Understanding creative automation tech

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, speed, scale, and consistency are non-negotiable. Creative teams are under pressure like never before with multiple ad platforms, varying sizes and specs, localization needs, and rapid campaign timelines. Enter creative automation - a game-changing technology that helps brands and agencies produce high volumes of on-brand creatives, faster and more efficiently.

In this blog, we’ll explore creative automation, why it matters, and how two leading platforms - Viewst and Celtra compare in this competitive space. Whether you're a lean team trying to scale without burnout or a powerhouse generating thousands of creatives a month, this comparison will help you decide which platform fits your needs best.

What is creative automation technology?

Creative automation is a suite of tools and systems designed to streamline and scale the production of digital marketing assets. Instead of manually designing each variation of an ad, creative automation allows you to:

• Create a master template

• Populate it with data (text, images, links, etc.)

• Automatically generate hundreds or thousands of variations
  
  

  
  
  

These variations can account for different languages, sizes, platforms (Meta, Google, LinkedIn), audiences, promotions, or seasonal campaigns — all without having to redesign from scratch.

Key Benefits of Creative Automation:

1. Scalability: produce thousands of creatives in minutes.

2. Consistency: maintain brand standards across campaigns.

3. Speed: respond to market changes in real time.

4. Collaboration: let creative, media, and marketing teams work from a single platform.

5. Cost-efficiency: reduce the time and resources needed for production.

It’s especially useful for performance marketing, retargeting, e-commerce, and localization campaigns, where volume and variation are the norm.

Meet the players: Viewst vs. Celtra

Two major players in the creative automation space are Viewst and Celtra. Both platforms promise to save time, reduce manual effort, and help teams create effective ads at scale. But they take slightly different approaches and depending on your team size, structure, and goals, one may suit you better than the other.

Let’s break it down.

1. Content libraries & brand books

Viewst: yes
Celtra: no

With Viewst, you can create and manage content libraries, also known as brand books, directly within the platform. This is incredibly valuable for design teams and brand managers — ensuring every asset is 100% on-brand. You can store logos, colors, typography, components, and templates in one place, ready to be used by any team member.

In contrast, Celtra does not offer native brand book functionality. While you can build templates and reuse components, there’s no centralized library system that serves as a single source of truth for your brand identity. For large teams working with multiple clients or brands, this can be a limitation.

Why it matters:
Having a content library means less time hunting for files, fewer brand mistakes, and smoother onboarding for new teammates or clients.

2. Ad account integration

Viewst: easy & direct
Celtra: requires custom development

Viewst offers plug-and-play integrations with ad accounts, making it super easy to publish or export assets directly to platforms like Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and others. This saves teams time and removes the friction of downloading/uploading assets manually.

Celtra, on the other hand, requires custom development or API work to connect to your ad accounts. While it’s technically possible, it’s not something you can do without dev resources which can be a dealbreaker for smaller teams or fast-moving campaigns.

Why it matters:
Tighter integration = faster workflows = quicker time to market. On top of that, your designers get real-time performance insights, helping them fine-tune creatives for future campaigns and boost your ROAS.

3. Feed editing

Celtra: built-in feed editing
Viewst: upload-only (for now)

Celtra allows you to edit data feeds directly within the platform, meaning you can adjust pricing, product names, CTAs, and other dynamic elements on the fly without needing to reupload a new feed. This is ideal for e-commerce campaigns where product availability or pricing changes rapidly.

Currently, Viewst requires users to upload a new feed whenever changes are needed. However, feed/table editing is on the roadmap and is expected to be available in Q3 2025.

Why it matters:
If you're running dynamic or product-driven campaigns, in-platform feed editing gives you more agility. For now, Celtra has the edge here, but Viewst is closing the gap.

4. Pricing model

Viewst: straightforward seat-based pricing
Celtra: seats + exports

Viewst keeps things simple with a seat-based pricing model. You pay per user, and that’s it. Whether you create 10 creatives or 10,000, your price stays the same.

Celtra’s pricing, however, is more complex. In addition to charging for seats, they also charge based on the number of creative exports. For teams producing thousands of assets per month, this can become expensive very quickly.

Why it matters:
If you're a creative powerhouse, an agency, or a performance team pushing thousands of variants monthly Viewst’s predictable pricing could save you a serious budget.

5. Collaboration & review workflows

Both platforms offer this. 

Both Viewst and Celtra provide centralized review and update tools. Teams can comment, approve, and revise creatives in a shared workspace. This helps reduce bottlenecks and ensures everyone stays aligned — from creative to marketing to media buying.

You can also instantly update campaigns with new content or design tweaks without needing to re-export and re-upload everything. That’s a massive time-saver, especially when testing or iterating quickly.

Why it matters:
Streamlined collaboration = faster feedback loops and fewer mistakes.

6. Figma & Photoshop Importing

Both platforms offer this. 

Neither Viewst nor Celtra forces you to start from scratch. Both support mockup importing from Figma and Photoshop, so designers can bring in their pre-built visuals and turn them into dynamic, scalable templates.

This is ideal for creative teams that already use Figma or Adobe tools as their source of truth.

Why it matters:
Your design tools should work with, not against, your creative automation platform.

Bonus comparison table

Final Thoughts: Which One is Right for You?

Both Viewst and Celtra are powerful creative automation platforms, but they cater to slightly different audiences.

Choose Viewst if:

• You want simple pricing and no surprises.

• You value having a brand book/content library inside your platform.

• You need direct integration with ad accounts for faster publishing.

• You're a high-output team producing many creatives per month.

• You can wait until Q3 2025 for feed editing.

Choose Celtra if:

• You need real-time feed editing now.

• You’re okay with custom development to connect accounts.

• You don’t mind a more complex pricing structure.

• You prioritize advanced features for data-driven creative at scale.

Ultimately, both tools offer the core value of creative automation: faster, more efficient, on-brand production of ad creatives at scale. It’s less about which is “better” and more about which one fits your workflow, your budget, and your team’s size and structure.

TL;DR

• Creative automation is the future of digital asset production.

• Viewst is better for plug-and-play simplicity, predictable pricing, and managing brand identity.

• Celtra is stronger for real-time feed editing and advanced creative data ops, but with a steeper cost.

• Both support Figma/PSD imports and have solid review workflows.
  
  

Looking to upgrade your ad creative workflows? Try both platforms and see which one clicks with your team’s rhythm.