The short answer: For a quick health check, Google's own Recommendations page and WordStream's free Grader cost nothing. If you're an agency, Adalysis, Markifact and OpenPPC are built for you. If you run a Shopify store and want wasted spend measured in dollars with a ranked fix list, that's what Advizify does. Whatever you use, prefer tools that read your account read-only and show the numbers behind each finding.
Search for a free Google Ads audit and you'll find three kinds of offers mixed together: tools that analyse your account automatically, templates you fill in yourself, and agencies offering a "free audit" that's really the first step of a sales call. All can be useful. They're just not the same thing.
This comparison covers the free Google Ads audit tools a store owner is most likely to come across, what each actually does, how it gets your data, and what's free versus paid. We make one of them, Advizify, so we've tried to describe each tool by what its own pages say, and to be clear about who each one is built for. Details were checked in October and November 2026; pricing and features change, so confirm on each tool's site.
What should you look for in a free Google Ads audit tool?
Before comparing tools, decide what you need. Five questions separate them:
- How does it read your account? Through a Google sign-in (OAuth), from a file you export, or by you filling in a template. Sign-in is fastest; exports keep data on your computer; templates are the most work.
- Can it change anything? Prefer read-only access for an audit. An audit should tell you what to fix, not fix it without asking.
- Does it measure money or count settings? "12 ad groups have fewer than 3 ads" is a setting count. "$310 spent on searches with no sales in 30 days" is a measurement. Both have a place; measurements tell you what to fix first.
- Is it built for your business? Tools for agencies optimize for many accounts and client reports. A store owner usually needs one account, explained in plain language.
- What's actually free? A free trial, a free first report and a free tool forever are different things.
Which free Google Ads audit tools are there?
Google Ads Recommendations and optimization score (built in)
Every account has a Recommendations page and an optimization score, which Google describes as "an estimate of how well your Google Ads account is set to perform", from 0 to 100%.
- Cost: free, built in.
- Data: your account, no setup.
- Good for: spotting features and settings Google suggests.
- Keep in mind: it scores your account against Google's own recommendations. Google notes it's calculated from your account's settings and "the relevant impact of available recommendations". It doesn't measure whether spend is profitable, and some recommendations increase reach or budget. Treat it as a list of suggestions to judge, not an audit.
WordStream Google Ads Performance Grader
WordStream (part of LocaliQ) offers a free grader. WordStream says it "grades your Google Ads account based on key metrics such as Quality Score, impression share, wasted spend, and account activity" in under a minute.
- Cost: free.
- Data: you sign in with your Google Ads account.
- Good for: a fast, general report card on any kind of account.
- Keep in mind: it's generic rather than built for online stores, and WordStream is part of a company that sells managed advertising services.
Adalysis
Adalysis describes "automated daily audits for Google Ads and Microsoft Ads with 100+ customizable checks, ranked by urgency". Its "free audit" is part of a 30-day free trial; after that, pricing is "based on your ad spend".
- Cost: free trial, then a paid plan.
- Data: connects to your accounts; Adalysis notes it "won't appear as a 'User' or 'Manager' of your Google Ads account".
- Good for: agencies and PPC specialists running accounts every day.
- Keep in mind: it's an ongoing management tool, more than a store owner needs for a one-off check.
Markifact Google Ads audit checklist (template)
Markifact offers a Google Ads audit template that runs "over 40 automated checks" through the Google Ads API and delivers the result "in a Google Sheets report". Its pricing page says you can "start free with trial credits"; paid plans start at $79 a month.
- Cost: free trial credits, then a subscription.
- Data: connects your Google Ads account and a Google Sheet.
- Good for: agencies, freelancers and in-house teams who want shareable audit sheets and broader marketing automation.
- Keep in mind: the output is a checklist of settings and counts in a spreadsheet; you interpret what to fix first.
OpenPPC
OpenPPC is open source and free. It audits a report you export from Google Ads: "OpenPPC never connects to your account". It can also check an audit written by ChatGPT, Claude or an agency, so you can "see which numbers hold up".
- Cost: free (MIT licence).
- Data: a CSV export (such as a search terms report), with no sign-up.
- Good for: agencies and freelancers who can't upload client data, and anyone who wants to check AI-written audits against the data. OpenPPC says it is "built for agencies and freelancers working on client accounts".
- Keep in mind: it audits what's in the export you give it, not your whole account's settings.
Adzooma (free plan)
Adzooma's pricing page lists a free plan with unlimited ad accounts, monthly PPC performance reports and a limited number of optimisation opportunities, across Google, Microsoft and Facebook ads. Paid plans start at $69 a month.
- Cost: free plan, then Silver or Gold.
- Data: connects your ad accounts; you can apply recommendations from its dashboard.
- Good for: a running list of suggestions across several ad platforms.
- Keep in mind: the free plan shows a limited set of opportunities, and changes it applies go straight to your account.
Shopify apps: Lebesgue and Avisos
Two Shopify apps offer free Google Ads audits inside Shopify admin. Lebesgue's free plan includes "Meta, Google, and TikTok ad audits" with profit tracking; it's rated 4.9 from 132 reviews. Avisos is a free app that says it audits Google Ads for wasted spend, tracking issues and landing pages; it launched in May 2026 and had no reviews when we checked.
- Cost: free (Lebesgue has paid plans from $79 a month).
- Data: installed in your Shopify store; read the permissions on each listing. Avisos asks for customer data, including names and email addresses, and the last 60 days of orders.
- Good for: store owners who want answers inside Shopify.
- Keep in mind: check what each app may read before installing.
Advizify (ours)
Advizify is a read-only Google Ads audit built for Shopify stores.
- Cost: first audit free, then $19 per audit, with no subscription.
- Data: you sign in with Google and grant read-only access to your Google Ads account. Access is used while the audit runs; Advizify never changes your campaigns.
- Good for: Shopify store owners who run their own Google Ads and want to know where money is leaking: it measures wasted spend over the last 30 days in dollars and ranks fixes, with tracking problems first.
- Keep in mind: it's built for online stores, so it's not the right tool for lead-generation or agency multi-account reporting. It reads your Google Ads account and your store's public pages; it doesn't log in to Merchant Center or Google Analytics.
How do the free audit tools compare?
| Tool | What's free | How it reads data | Read-only stated? | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Recommendations | Everything | Built in | n/a: changes apply only if you (or auto-apply) accept them | All advertisers |
| WordStream Grader | Grader report | Google sign-in | Not stated on pages we could check | All advertisers |
| Adalysis | 30-day trial | Account connection | Not stated (doesn't appear as a user or manager) | Agencies, PPC specialists |
| Markifact template | Trial credits | Google Ads API + Sheets | Not stated | Agencies, teams |
| OpenPPC | Everything (open source) | CSV export | Yes: never connects to your account | Agencies, freelancers |
| Adzooma | Free plan | Account connection | No: can apply changes | Advertisers, agencies |
| Lebesgue (Shopify app) | Free plan | Shopify app | Not stated | Shopify stores |
| Avisos (Shopify app) | Free | Shopify app | Not stated | Shopify stores |
| Advizify | First audit | Google sign-in | Yes: read-only, never changes campaigns | Shopify stores |
Are free Google Ads audits from agencies worth it?
Many agencies offer a free manual audit. These can be genuinely insightful, because an experienced person looks at your account. Just know what you're getting: the audit is usually the start of a sales conversation for ongoing management, and the agency will need access to your account. If you go this route, grant the most limited access that works, and remove it afterwards.
Which one should you use?
- You want a quick sense check today: start with Google's Recommendations page (judging each suggestion) and WordStream's Grader.
- You manage several client accounts: look at Adalysis, Markifact or OpenPPC.
- You want a free check inside Shopify admin: try Lebesgue or Avisos, after reading their permissions.
- You run a Shopify store and want to know where money is being wasted: that's the job Advizify was built for (what it checks). If you'd rather check by hand first, our guide to where Shopify stores lose Google Ads budget explains where to look, and the conversion tracking guide covers the first thing to verify.
Whatever tool you use, check tracking first. An audit that trusts broken conversion data will rank the wrong problems. For a short manual self-check before any tool, see five signs your Google Ads is set up right.
Run your free Advizify audit. It's read-only, and later audits are $19 each.
FAQ
Is there a completely free Google Ads audit tool? Yes. Google's Recommendations page, WordStream's Grader and OpenPPC are free, and Adzooma, Lebesgue and Avisos have free plans. Others offer a free trial or a free first audit.
Is it safe to connect my Google Ads account to an audit tool? Prefer tools that ask for read-only access, explain what they store, and let you revoke access. You can review and remove connected apps in your Google account settings at any time.
How often should I audit my Google Ads? Monthly is a good rhythm for a store running its own ads, and after any big change such as new campaigns, a new theme or tracking changes.
Can ChatGPT or Claude audit my Google Ads? They can help interpret data you give them, but they can also misread or invent numbers. If you use one, check its figures against your account. We cover this in more detail in a separate guide.