When The Search Monitor may fit better
- You need Amazon or regional engines such as Baidu, Yandex or Naver.
- You want landing page rules, URL decloaking and enforcement letters.
- You want screenshots delivered by FTP or API.
Compare
Ads Lighthouse vs The Search Monitor
The Search Monitor offers SEM insights, brand protection, affiliate compliance and ad-spend products across many search engines and Amazon, with landing page rules, URL decloaking and exportable screenshots.
7-day free trial. Card required, cancel anytime before it ends.
Checked
| Topic | Ads Lighthouse | The Search Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Search engines and channels | Google and Bing search ads, plus Google Shopping product ads on Growth and above. | Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, AOL, Baidu, Yandex, Naver, Sogou and Haosou, on desktop and mobile. Product listing ads are also monitored. |
| Check frequency | Daily up to every two hours, depending on plan, plus on-demand checks. | No check frequency is published on the pages we read. |
| Evidence captured | Saved ad copy, advertiser domain and destination URL with search term, engine, location, device and time. No screenshots. | Screenshots of landing pages and search results, exportable by email, download, FTP and API. |
| Affiliate identification | Reads the affiliate parameter you configure in saved Google ad links and matches IDs against your registry. No redirect-chain tracing. | Link inspection cross-referenced with a database of decloaked IDs. |
| Alerts and reporting | Alerts for a new or returning advertiser, a brand mention in ad copy or a detected affiliate ID, by email, Slack or webhook. Reports export to CSV and Excel. | Alerts when new affiliate or partner violations occur. |
| Enforcement and takedowns | Not offered. Ads Lighthouse does not file complaints or takedowns. | Email enforcement letters and case management. |
| Pricing model | Public self-service monthly plans from $49 per month | Affiliate Compliance starts at $500 per month, Brand Protection and SEM Insights at $800 per month, and Ad Armor at $1,200 per month, each plus keyword crawling fees. |
| Trial | 7-day free trial. Card required, reminder email before the first charge, cancel anytime before it ends from Settings > Billing. | No free trial is mentioned. Demo and sales contact options are offered. |
When Ads Lighthouse may fit better
- You want a flat monthly price without separate crawling fees.
- You want to start with a self-service trial.
- Google and Bing cover the markets you need.
Sources
- The Search Monitor affiliate compliance checked September 23, 2026
- The Search Monitor pricing checked September 23, 2026
How we compare
- We summarize what each vendor states on its own public website. We have not tested their products, and we do not rate quality, accuracy or support.
- Each page lists the pages we read and the date we checked them. Vendors change features and prices often, so confirm the details with them before you decide.
- Our own column describes Ads Lighthouse as it works today, including what it does not do.
- Product and company names belong to their owners. Ads Lighthouse is not affiliated with the vendors listed.
Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we will review it.
Start with the searches that matter to your brand.
Create a free account, then start a 7-day trial. Card required, with a reminder email before the first charge. Cancel anytime before the trial ends from Settings > Billing.