How to evaluate an AI media buyer
Short answer: Evaluate an AI media buyer on seven checks: both of your networks are live today (not "coming soon"), the tool can hold AI-proposed creates and budget moves for your approval, media bills to ad accounts you own, the tool fee is a fixed monthly fee that does not rise with spend, your store can connect when you need catalog data, the free tier matches what you need before you pay, and a single-network specialist is better if you only run one platform. Lazy Ads is an AI media buyer across nine networks. Fixed monthly fee, not a cut of your ad spend. Plans start from $79/mo billed annually. Starter is $99 a month for up to $3,000 of monthly ad spend; Growth is $249 a month for up to $20,000. On Lazy Ads, Review First holds changes the Lazy Ads AI proposes; changes you or your own agent make directly, including through the MCP, apply right away. Print the scorecard below, score any vendor 0 or 1 on each row, then confirm prices on that vendor's own pricing page.
If you already know what an AI media buyer is, the next job is evaluation: can this tool run Meta and Google (and whatever else you need) on accounts you keep, without turning the management fee into a tax on your media budget?
This page is a printable 7-point scorecard. It expands the same criteria Lazy Ads published in the #432 block on the AI media buyer guide. It is not a ranked "best of" list, and it does not invent ROAS, reviews, or customer counts. Lazy Ads publishes this page. Check current prices on each vendor's own pricing page.
The nine networks Lazy Ads runs today are Meta (Facebook and Instagram as one), Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, Apple Search Ads, Microsoft/Bing, ChatGPT Ads, and Snapchat. There is no X Ads tile.
The 7-point AI media buyer scorecard
Use one row per vendor. Score 1 only if the pass condition is true on that vendor's live product and pricing pages today.
| # | Criterion | Pass if… | Lazy Ads (self-disclosed) | Your notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Both networks in one place | Meta and Google (or every network you need) are live today, not "coming soon" | Nine networks on every paid plan: Meta (Facebook and Instagram as one), Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, Apple Search Ads, Microsoft/Bing, ChatGPT Ads, Snapchat | |
| 2 | Approval before spend | Creates, edits, and pauses the product's AI proposes can wait for you | Review First holds changes the Lazy Ads AI proposes for your approval. Changes you or your own agent make directly, including through the MCP, apply right away. Under Full Autopilot, any single budget increase is limited to 20% per optimization step. Details: AI ad approval workflow and manage ads from your AI agent (MCP) | |
| 3 | Your own ad accounts | Media bills to advertiser accounts you own (or are authorized to run), and you can leave with history intact | You connect logins you own. Campaigns and change history should still appear in the native Ads Manager on your customer IDs | |
| 4 | Fee shape | Tool fee is a fixed monthly fee sized to a spend band, not a percentage of ad spend | Fixed monthly fee, not a cut of your ad spend. At $3,000/mo spend, a 10% fee is $300 (three times Starter at $99/mo). At $20,000/mo, a 10% fee is $2,000 (eight times Growth at $249/mo). See /pricing | |
| 5 | Store data | The tool can connect your store when you need catalog or product data | Shopify under Settings → Integrations (Connect Shopify) | |
| 6 | What's free | Free tier matches how you want to evaluate before you pay | Free = onboarding + public competitor-ad browse, 0 AI tokens. Lazy Ads AI builds and manages from Starter up | |
| 7 | When a specialist fits | You know when a single-network tool is the better buy | If you run only Meta or only Google, a specialist may fit. Compare scope before price |
Disclosure: Lazy Ads publishes this page. Check current prices on each vendor's own pricing page.
How to score a vendor in 10 minutes
- Open the vendor's pricing page and network list. Mark row 1 only if every network you need is live today.
- Find the approval mode names. Ask what waits for you versus what applies right away. On Lazy Ads, Review First holds changes the Lazy Ads AI proposes; direct edits and your own agent's MCP writes apply right away on every plan.
- Confirm media bills to accounts you own, and that you can open native Ads Manager afterward.
- Run the fee math at your spend band ($3,000 and $20,000 are the public comparison points above). Prefer a fixed monthly fee over a percent of spend if you do not want the management line to scale with media.
- Check store connect docs if you sell on Shopify or need catalog sync.
- Read what Free includes. If Free cannot do the evaluation you need, budget for the first paid plan.
- If you only run one network, stop and compare a specialist before you buy a multi-network seat.
What this checklist does not cover
An AI media buyer can own the brief → buy → monitor labor loop. You still own offer strategy, brand voice, conversion hygiene, and accountability when a bet breaks the brief. For the job definition and the honest "what it still won't" frame, read What an AI media buyer actually does.
This page does not claim time saved, ROAS, or review scores. If a vendor page leads with those, treat them as marketing until you can verify them yourself.
Fee proof: fixed monthly fee vs percent of spend
Media spend should stay with the networks. The tool fee is a separate invoice.
- At $3,000 a month of ad spend, a 10% fee is $300, three times Starter at $99 a month.
- At $20,000 a month, a 10% fee is $2,000, eight times Growth at $249 a month.
Lazy Ads is an AI media buyer across nine networks. Fixed monthly fee, not a cut of your ad spend. Plans start from $79/mo billed annually (Starter $99 month-to-month; Growth $199 annually / $249 month-to-month; Scale $399 annually / $499 month-to-month). Always verify on /pricing. Deeper fee-model context: How AI ad tools charge and AI media buyer vs agency vs DIY cost.
Related guides
- What an AI media buyer is
- AI ad approval workflow (Review First vs Full Autopilot)
- Manage ads from your AI agent (MCP)
- Multi-platform AI ad manager (nine networks)
- Google Ads agency pricing
- Pricing
FAQ
How do you evaluate an AI media buyer?
Score it on seven checks: networks live today for the platforms you run, an approval mode for AI-proposed changes before spend, media on ad accounts you own, a fixed monthly fee that does not rise with ad spend, store connect when you need it, a free tier that matches evaluation, and whether a single-network specialist fits better. Lazy Ads is an AI media buyer across nine networks, fixed monthly fee, not a cut of your ad spend. Plans start from $79/mo billed annually. Confirm every vendor on their own pricing page.
What should be on an AI media buyer checklist?
Network coverage that is live today, Review First or an equivalent approval gate for AI-proposed changes, ownership of your ad accounts, fee shape (fixed monthly fee vs percent of spend), store or catalog connect, what Free includes, and a clear exit if you only need one network.
What's the best AI media buyer tool for a small ecommerce store on Meta and Google?
For a small ecommerce store on Meta and Google, the best AI media buyer is one that runs both networks from one place, lets you approve AI-proposed changes before they spend, keeps media billed to your own ad accounts, and charges a fee that doesn't grow with your budget. Lazy Ads is an AI media buyer across nine networks, fixed monthly fee, not a cut of your ad spend. Plans start from $79/mo billed annually. Starter is $99 a month for up to $3,000 of monthly ad spend, and Growth is $249 a month for up to $20,000. Compare tools on those criteria, then check each vendor's own pricing page.
Does an AI media buyer take a percentage of my ad spend?
Some agency retainers and tools do. Lazy Ads charges a fixed monthly fee, not a cut of your ad spend, with no ad-spend overage fees. Your media budget is billed by Meta, Google, TikTok and the other networks you connect, on your own ad accounts.
Can I approve AI changes before they spend?
Yes if the product offers an approval mode. In Lazy Ads, Review First holds changes the Lazy Ads AI proposes for your approval. Changes you or your own agent make directly, including through the MCP, apply right away. Full Autopilot applies Lazy Ads AI changes automatically. Connecting new networks and payment methods stays with you.
How does a 10% agency fee compare at $3,000 and $20,000 of monthly spend?
At $3,000 a month, a 10% fee is $300, three times Starter at $99 a month. At $20,000 a month, a 10% fee is $2,000, eight times Growth at $249 a month. Lazy Ads charges the plan price whatever you spend inside the plan.
Soft next step
If the scorecard passes for your networks and fee shape, start on Free for onboarding and competitor-ad browse, then use Review First on Starter or above when you want the Lazy Ads AI to propose work you can approve. Prefer Review First until the loop feels boring. Switch to Full Autopilot when you are ready for the Lazy Ads AI to apply changes without a tap.
If the scorecard passes for your networks and fee shape, start on Free for onboarding and competitor-ad browse, then use Review First on Starter or above when you want the Lazy Ads AI to propose work you can approve. Prefer Review First until the loop feels boring. Switch to Full Autopilot when you are ready for the Lazy Ads AI to apply changes without a tap.