How much does a Google Ads agency cost?

It varies by agency and by what's included, so ask each one for its fee in writing. Google's policy says an agency that charges a management fee must tell you in writing before your first purchase and show the fee on every invoice.

Can SpendCanary replace my agency?

Not if you want someone to run your ads. SpendCanary finds leaks and alerts you, but it doesn't build campaigns or make changes. You, or your agency, still do that.

What should I check before I hire an agency?

Click its Google Partner badge to confirm it's certified, get the agreement and any fee in writing, and make sure you can see your account's cost, clicks and impressions. Google lists these points in its guide to working with third parties.

SpendCanary vs hiring a Google Ads agency

By SpendCanary team · Updated 20 October 2026 · Prices checked 20 October 2026

A Google Ads agency runs your account for you, and fees vary from agency to agency, so ask each one for its fee in writing. SpendCanary runs nothing for you: the scan is free, and Watch ($19 a month or $190 a year) checks one account every day and tells you what’s leaking, but you make the changes. If you don’t have the time or the interest to run your own ads, an agency is usually the better fit.

At a glance

What matters	SpendCanary	A Google Ads agency
Who it’s for	Owners who run their own ads, or want a second opinion	Owners who want someone else to run their ads
Price	Free scan; Watch $19/month or $190/year	Varies; ask for the fee and what it covers, in writing
Setup	A few minutes: a read-only Script, or sign in with Google	You give the agency access to your account
Who does the work	You make the changes	The agency does
What it does daily	Checks for leaks, spend spikes and broken tracking, and alerts you	Whatever your agreement covers
Changes to your account	None; it’s read-only	Makes changes for you
Reports	Weekly plain-English email (Watch)	Set by your agreement; you have the right to see clicks, impressions and total cost

When an agency is the better choice

You don’t have the time. Google’s own guide for advertisers says managing a campaign “requires time, expertise, and continuous attention.” If you’d rather spend that time on your business, an agency is built for this. SpendCanary still needs you to read the findings and act on them.
You need work done, not just checked. An agency can build new campaigns, write ads, set up conversion tracking and plan your strategy. SpendCanary does none of that. Its one-click fixes are coming soon, and even then they will only fix the leaks it finds.
You have a large budget or several accounts. With a big budget, a mistake costs more, so a specialist’s time is easier to justify. Watch covers one account.
You advertise on more than Google. SpendCanary works with Google Ads only.
You want someone accountable. An agency answers your questions and owns the results. A tool doesn’t.

If you hire one, Google suggests you “stay informed, involved, and up-to-speed on your ad campaigns.” To confirm an agency is in Google’s Partners program, click the badge on its website. Google says a certified company’s badge takes you to its profile page on Google.

When SpendCanary is the better choice

You already run your own ads. You’re comfortable making changes, but you’d like something checking every day. Watch looks for spend spikes, broken tracking and new big leaks, and emails you a plain-English summary each week.
Your budget is small. On a small budget, any management fee is a large share of what you spend. The scan is free, Watch is $19 a month, and you keep control.
You want a second opinion on an agency-run account. The scan is read-only, so it doesn’t get in your agency’s way. It shows each leak with a dollar estimate you can take to them. To see what your agency changed and when, use Google Ads change history.
You just left an agency. Start with our guide to running Google Ads without an agency, then run the scan to see where money is going.

Prices, checked October 20, 2026

A Google Ads agency. There is no single price. Fees depend on the agency and on what’s included. Before you sign, ask:

What is the fee, and how is it worked out? Is it a fixed amount, or does it change with your ad spend?
What exactly does it cover, and what costs extra?
Can I sign in to my own Google Ads account at any time?
How much notice do I need to give to leave?

Google’s transparency requirements help here. If an agency charges a management fee separate from your Google Ads costs, it must tell you clearly. At a minimum, it must tell new customers in writing before the first purchase and show the fee on every invoice. When it reports Google costs to you, it must report the exact amount Google charged, not counting its own fees. It must give you your Google Ads customer ID when you ask. Google’s guide to working with third parties says you have the right to know, at a minimum, your clicks, impressions and total cost.

SpendCanary.

Free scan: a read-only Google Ads Script, or sign in with Google.
Watch: $19 a month or $190 a year. One account checked daily, a weekly plain-English email, and instant alerts for spend spikes, broken tracking and new big leaks.
Fix ($49) and Freelancer ($99) are coming soon and aren’t sold yet.
Full refund within 30 days of any payment, no questions asked.

Using both

You can keep your agency and add a free scan as a check. The scan only reads your account, so nothing changes and your agency’s work isn’t touched. If it finds a leak, share the finding and its dollar estimate with your agency and ask what they’d do.