# What's the difference between cloning and building an ad?

> Cloning starts from a winning ad and rebuilds it around your product. Building starts from your own angle or brief.

**Cloning starts from someone else's proven ad. Building starts from your own product, angle or brief.**

Under **Create ads** there are three ways in: **Clone winning ads**, and the two tabs of **Create an ad**, **Start from your product** and **Describe your ad**.

|                      | Clone winning ads                                                                                | Start from your product                               | Describe your ad                                 |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Starts from          | A reference ad already in the winning-ads library                                                | Your product, an angle, an ad style and an offer      | A written brief, with optional product and angle |
| Needs an angle first | No. Sellify writes an **Angle** and **Format** summary from the reference, and you can edit both | Yes                                                   | No                                               |
| Batch                | Five variations per clone                                                                        | You choose 1 to 5 images                              | You choose 1 to 5 images                         |
| Best for             | A fast first ad, or a structure you have not tried                                               | Testing a specific angle with a predictable structure | Full control over the scene, mood and headline   |

Cloning is the better starting point when you are new or stuck, because you are adapting something the market already responded to rather than guessing. It needs at least one saved product, and the clone run also includes a metered strategy analysis of the reference; the button shows the total before you confirm.

Building is better once you know which angles you want to test, since you control exactly what the ad argues. Generating one image costs about 15 credits and five about 73, so five is cheaper per image but not free.

Whichever route you use, the result is a normal ad in **Ad library**. Clone the structure, not the people: adapt the angle and format to your product, and do not carry over a competitor's price, testimonial, branding or likeness.

## Related

[Create your first image ad](https://sellify.ai/docs/create-ads/create-your-first-ad) · [Use a reference without copying its claims](https://sellify.ai/docs/create-ads/clone-a-reference) · [Understand credits before generating](https://sellify.ai/docs/credits)