Best Paid Social Agencies in 2026: Creative and Media Buying

The best paid social agencies for a team that wants one partner to make the ads and run the media are the ones that publish both jobs on their own sites. As of October 2026, inBeat fits creator-led ads, Voy Media fits Facebook-first startups and ecommerce brands, Pilothouse and Flighted fit DTC brands, Darkroom and MuteSix fit brands that want paid social inside a multichannel plan, and The Social Shepherd fits social-first brands that also want organic and influencer work. Knowlify fits brands that want AI video ads plus Meta campaign management, and is the wrong pick if you need real creators on camera.

Disclosure and method. Knowlify publishes this guide and sells one of the services compared. Every fact about the other agencies comes from that agency's own website, checked on October 26, 2026, and is linked where it appears. We have not hired these agencies for this guide, so this is a comparison of published scope, not a test of results. Where an agency does not publish a price, a minimum or a location, we say so rather than estimate it. The agencies are grouped by the job each one fits, not ranked.

How did we choose these agencies?

We included an agency only if its own site describes both halves of paid social work, with Meta among the platforms: producing the ad creative and buying the media. Each had a live service page on October 26, 2026. We left out creative-only studios that do not buy media, and chose different providers from our Meta ads agencies comparison, so the two lists can be read together. If you are still deciding which parts of the work to hand over, start with our guide to paid social agency scope and cost.

How do the best paid social agencies compare?

Each price and fit statement summarizes the agency's own site, checked October 26, 2026. They describe different units, so this is not a like-for-like price comparison.

inBeat: creator-led ads with paid social management

As of October 2026, inBeat's paid social page says its team manages campaigns across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest and other paid social platforms, with weekly creative testing cycles, budget and bid changes based on CPA and ROAS, retargeting, landing page reviews and monthly performance reporting. It typically plans 8 to 15 new concepts a month, with 2 to 4 variations of each. Its UGC agency page describes sourcing creators for fit, writing hooks and scripts, and running whitelisted ads and Spark Ads through creator handles, with usage rights defined before production. Pricing is not published.

Best for brands that want real creators in their ads and the same agency running the campaigns. Ask for creators and concepts per month, the rights period and the media fee as separate lines. Our UGC agencies comparison covers creator-focused options.

Voy Media: Facebook and Instagram first

Voy Media presents itself as a Facebook advertising agency. As of October 2026, its homepage lists Facebook and Instagram ads, retargeting, custom audiences and dynamic product ads, and says its clients range from Fortune 500 companies to education providers and start-ups. Its Creative Studio page lists UGC, at-home creators, full studio production with script, talent and art direction, photography and influencer partnerships. The Voy Media pricing page says packages are based on total ad spend, optimizations and growth, without figures.

Best for startups and ecommerce brands whose main channel is Facebook and Instagram. Ask how the package changes as spend grows and how many new concepts a month it includes.

Pilothouse: Meta ads for established DTC brands

As of October 2026, Pilothouse's Meta page lists static, motion and UGC concepts, hook, story and offer testing across feeds, Reels and Stories, Advantage+ Shopping, Sales and Awareness campaigns, landing pages, and reporting by creative, audience, placement and funnel stage. The Pilothouse homepage says it is built for established DTC ecommerce brands, that most of its clients are based in North America, and that it has full creative production teams; it lists an office in Victoria, BC. Pricing combines monthly retainers, performance-based incentives and custom project scopes, and onboarding typically begins within 5 to 10 business days of signing.

Best for an established DTC brand that wants Meta creative and buying tied to landing pages, with email, SMS, Google and Amazon from the same team. Ask which part of the fee is performance-based and how it is measured.

Flighted: Meta and Google buying for brands already spending

Flighted's homepage (checked October 26, 2026) describes a paid media agency in New York and calls it a Meta and Google agency for DTC and B2B SaaS brands. It says it is a badged Meta Agency Partner with dedicated agency reps, and that its in-house video editors and designers produce more than 1,000 unique creatives a month. It says its DTC and ecommerce fit is brands spending $20K to $500K+ a month on paid social, and it also describes landing page optimization and Meta ads for lead generation for B2B SaaS. Pricing and commitment terms are not published.

Best for a brand already spending in that range on Meta that wants high creative volume and Meta buying from the same team. Ask how many monthly creatives are new concepts rather than edits.

Darkroom: paid social inside a multichannel plan

The Darkroom homepage describes a New York growth agency for consumer brands. As of October 2026, it says its fit is mid-market and enterprise consumer brands, typically $10M to $500M in revenue, and poor for single-channel brands and companies under roughly $5M. Its paid media page lists Meta, Google, TikTok, AppLovin, Pinterest, retail media and CTV, with weak ads cut or reworked weekly, and pricing as a retainer plus a percentage of media, from $1,500 a month depending on channels. Its performance creative page lists UGC, static, motion and AI ads, 250 to 600 assets per cycle, and full usage rights to what it produces.

Best for a consumer brand in that revenue band that wants Meta coordinated with search, retail media and CTV. Ask what the media percentage is at your planned spend.

MuteSix: paid social plus produced video and other channels

As of October 2026, the MuteSix homepage lists paid social on Instagram, Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest, alongside retail media, paid search, programmatic and lifecycle marketing. Its Facebook ads page describes media buying and creative from its in-house studio, StudioSix, plus a network of Instagram and Facebook creators and influencers, and says it is a Meta Business partner. Its Bespoke Production page describes custom production (storyboarding, live action, animation, CGI and post-production) and an entry-level option with a dedicated creative director. Pricing, minimums and headquarters are not published.

Best for a brand that wants Meta campaigns and produced video, including live action, from the agency that also runs its search, retail media and lifecycle marketing. Ask which production tier your retainer includes.

The Social Shepherd: social-first, paid and organic together

The Social Shepherd homepage (checked October 26, 2026) lists offices in London, Bath, New York and Miami and services across organic social, paid, creative, influencer and TikTok Shop. Its paid page covers media buying for paid social, paid search and programmatic, and names Meta alongside TikTok and Google in its product feed work. It also lists performance creative (static, UGC, video and motion), incrementality testing and server-side tracking with Conversions API implementation. It says it works with clients spending between 300K and 20M a year, without stating a currency. Pricing is not published.

Best for a brand in the UK or US that wants organic social, paid social and influencer work from one team. Ask how paid creative and organic content are staffed and billed.

Knowlify: AI video ads with Meta campaign management

Knowlify (YC S25) is a done-for-you AI ads agency for Facebook and Instagram. It makes AI UGC, 3D character animation and AI commercial video ads, about 25 finished ads a week (about 100 a month, in weekly batches). The team writes the scripts, and a person checks every ad before delivery. You can choose end-to-end Meta ads, with creative plus campaign management in your own Meta ad account, or creative-only if you have a media buyer. You keep the ads. Pricing is a custom quote on a 30-minute call, the first batch arrives five days after kickoff, and there is a 90-day guarantee (terms on knowlify.com). Public client ads from Parva and Casco are in our Facebook and Instagram video ad examples.

Best for a team that wants a steady volume of Facebook and Instagram video ads, with one partner making them and running the campaigns. Knowlify is not the right fit if you need real human creators: its UGC-style ads use AI presenters, not real creators, so creator-handle ads and customer testimonials belong with an agency like inBeat. It is also the wrong fit if you want one agency across TikTok, Google, retail media, email or organic social, or if your brief calls for a live-action shoot.

Which paid social agencies work with startups?

Most agencies here publish fit statements aimed at brands already spending. As of October 2026, Darkroom says its fit is poor below roughly $5M in revenue, Flighted describes its DTC fit as brands spending $20K or more a month on paid social, and The Social Shepherd works with clients spending 300K or more a year. Voy Media is the exception: it names start-ups among its clients and ties packages to ad spend.

An early-stage team can also pair a creative partner with a freelance media buyer; our comparison of a Facebook ads consultant versus a creative agency covers that split. Knowlify quotes each engagement on a call and offers end-to-end and creative-only scopes.

How do these agencies charge?

As of October 2026, only three of the seven publish a pricing model. Darkroom charges a retainer plus a percentage of media, from $1,500 a month. Pilothouse combines retainers, performance incentives and project scopes. Voy Media bases packages on total ad spend. inBeat, Flighted, MuteSix and The Social Shepherd do not publish pricing, and Knowlify quotes each engagement on a call. A percentage-of-media fee rises with spend, so ask for the fee at today's budget and at the budget you plan to reach. Keep production, management, setup and media spend as separate lines; our Facebook ad agency pricing guide has a worksheet for that.

What should you check before an agency runs your Meta account?

• Who owns the ad account. Meta's Business Manager developer FAQ tells developers who need long-term access to ask clients to grant their Business Manager the roles they need, and says the Advertiser role is typically what is needed. In that setup the client grants access, so keep the ad account in your own Business Manager and confirm who holds admin rights and billing.
• Who owns tracking. Meta describes the Conversions API as a connection that sends an advertiser's website, app and offline events from its server, website platform, app or CRM to Meta's systems, to help optimize targeting and measure outcomes. Ask each finalist who sets up these events and who fixes them.
• What a partner badge means. Meta's Business Partners page says badge eligibility varies by solution type and is typically a combination of the quantity and quality of a company's work across Meta technologies. Flighted and MuteSix describe themselves as Meta partners. A badge signals platform experience, not how many new concepts you will get or how your account will be run.

Key takeaways

• Shortlist agencies that publish both creative production and media buying if you want one owner for paid social.
• Match each agency's stated fit to your spend and channels; several publish ranges that rule brands in or out.
• Only Darkroom, Pilothouse and Voy Media publish a pricing model, so request written quotes on the same brief.
• Keep your ad account in your own Business Manager and grant the agency roles.
• Choose a creator agency over Knowlify when you need real people on camera; Knowlify uses AI presenters.

FAQ

Which Meta ads agencies handle both video creative and campaign management?

As of October 2026, all seven agencies here publish both creative production and paid social media buying; six name Meta in their paid social services, and The Social Shepherd names it in its product feed work. MuteSix describes an in-house studio, Pilothouse describes creative production teams, Flighted describes in-house video editors and designers, Darkroom describes designers and video editors, and inBeat builds ads with creators. Knowlify makes AI video ads and can manage campaigns in your own Meta ad account.

How much does a paid social agency cost?

Of the agencies compared, only Darkroom publishes a figure: a retainer plus a percentage of media, from $1,500 a month as of October 2026. Pilothouse and Voy Media describe their models without figures, and the rest do not publish pricing. Media spend is a separate cost.

Should one agency handle creative and media, or should I split them?

One agency shortens the loop between results and the next batch of ads. Splitting lets you keep a media buyer you trust and add creative capacity. Knowlify offers both end-to-end Meta ads and creative-only work.

Does Knowlify use real creators?

No. Knowlify's UGC-style ads use AI presenters, not real human creators. If your brief needs real customers, creator posts or ads from a creator's handle, a creator-led agency such as inBeat fits better.

References

1. Meta ads agencies comparison
2. paid social agency scope and cost
3. inBeat
4. Voy Media
5. Pilothouse
6. Flighted
7. Darkroom
8. MuteSix
9. The Social Shepherd
10. Meta ads agency
11. UGC agency page
12. UGC agencies comparison
13. Creative Studio page
14. Voy Media pricing page
15. Pilothouse homepage
16. Darkroom homepage
17. performance creative page
18. MuteSix homepage
19. Bespoke Production page
20. Social Shepherd homepage
21. 30-minute call
22. Facebook and Instagram video ad examples
23. Facebook ads consultant versus a creative agency
24. Facebook ad agency pricing guide
25. Business Manager developer FAQ
26. Conversions API
27. Business Partners page