How much does Craftsman+ cost?

Craftsman+ doesn't publish pricing. Its site directs buyers to book a demo.

Is Craftsman+ self-serve or a studio?

Both. It offers a self-serve AI platform and a studio for playables, video and UGC, strategy and dynamic creative.

Which networks does Craftsman+ export to?

It lists 31 partners, including AppLovin, Google, Facebook, Liftoff, Mintegral, Moloco, Pangle, Unity, Vungle, Snapchat and The Trade Desk.

What is the closest alternative to Craftsman+?

For studio work, Playable Factory. For a self-serve platform with published pricing, PlayableMaker or Genie Playable.

Are Craftsman+'s free tools useful without a subscription?

The site lists a file size checker, MRAID validator, network specs and previewer as free tools. They can help QA playables from any source.

Should I use a studio or build in house?

It depends on volume and who owns iteration. See in-house vs agency playable ads.

Craftsman+ alternatives for playable ads (2026)

If you want another studio to build playables for you, Playable Factory is the closest Craftsman+ alternative. If you want published pricing and a tool your own team runs, look at PlayableMaker for templates or Genie Playable for playables built from your own game. Craftsman+ is a broad creative partner: a playable platform, a studio for playables, video and UGC, and an export list that reaches DSPs. Game teams look elsewhere mostly when they want a price before a demo, a narrower playable-only tool, or a playable that starts from their own build rather than a template.

We make Genie Playable. We've tried to be fair; tell us if something is out of date.

Key takeaways

Craftsman+ combines an AI platform that builds MRAID and HTML5 ads on a game engine with a studio for playables, video, UGC, art direction and dynamic creative.

It lists 31 export partners, including DSPs like The Trade Desk and Flashtalking, and serves brands and apps well beyond games.

Pricing is not published. Every path leads to a demo.

Stay if you want playables, video and UGC from one partner, or you buy programmatic as well as on gaming networks.

Look elsewhere if you want published pricing, a playable-only tool, or real game code or your own build as the starting point.

Genie Playable fits game teams that want to build from their own APK or HTML build, without a developer, self-serve from $490/month with exports for eight networks.

What is Craftsman+ good at?

The honest read: Craftsman+ covers more ground than anyone else in this comparison. Its platform builds MRAID and HTML5 ads on a game engine, records pre-click data on taps, drop-off and high-intent signals, and exports in one click. Its homepage cites 200+ pre-built templates, a 15-minute brief-to-build claim, $1B+ in ad spend powered and 2B pre-click data points a year (vendor claims). Alongside the platform runs a studio with four service lines: playables, video and performance UGC, strategy and art direction, and optimized and dynamic creative.

Three strengths are clear from what it publishes:

·Network reach. 31 named export partners, from AppLovin, Google, Liftoff, Mintegral, Moloco, Pangle, Unity and Vungle to Snapchat, Samsung, The Trade Desk and Flashtalking.

·Free tools. A file size checker, MRAID validator, network specs reference and previewer are listed on the site.

·Breadth of clients. Logos span games (SEGA, Scopely, Zynga, Jam City, Big Fish) and brands (DoorDash, Duolingo, Netflix). Case studies include Clorox, Hopper, GameHive, InMobi and Moloco.

One caution for buyers: the site's "Trust the numbers" section showed placeholder values when we checked, so we don't cite any Craftsman+ performance figures.

Who should stay with Craftsman+?

Stay if you want one partner for interactive and video, if your media plan includes programmatic and DSPs alongside gaming networks, or if you're a brand or agency rather than a game studio. Craftsman+ also makes sense if you want to self-serve some weeks and hand the queue to a studio in others. Few vendors here offer both under one contract.

Why do teams look for Craftsman+ alternatives?

Reason	What Craftsman+ publishes	What to look for instead
You need a price to plan budget	No pricing; "Book a Demo" only	Published plans
You only need playables	Playables, video, UGC, CTV, banners, dynamic creative	A playable-focused tool or studio
Your game's mechanic doesn't fit a template	200+ templates on the self-serve side	A tool that starts from your build or real game code
You want a games-only specialist	Serves e-commerce brands, DSPs, agencies, apps and games	A vendor focused on mobile games UA
You only buy on a handful of gaming networks	31 export partners	Coverage that matches your actual media plan

We don't have data on Craftsman+ output quality or turnaround, so we don't rate them.

How we compared

We read each vendor's live product and pricing pages on 26 Oct 2026. Because Craftsman+ is both platform and studio, we split the alternatives by model: studios that build for you, self-serve tools your team runs, and managed AI services. For each, we recorded what the playable starts from, network coverage, and published pricing. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't show it. We did not run paid performance tests.

The six Craftsman+ alternatives

1. Playable Factory: the studio route

Best for: game teams that want custom playables built for them by a specialist studio.

What it is: a custom playable studio with products named Playable, Flex, Ready and Data. PocketGamer.biz reported in April 2026 that Tamatem acquired it, citing 90,000+ interactive ad experiences and 30 billion+ impressions. An AI generator producing ten data-backed playables in one click was described in closed beta in March 2026.

Pros: deep playable experience and its own data product. Clients shown include Zynga and Voodoo. AppLovin is listed as a network partner.

Cons: like Craftsman+, pricing isn't listed. Custom work runs on studio timelines. The AI generator's availability wasn't confirmed on its site when we checked.

Pricing: not published. See Playworks and Playable Factory alternatives.

2. PlayableMaker: templates with a published price

Best for: small teams that like the template route and want to know the cost up front.

What it is: a self-serve editor with 300+ templates on all plans (per its pricing page), an AI first draft, vibe code iterations, and video-to-playable.

Pros: free 30-day trial, monthly plans, cancel any time. Free tools include a video-to-playable converter and MRAID validator.

Cons: lower tiers cap exports and networks per export. No studio option beyond custom templates on Enterprise.

Pricing: €59, €159 or €599 a month; Enterprise custom. More in PlayableMaker alternatives.

3. Genie Playable: from your own build

Best for: game studios that want playables of their actual game, built by their own UA or creative team without a developer.

What it is: Genie Playable builds a playable from your APK or HTML build plus the assets in Genie, from a format that's already working, or from scratch from a brief to Genie Agent. You iterate from the last version.

Pros: starts from your game, not a template. Published self-serve pricing. Optimized exports for Meta, AppLovin, Unity Ads, Liftoff, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Pangle and Mintegral; Moloco coming soon.

Cons: playables only: no video, UGC or CTV. Eight networks, not 31, and no DSP exports. No studio to hand work to, though larger companies get a one-month onboarding pilot on the custom plan.

Pricing: self-serve from $490/month, or $249/month for startups, with a free sign-up that covers your first two playables. Custom plan for larger companies.

The price is on the page. Self-serve from $490/month, $249/month for startups, and sign-up is free with your first two playables included. No demo needed to start.

Try Genie

4. Sett: managed AI creative at volume

Best for: large game studios that want a continuous flow of video and playable concepts without running a tool.

What it is: an agentic AI platform for UA creative. Sett's team runs agents for strategy, analysis, and video and playable generation; your team approves.

Pros: games-only focus. Data connections to Meta, Google, AppLovin, Unity and Mintegral. Logos include Zynga, Scopely, Playtika and Rovio.

Cons: pricing not published. Video-to-playable and deployment marked coming soon.

Pricing: not published. See Sett alternatives.

5. Unity Playworks: real game code

Best for: Unity studios with engineers who want the ad to run their actual gameplay.

What it is: a Unity Editor plugin that converts your Unity project into a browser playable, with Playground Fields for variants and Insights analytics on Pro.

Pros: real gameplay, published pricing, free Lite tier with unlimited exports.

Cons: Unity only, engineer-led. Lite exports to Unity Ads only; Pro is $15K/month.

Pricing: Lite free; Pro $15K/month (25+ networks).

6. Segwise: data-led managed playables

Best for: teams that care most about knowing which playable elements drive ROAS.

What it is: a creative analytics platform that tags playable elements and ties them to IPM, CPI and ROAS, with managed playable generation built from what performs.

Pros: element-level analysis Craftsman+'s pre-click data doesn't replicate. Published platform pricing and a 7-day trial.

Cons: playable generation is managed and not separately priced. Playable networks listed: AppLovin, Meta, Unity Ads, Mintegral, ironSource, Moloco.

Pricing: platform from $499/month. See Segwise alternatives.

How do the Craftsman+ alternatives compare?

Tool	Model	Starts from	Formats	Networks (published)	Pricing
Craftsman+	Platform + studio	Templates, briefs	Playables, HTML5, video, UGC, CTV	31 partners incl. DSPs	Not published
Playable Factory	Studio	Your brief	Playables, interactive	Mobile and web (not itemized)	Not published
PlayableMaker	Self-serve	Templates, AI draft, video	Playables	13 listed; capped by tier	€0 to €599/mo
Genie Playable	Self-serve (+ pilot on custom plan)	Your APK/HTML build, a working format, or a brief	Playables	Meta, AppLovin, Unity Ads, Liftoff, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Pangle, Mintegral; Moloco coming soon	From $490/mo; $249/mo startups
Sett	Managed AI	Your game assets, prompts	Playables, video	Data from Meta, Google, AppLovin, Unity, Mintegral	Not published
Unity Playworks	Engine plugin	Your Unity project	Playables	Lite: Unity Ads; Pro: 25+	Free / $15K per month
Segwise	Analytics + managed	Tagged elements	Playables, static, video	AppLovin, Meta, Unity Ads, Mintegral, ironSource, Moloco	From $499/mo (platform)

Do you need 31 export partners?

Probably not, if you're a mobile game. Teams we talk to put most of their playable budget on a short list: AppLovin, Unity Ads, Mintegral, Meta, Google and TikTok, with Liftoff, Pangle and Moloco depending on genre and region. A long partner list matters when you also buy programmatic through DSPs, which is common for brands and less common for UA teams buying installs. Before you pay for reach, pull last quarter's spend by network and check which ones actually took playables. Then compare tools on those networks only. Our specs hub lists the requirements for each.

A playable of the game players install. Genie Playable starts from your APK or HTML build and the assets in Genie, so the mechanic in the ad is the mechanic in the game.

How to make a playable from your own game

Which Craftsman+ alternative should you pick?

If you want..	Look at
A specialist studio to build for you	Playable Factory
Templates at a known monthly price	PlayableMaker
Your team building from your own game, published price	Genie Playable
Managed AI concepts, video and playables, games only	Sett
Real Unity code in the ad	Unity Playworks
Element-level playable analytics	Segwise
Playables plus video and UGC, with DSP reach	Stay with Craftsman+

Where does Genie Playable fit?

Genie Playable is narrower than Craftsman+ on purpose. It does playables for games, built by your own team without a developer, starting from your APK or HTML build plus the assets in Genie, a format that's already working, or a brief to Genie Agent. Each new version starts from the last. Pricing is published, and the first two playables are included.

Who it's not for: brands and agencies, teams that need video, UGC or CTV in the same contract, buyers who need DSP exports, and teams that want a studio to take the work off their hands. Craftsman+ or Playable Factory fit those better.

Try it with your build. Published pricing, your first two playables included, and a one-month pilot if you're a larger team.

Try Genie

FAQ

Sources

A playable ad from your own game is a 30 to 90 second interactive slice of your game: your characters, your art and one clear mechanic, packaged as a small HTML5 file an ad network can run. You can't ship your game build as it is. Networks cap playables at about 5 MB in a single HTML file or ZIP, with strict rules on code and clicks. So you have three options: export a stripped-down scene from your engine, rebuild the moment in an HTML5 framework, or use a tool that builds the playable from your game's build and assets. This guide walks through all three.

Key takeaways

What does "a playable ad from your own game" actually mean?

It means the player sees your game, not a generic template with your logo on top. Studios that do this well keep three things fixed and treat the rest as open.

Keep fixed	Open to change
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This matches what UA and creative leads tell us. Brand fidelity is non-negotiable. Gameplay is often borrowed from whatever is trending. The catch is policy. The UK ASA now treats even a genuine but non-core mechanic as potentially misleading, and Google Play bans ads that don't represent the app. The closer your playable is to what players actually get, the safer it is, and the better it tends to retain.

Why can't I just ship my game build as a playable?

Ad networks run playables inside their own ad containers, not as apps. Every playable has to fit this box:

SizeAbout 5 MB on every major network (AppLovin, Meta, Google, TikTok, Unity, Mintegral, Moloco, Snapchat). A WebGL export of a real game is usually far bigger. An empty Godot export is already over the limit.

FormatOne self-contained HTML file with every asset inlined (AppLovin, Unity, Moloco), or a ZIP with an index.html (Google, TikTok, Mintegral, Snapchat). Meta accepts both.

No external callsNothing loads from your servers at runtime.

Click-out callmraid.open() on AppLovin and Unity, FbPlayableAd.onCTAClick() on Meta and Moloco, ExitApi.exit() on Google, window.openAppStore() on TikTok, window.install() on Mintegral.

Behavior rulesMuted until the first interaction, no store redirect on the first tap, no auto-redirects, works in portrait and landscape.

The full list lives in our Playable ad specs by network (2026).

What are the three ways to turn my game into a playable?

	1. Engine export	2. HTML5 rebuild	3. Build from your APK or HTML and assets
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Most studios mix routes: a hand-built hero playable for a launch, and faster tooling for the weekly variations that keep a campaign alive.

What buyers expect to pay and wait: roughly $3,000 to $8,000 and two to four weeks per new playable from an external studio, and roughly $600 to $2,000 in-house once the setup exists. Nobody has a clean source for these numbers, so treat them as market expectations. One mid-size studio we spoke to put it simply: the market norm is "two weeks onwards", and their target is under a week.

Your game is already the brief.

Upload your APK or HTML build. Genie Playable turns it into a playable ad with your own art, characters and live events, ready for 10 ad networks.

Try it free on your game

How do I make a playable ad from my game, step by step?

01\Pick the moment worth playing

Choose one mechanic a stranger understands in three seconds. Good sources: your core loop at its most satisfying, the live event running now, or a format already converting in your genre. If you can't explain the moment in one sentence, it's too complex. One mechanic beats two.

“Merge plus puzzle looks clever and almost always tests worse.”

Segwise

02\Script the arc

Almost every playable follows the same shape:

03\Prepare your assets

Export characters, backgrounds, UI and sounds from your game, then cut hard. Compress images, use sprite sheets, trim audio to short loops and subset fonts. Base64 inlining adds about a third to file size, so aim for 2 to 3 MB in total and treat 5 MB as the ceiling.

04\Build it

Whatever route you use, keep the logic in plain HTML and JavaScript, make the layout work in 9:16 and 16:9, and keep sound off until the first tap.

05\Package it for each network

This is where engineer time quietly disappears. "A unit that passes on AppLovin can bounce on Unity," as Segwise puts it. Each network needs the right file format, the right click-out call and any required hooks. Mintegral, for example, expects gameReady() and gameEnd() calls. Build once and generate network variants from one source. Hand-editing copies is how bugs creep in.

06\Test before you upload

Then test on a real low-end Android phone. A desktop browser hides most of the problems.

07\Launch and measure

Give each playable enough data before you judge it. A common rule of thumb is about 50 conversions in four days, or 100 in seven. Judge on D7 ROAS and retention, not CPI alone. If you can, add events inside the playable (start, first interaction, win or lose, CTA tap, drop-off point), because network dashboards only show the last step.

08\Plan the next version before this one fatigues

Top-grossing games ship dozens of new playables a month, and most of that volume is variations of a winner. Leading teams put roughly 70% of output into variations and 30% into new concepts. Decide now which single thing you'll change next: the hook, the fail state, the character, the event skin or the end card.

What should I keep from my game, and what can I borrow?

Keep everything that helps a player recognise your game after install: art, characters, UI language, sound. Borrow structure freely, whether that's a proven hook, a pacing pattern or a format working in another genre. Racing and narrative studios often tell us their game "isn't playable". The honest read: a playable doesn't need your full core loop. It needs one true moment from your world.

What are the most common mistakes?

Mistake	What happens	Fix
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The next version, not a new brief.

When a playable fatigues, Genie Playable lets your UA or creative team change the hook, the character or the event skin on the last version and ship it again. No dev queue.

Book a demo

Where does Genie fit?

Genie Playable takes the third route, and adds two more ways in. You can build from your game: your APK or HTML build together with the assets, narrative, mechanics and live events already in Genie. You can start from a format that's already working and rebuild it with your game inside. Or you can start from scratch and describe the playable to Genie Agent.

Genie Core keeps every version on brand, and Genie Playable exports network-ready variants for Meta, AppLovin, Unity Ads, Liftoff, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Pangle and Mintegral from one source, with Moloco coming soon. No developer is needed at any step, and your team makes the final call on every version. Sign-up is free and covers your first two playables. Try it on your game.

Where to go next

First playable? Follow how to make a playable ad step by step, then run it through the playable ad best practices checklist. Once it's live, read how to know if your playable ad is working and how to A/B test playable ads.

What is Craftsman+ good at?

Who should stay with Craftsman+?

Why do teams look for Craftsman+ alternatives?

How we compared

The six Craftsman+ alternatives

1. Playable Factory: the studio route

2. PlayableMaker: templates with a published price

3. Genie Playable: from your own build

4. Sett: managed AI creative at volume

5. Unity Playworks: real game code

6. Segwise: data-led managed playables

How do the Craftsman+ alternatives compare?

Do you need 31 export partners?

Which Craftsman+ alternative should you pick?

Where does Genie Playable fit?

FAQ

Sources

Keep reading

Unity Playworks and Playable Factory alternatives in 2026

What are the best PlayableMaker alternatives?

In-house vs agency vs freelancer: who should make your playables?

Ready to ship playables from your game?

What does "a playable ad from your own game" actually mean?

Why can't I just ship my game build as a playable?

What are the three ways to turn my game into a playable?

How do I make a playable ad from my game, step by step?

01\Pick the moment worth playing

02\Script the arc

03\Prepare your assets

04\Build it

05\Package it for each network

06\Test before you upload

07\Launch and measure

08\Plan the next version before this one fatigues

What should I keep from my game, and what can I borrow?

What are the most common mistakes?

Where does Genie fit?

Where to go next

FAQ

Sources

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FAQ

Sources

Keep reading

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Ready to ship playables from your game?