Comparison
Arcads vs Stand-in: AI actors for ads, or you with a different face?
Arcads is built for performance marketers: pick an AI actor, paste a script, get ad variations. Stand-in is built for creators: film the video yourself, keep everything real, and replace only you.
The difference, in hard numbers
| Stand-in | Arcads | |
|---|---|---|
| What the video is | Your real footage, with a generated fictional Stand-in replacing you whole-person | A licensed AI actor reading your script, for ads |
| Do you film anything? | Yes. Film yourself in your own clothes; a phone camera is fine | No |
| Does the person exist? | No. Every Stand-in is generated and belongs to no one | Actors are generated or licensed from real people |
| 30-second video | from $3.99 per 30-second video with a $10 credit pack (from $3.63 on Pro) | Starter: about $110/mo list (promotions seen at $77) for roughly 10 one-minute actor videos, about $8 to $11 each |
| Plans | No free video; credit packs from $10 | Lite $29/mo (no talking actors), Starter about $110/mo, Creator about $220/mo, Pro about $550/mo; no free tier |
| Watermark | Starter plan: yes. Creator, Pro and credit packs without a plan: no | No on paid plans |
| Max clip length | Up to 10 minutes on any account; each started 15 seconds uses credits | Billed per actor minute; Starter about 10 minutes a month |
| Voice | Keep your own, or swap it in one tap | Generated voice |
| Look | Plays like a normal phone video, not an avatar | A studio-style AI actor |
Arcads figures from third-party pricing guides (Creatify, eesel), October 2026; a 30% promotion was shown in 2026. Prices change; check arcads.ai before quoting.
The honest pros and cons
What Arcads does better
- • Many ad variations from one script, fast.
- • No filming at all.
- • Built for ad accounts: hooks, formats, batches.
What Stand-in does better
- • About a tenth of the price per video, paid per video, no monthly minimum.
- • Real product in real hands, real room: UGC that reads as UGC.
- • You stay anonymous without licensing anyone's face.
Questions
- Is Arcads good for UGC?
- Arcads is good for scripted ad creative at volume. For UGC that looks filmed on a phone, filming it on a phone and swapping yourself with Stand-in keeps the real product, hands and room.
- How much is Arcads per video compared to Stand-in?
- Arcads Starter is about $110 a month for roughly 10 one-minute actor videos (about $8 to $11 each; promotions seen at $77). Stand-in is from $3.99 per 30-second video with a $10 credit pack (from $3.63 on Pro), with no subscription required.
- Can I make ads with Stand-in?
- Yes. Film the ad, swap yourself for a Stand-in, deliver. Keep one Stand-in per brand if they want a recurring face.
- Do I need to disclose AI?
- Platforms have an AI-generated label; turn it on. Many brand contracts ask for disclosure too. Stand-in never helps hide that a video is AI.
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