Five SaaS ideas, checked with real ad data
Real checks, refreshed every day. A company counts when it matches the words of the idea and runs 3 or more live ads.
| Idea | Companies advertising | Scaling now | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI headshots | 9 | - | Open |
| Budgeting app | 22 | - | Competitive |
| Meditation app | 52 | - | Crowded |
| AI tutor | 80 | - | Crowded |
| Invoicing app | 212 | - | Crowded |
The same numbers as sentences, ready to quote
- AI headshots: 9 SaaS companies are paying to advertise it. Verdict: Open (SaaSpy, Oct 30, 2026).
- Budgeting app: 22 SaaS companies are paying to advertise it. Verdict: Competitive (SaaSpy, Oct 30, 2026).
- Meditation app: 52 SaaS companies are paying to advertise it. Verdict: Crowded (SaaSpy, Oct 30, 2026).
- AI tutor: 80 SaaS companies are paying to advertise it. Verdict: Crowded (SaaSpy, Oct 30, 2026).
- Invoicing app: 212 SaaS companies are paying to advertise it. Verdict: Crowded (SaaSpy, Oct 30, 2026).
How to validate a SaaS idea: count who already pays to advertise it
A company keeps paying for an ad only while the ad brings in more money than it costs. So when many companies pay to advertise the same kind of product, people are buying it. That is stronger proof than a survey, a waitlist or a few likes.
1. Say the idea in a few plain words. What it does, or who it is for: “invoicing app”, “AI tutor”. A few words find more companies than a long pitch.
2. Count who advertises it. The validator counts the SaaS companies with 3 or more live ads that match your words, on Facebook, Instagram, Google and LinkedIn.
3. Open the top ones. Look at their ads, their price and the page their ads send people to.
4. Find your way in. A group of buyers they ignore, a simpler product, a lower price, a country they skip.
How to read the verdict. Under 5 companies is Almost empty, 5 to 14 is Open, 15 to 49 is Competitive and 50 or more is Crowded. When 35% or more of the companies we can read are scaling, the market is heating up. At 12% or less, it is quiet.
What the longest-running ads tell you
Companies turn off ads that lose money, often within days. An ad that has been running for months is an ad that pays. Those are the ads to study.
The problem they lead with. If the top ads all open with the same pain, that is the pain buyers pay to fix.
The offer. Free trial, demo, cheap first month. It tells you what it takes to get a buyer to try.
The page behind the ad. Open it. The price and the plan they push are what already sells.
The Meta Ad Library shows the day each ad started, so you can count the days. To see the longest-running ads of one competitor, type its website in the free Competitor Ads Checker.
Scaling vs pulling back
We keep a weekly count of each company’s live ads, and compare the last few weeks with the weeks before.
Scaling now means at least a fifth more ads than a month ago, or a company that just started spending. It found something that works and is putting more money in.
Pulling back means at least a fifth fewer ads than a month ago. The ads may have stopped paying, or the company is changing plans.
Many companies scaling: demand is growing, and more rivals will come. Many pulling back: dig before you build. The ads may cost too much now, or buyers may have moved on.
We only call a direction when a company runs at least 5 ads a week (now or a month ago), we have watched it for 6 weeks or more, and we checked it in the last 10 days. We do not guess the rest. That is what “we can read” means.
What zero advertisers does and does not mean
What it means. No SaaS we track runs 3 or more live ads that match your words on Facebook, Instagram, Google or LinkedIn right now.
What it does not mean. It does not mean nobody sells it. Some products grow through search, word of mouth, app stores or sales calls, and never run ads. Some advertise only on TikTok, X or Reddit, which we do not track. And our Google and LinkedIn coverage is still growing.
It does not prove demand either. Zero can be a gap nobody has found yet, or a sign that nobody will pay.
What to do next. Try other words for the same thing, like “AI scribe” for a note taker for doctors. Then look for proof that people want it: searches, posts asking for it, people paying for something close. If you find that proof and still see zero ads, you may have found a real gap.
Questions
How do I validate a SaaS idea for free?
Count who already pays to advertise it. Type your idea in the SaaSpy Idea Validator: you see how many SaaS companies run ads for it on Facebook, Instagram, Google and LinkedIn, how many are scaling or pulling back, and the top 5. It is free, with no sign-up.
Is it bad if many companies already advertise my idea?
No. It shows people pay for it. It also means you need a clear way in: buyers the others ignore, a simpler product or a lower price. Study their longest-running ads to see what they all say, then say something different.
What does it mean if nobody advertises my idea?
It can be a gap, or a sign the demand is not there. Try other words for the same idea, then look for proof elsewhere: people searching for it, posts asking for it, or people paying for something close.
Where does the data come from?
From the public ad libraries of Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google and LinkedIn. SaaSpy tracks the SaaS and app companies in them and keeps a weekly count of their live ads. The examples on this page are refreshed every day.
Can I see my competitors' revenue and ad spend?
Yes, on SaaSpy Pro, as estimates. Nobody outside a company knows its real revenue: ours is an estimate built from its ads, shown as a range. Ad spend is estimated from the reach data Meta publishes for ads shown in Europe, so companies that only advertise in the US have no estimate.