Decide first whether you need a tool that suggests account changes or one that reports results. Optimisation tools audit campaigns and point to specific fixes. Reporting tools turn data into dashboards for clients and managers. Many teams leaving an optimisation suite end up with one of each, so check which gap matters most.
Two kinds of software get lumped together as PPC tools: the ones that tell you what to change in an account, and the ones that show what happened. Optmyzr sits mostly in the first group. If you're weighing up other options for your agency or in-house team, here are eight in no particular order, and it pays to know which kind you're looking at before you start a trial.
Changes you can act on, or only reports
Your current tool's homepage talks about speeding up campaign optimisation across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads and TikTok Ads. That's an optimisation pitch: it promises actions, not just charts.
Most of the tools people suggest as alternatives are reporting tools. They're excellent at pulling data from many channels into dashboards, and they'll show you that something's wrong. They won't usually tell you which keyword, ad or bid to change. So the thing to test in any replacement is simple: does it surface specific account changes you can act on, or does it only report? Both have a place, but they aren't the same job.
Coverage matters too. If you run campaigns on several ad platforms, check which ones each tool can make changes on and which it only reads from. A tool that optimises one platform and reports on the rest may still be the right pick, as long as you know where the line falls before you move your accounts over.
PPC and reporting tools compared
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Adalysis | PPC optimisation tool | Auditing and optimising Google Ads and Microsoft Ads |
| Adzooma | PPC management platform | Auditing Google Ads and watching spend |
| AgencyAnalytics | Agency reporting platform | Automated client reporting and performance monitoring |
| DashThis | Marketing report dashboards | Client-ready dashboards from many connected tools |
| Databox | Analytics platform | Performance data, business context and AI workflows |
| Supermetrics | Marketing data platform | Asking your marketing data questions in chat |
| Swydo | Agency reporting and monitoring | Automated client reports and KPI monitoring |
| Whatagraph | Cross-channel reporting | Governed cross-channel data for reporting and analysis |
Every tool here, alphabetically
A to Z and in no particular order. Each line reflects what the vendor says about its own product.
Adalysis
Best for: PPC managers who want Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns audited, monitored and partly automated, which the vendor frames as a copilot; a free trial is named.
Adzooma
Best for: Smaller advertisers wanting to audit Google Ads, watch spend and improve campaigns; a free plan is named on the vendor's site.
AgencyAnalytics
Best for: Marketing agencies that need automated client reporting and performance monitoring on one data foundation, per the vendor.
DashThis
Best for: Agencies and in-house teams that want marketing reports built as client-ready dashboards from many connected tools; a free trial is named.
Databox
Best for: Teams that want performance data, business context and AI workflows together, so people or agents can act on results faster, says the vendor.
Supermetrics
Best for: Marketers who want to query their marketing data in chat and then create and manage campaigns from the same place, per the vendor.
Swydo
Best for: Online agencies automating client reports, dashboards and KPI monitoring across Google Ads, SEO and social.
Whatagraph
Best for: Teams wanting cross-channel marketing data on one governed layer for reporting, monitoring and analysis, with agents doing much of the work.
Optimisers, agency reporting and data platforms
Account optimisation. Adalysis and Adzooma work inside your ad accounts, auditing campaigns and pointing to changes. They're the closest match if you rely on account-level suggestions every week.
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Client reporting for agencies. AgencyAnalytics, Swydo, DashThis and Whatagraph turn data from many channels into reports and dashboards clients can read. They suit agencies whose biggest time drain is monthly reporting, not account changes.
Wider marketing data. Supermetrics and Databox pull marketing and business data together for analysis, increasingly with AI chat or agents on top. They suit teams that want to ask questions across channels and act on the answers.
My advice for PPC teams
List what you used your old tool for in a typical week. If most of it was audits, alerts and change suggestions, you need an optimisation tool, and a reporting platform alone will leave you doing that work by hand. If most of it was building reports, a reporting platform will save more time and you can make account changes in the ad platforms themselves.
Then test on a real account, not a demo. Connect one live account, run an audit or build one client report, and see what you get within the first hour. For more choice, see my guide to PPC management software and my notes on Google Ads Editor for bulk changes.
Audit-day checklist
- Connect every ad account you manage and check each one imports without errors.
- Run a full audit and count how many suggestions point to a specific keyword, ad, bid or setting.
- Check which suggestions you can apply from inside the tool and which you have to make by hand.
- Build one client report and see how long it takes from blank to sendable.
- Check alerts for spend spikes and sudden drops, and decide who on the team gets them.
Do you make PPC management or marketing reporting software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between PPC optimisation and PPC reporting tools?
Optimisation tools work inside your ad accounts and suggest or make changes. Reporting tools pull results from many channels into dashboards. Some teams use one of each.
Do I need a PPC tool if I use the ad platforms directly?
Not always. Small accounts can be run well inside the ad platforms. Tools help most when you manage many accounts or want regular audits and alerts.
Can one tool handle Google Ads and Microsoft Ads?
Many can. Check which ad platforms each tool connects to, and whether it optimises them or only reports on them.
How do agencies use reporting tools?
Mostly to build branded client reports and dashboards automatically, so account managers spend less time copying data each month.
How long should I test a PPC tool?
Long enough to see a full audit and at least one reporting cycle on a live account. A demo account won't show you the problems in your own campaigns.
Should automated rules make changes without me checking?
Only for changes you'd happily make yourself every time, such as pausing ads with broken links. Keep bigger changes, like bids and keywords, as suggestions you review, at least until you trust the tool on your accounts.
