RunAds vs WordStream by LocaliQ at a glance
| RunAds | WordStream by LocaliQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | AI agent; you approve launches and budget moves | Managed service: LocaliQ experts plus AI optimization |
| Free tool | None; free signup | Google Ads Performance Grader (free audit) |
| Platforms | Google Ads; Meta Ads since Nov 2026 | Google, Microsoft (Bing), Yelp and more |
| Other services | Ad Grades, Account Audit, MCP for Claude and ChatGPT | Social, display, video, SEO, websites, lead management software |
| Pricing | Published: packs from $25, about 5% of spend | Not published; demo or call |
| Reporting | Dashboard and Mission Control, with every agent action logged | Live dashboards with CPC, CPL, calls and forms |
What is WordStream in 2026?
Many people still search for WordStream because of its free tools and PPC blog. Today the Google Ads Performance Grader is hosted on localiq.com, and its FAQ refers to "WordStream By LocaliQ" requesting access to your Google Ads account.[1] The grader is free and scores an account on 10 metrics, including wasted spend, Quality Score and impression share.
The paid side is LocaliQ's marketing services. Its Search Ads page says campaigns are run by "certified experts" in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and Yelp, with AI that adjusts bids, budgets, keywords and ad copy.[2]The homepage lists social, display and video ads, SEO, websites and lead management software alongside search.[3]
Is it better to have people or an agent run my ads?
LocaliQ's model is a team that runs the campaigns for you. That suits a business owner who wants one vendor for several channels, including Yelp and Bing, and prefers a person to explain results.
RunAds is software with an agent doing the operator's job. A mission reads your site and account, plans Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Demand Gen or Local Service Ads campaigns, writes the ads, and stops for your approval. Google dry-runs every campaign first. After launch the agent proposes budget and bid changes as cards, and accounts you connect stay in approval mode unless you switch them.[5] Meta Ads opened to every RunAds account in November 2026: connect a Meta ad account and Mission Control plans and launches Meta campaigns, with Meta spend metered on the same credits.
Both use AI. The difference is who you deal with and how much you see. With RunAds you see each proposed change before it happens. With a service you rely on the team's reports and calls.
How do the costs compare?
LocaliQ does not publish prices on the pages we read, so we cannot put a number next to RunAds. For context, WebFX, a large US agency, publishes management fees of 10% to 20% of ad spend or $1,000 to $3,000 a month.[6] Ask LocaliQ for its fee, any minimum term, and whether the ad account stays in your name.
| Monthly Google ad spend | RunAds credits | Unlimited option |
|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | About $100 | Not needed |
| $5,000 | About $250 | Not needed |
| $10,000 | About $400 to $500 | $499 every 4 weeks |
Which fits you?
- LocaliQ if you want people to run search, social and local listings together, including Yelp and Bing.
- LocaliQ's free grader if you just want a quick score of an existing Google Ads account.
- RunAds if you want a published price and no call to get it.
- RunAds if you want to approve every launch and budget move yourself.
- RunAds if you want to work from Claude or ChatGPT through an MCP connector.
RunAds pricing: credit packs from $25, used at 5 credits per $1 of Google ad spend: 4 above $10,000 a month, 3.5 above $100,000, 3 above $1,000,000. See pricing or get started.
Method
We read LocaliQ's homepage, Search Ads page and Google Ads Grader page on Nov 9, 2026. wordstream.com refused our automated requests that day, so we do not quote it. We list only what the LocaliQ pages state and leave out third-party price estimates. RunAds is our product.