I’ve spent hundreds of dollars trying out different AI UGC ad generators.
In this post, I’ll go over my experience with Arcads, a tool that can turn simple product photos into real-looking UGC ads in just a few minutes.
Spoiler: Arcads is the best AI UGC generator I’ve used so far.
Let’s go!
Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links at no cost to you.
My Results
Before jumping into the review, let me quickly show you what I made with Arcads.
Here’s a simple UGC ad I created using the tool:
Here’s my unboxing clip:
Here’s yet another UGC ad video:
And here’s a regular ad too:
Pretty cool, right?
Now let’s get into a full breakdown of the platform and see how it actually performs.
My Experience with Arcads
#1 Onboarding
To use it, just sign up with Google.
Right off the bat, you need to pay for the tool!
I think that’s a big miss.
But at the same time, I kind of understand it. This type of tech is expensive to run, so offering a free trial would probably make it hard for them to stay profitable. That’s just my guess though — I don’t see any other clear reason not to let people try it first.
I’ve also noticed this is pretty common with most AI ad generators. None of the good ones seem to offer a free trial.
#2 Dashboard
Still, once you’ve signed up, you can jump right in and start creating projects from your dashboard.
#3 Script-Writing
To make UGC ads, all you need is a script.
You can write one yourself or use ChatGPT to help you come up with it.
Once you have it ready, just send the script to Arcads through the chat feature.
But before you start, make sure to check out all the options for different ad styles, voices, and AI models.
For example, I began by creating a classic-style ad using this prompt:
Ever wish your tennis tee looked good off the court too?
Most tennis shirts scream, ‘I just left practice.’ Not exactly what you want when you’re grabbing coffee after a match.
This one’s different — it’s built for the game, but looks clean enough for brunch, errands, or just chilling courtside.
Serve style and comfort. Tap the link and get yours now.
#4 Sending Product Images
You can also upload a photo of your product for the AI.
That way, it knows exactly what your product looks like and can include it directly in the video.
Then just send the request and wait for your AI UGC ad to generate.
One thing that bothered me was that the AI didn’t say how long it would take to finish the ad.
After a few minutes, it was finally ready — but for longer or more detailed ads, the wait could be a bit longer.
And if a lot of people are using it at the same time, the servers can get a bit crowded too.
#5 Example Result
Here’s my first ad:
I really like how this one turned out.
It looks real, sounds natural, and came out just the way I wanted.
The only downside is that it’s a bit short — I used about 8 seconds, but I could’ve easily made it 12.
#6 UGC Ads
Now let’s move on to the UGC side of Arcads — the main reason we’re here.
To do that, you’ll need to select the Talking Actors feature from the list.
You’ll find a big list of TikTok and Reels-style actors to choose from, all designed to give your ad that viral UGC look.
The filters make it easier to narrow things down and find exactly what you’re looking for.
I went with Thomas as my actor.
I hit send and waited a couple of minutes for the ad to generate again.
Here’s my result:
That turned out amazing — it really feels like one of those viral TikToks.
The only drawback with this mode is that you can’t, for example, have the actor hold your product while talking.
Aside from that, it’s a seriously impressive piece of tech.
#8 Upgrade After Upgrade…
By the way, this part was a little frustrating — the cheaper $100–$200 plans are pretty limited.
If you want to use a Pro AI actor, you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro plan, which costs more. Unfortunately, most of the good AI actors are in that range.
Here’s what the pricing looks like:
I wasn’t a fan of this part. Especially since there’s no real way to test those plans first.
Without a trial, I’d have to drop over $2,000 just to see if there’s anything actually worth using — and honestly, that feels pretty bad when you think about it.
Also, the $100 plan only gives you about 10–20 videos a month. That’s not much, considering you usually need a few tries to get one that feels just right.
Still, for UGC ads, it’s not terrible. Most of the time, the AI nails it within a couple of attempts — but that still works out to roughly $50 per video.
Creating an Ad: Step-by-Step Guide
In the earlier examples, the AI-made UGC ads look cool, but they’re missing something — edits and b-roll.
Right now, it’s just a person talking, which gets boring fast. You could film the same thing on your phone in half a minute instead of paying hundreds of dollars and waiting for the AI to render it.
That kind of video is tough to watch all the way through. It also doesn’t make much sense to talk about a product that never actually shows up on screen.
So, we need something more.
In this section, I’ll show you how I made an ad from scratch that’s not just a simple talking-head video.
Here’s my vide version of this part, by the way:
Or if you’d rather read, keep going.
To make your UGC ads stand out, Arcads has two handy features: Unboxing POV and Show Your App.
Let’s use those to create a UGC ad for this smartwatch:
First, let’s create a script that follows this format:
Hook → Problem → Solution → Benefits → CTA
I’ll just have ChatGPT write it for me.
Here’s the script it came up with:
Why do most smartwatches look like computers strapped to your wrist?
I wanted something that actually looked good — then I found the Pulse Pro.
It’s sleek, titanium, with a leather loop band with a bright and clean screen.
It tracks everything, lasts a week on one charge, and still looks like a real watch.
It’s affordable! Just click the link to buy it.
Looks good to me! Let’s go with that.
Now I’ll drop the script into the input box.
By the way, I suggest turning on the “Add Speech Emotion” option.
It adds more energy and makes your script sound a lot more natural.
Instead of sounding flat and monotone, the AI will use those expression styles to bring the lines to life.
Now let’s pick an actor.
For this type of ad, I’m going with Verity.
Now let’s generate the UGC ad.
Here’s what I got back:
As you can see, it looks realistic — but it’s still kind of boring.
So now, let’s use the Unboxing POV and Show Your App features to make it stand out.
The Unboxing POV feature lets you upload a product image, and the AI will generate a video of the actor unboxing it.
To use it, just choose Unboxing POV from the list and drop your product image into the upload box:
Then pick a template.
This lets you choose the setting where the unboxing takes place.
After that, just hit send and wait for the AI to process it.
Here’s what I got:
As you can see, it’s nicely done. It’s edited in that trendy unboxing style.
There are a few small flaws, though. For example, when the actor picks up the watch, it’s missing the wristband.
The good thing is, you don’t have to use every part of the video. I’ll show you a simple way to work around that in a moment.
For now, let’s make the ad a bit more engaging with one more feature — Show Your App.
In this mode, the AI actor holds up their phone and shows your product’s landing page to the camera.
To use it, just pick Show Your App from the list.
Select the same actor you used earlier, then choose the app show mode you want to use.
After that, just hit send and wait for it to generate.
Here’s the result I got for my watch:
Awesome!
Now we just need to combine those three clips into one video.
You can use any basic free video editor for this part.
(Kind of annoying that Arcads doesn’t let you do it inside the platform.)
To edit it properly, drop the main UGC ad clip onto the timeline first. Then layer the unboxing and app clips on top.
Add the unboxing scene around the moment when the actor first mentions the product.
Then place the landing page scene at the end, right when the actor talks about buying it.
Here’s what my video editor timeline looks like:
You’ll notice I trimmed a lot of the unboxing clip since most of it wasn’t needed. I only kept the important parts — the original was about 15 seconds, and I cut it down to around 3–4 seconds.
Feel free to make similar edits so everything flows naturally and makes sense.
Here’s my final result:
Looks way better than the original clip, right?
So that’s how you can make UGC ads with Arcads. It’s already a pretty solid tool, and I can see a lot of brands having fun with it. It can also save a good amount of time and money for ads like these.
That said, it’s not perfect yet.
I really wish you didn’t have to leave the app to do basic edits.
And it’d be great if there were more ways for actors to actually show off the products.
Right now, you can’t even make the actor hold the product in their hands, which feels like a big limitation.
Pros
- Very quick to create videos
- Much cheaper than hiring real UGC creators
- Nice variety of actors and voice options
- Looks realistic enough for TikTok or Reels
- Great for testing multiple versions fast
- Lip sync and audio are surprisingly good
Cons
- Some features don’t always work as shown
- Limited ways to show real products
- No built-in video editor
- A few voices still sound slightly robotic
- Pricing is high, and there’s no free trial
- Feels a bit unfinished — not everything runs smoothly
Pricing
ChatGPT said:
You won’t find the pricing listed on the homepage — it only shows up once you start signing up.
- Starter Plan: €100 per month
- Creator (Popular) Plan: €200 per month
- Pro Plan: Custom pricing (you’ll need to contact them for details)
Also, keep in mind that if you want to use the PRO models, you’ll need to upgrade to even higher-tier plans that aren’t listed on this pricing page.
Here’s what those plans look like:
To Take Home
Arcads.ai is easily one of the best tools right now for making UGC-style ads fast.
It’s not perfect, but if you use it right, it can save you a lot of time and money.
If you’re looking to scale your ads, test new hooks, or try different creative angles before hiring real creators, Arcads is definitely worth trying.
You can use it to build quick test campaigns, see what performs best, and then have your team take those winning ideas further.
If you’re looking for alternatives, check this post.