing functionality.
What happens if I use more than my generations or ads quota?
For Core and Growth plans, you cannot exceed your monthly allocation of generations. If you reach your limit, you can either upgrade your plan or wait until your quota resets. For Pro plans, if you exceed your allotted quota, additional charges will apply per extra generation or ad, billed at the end of your billing cycle based on your plan's specified rates.
How does Pencil Work?
Pencil uses your brand assets, branding guidelines, and performance data to automatically generate effective static and video ad ideas optimized for performance. Powered by advanced AI models from OpenAI, Google, Stability, and others, Pencil streamlines the ad creation process by identifying audience insights, crafting copy, editing videos, pairing visuals and text, selecting optimal templates, applying branding, and predicting ad performance. This typically happens in under 2-3 minutes per ad.