FrameThrower vs shots: built for the creative
FrameThrower is the ads library for creatives: 35,887 commercials cut into 1,017,873 shots, each searchable by describing it, with full credits, frames and clips you can take, and a canvas to build the idea on. shots is the industry's enterprise research database, sold by demo.
Short answer: shots is the industry's visual-research hub for companies, sold by demo, with a stills picker, treatments and reels. FrameThrower is built for the individual creative: search inside every shot by describing the look, or by image or by what is said, take the frame or clip, and build the idea on a canvas you can share. Free plan, then $84 a year.
Built for the creative
Not the media buyer
shots is built for "The advertising industry's hub for visual research and creative inspiration", sold to companies by demo. FrameThrower is built for the people making the work: directors, agency creatives and producers, treatment writers.
Inside every shot
1,017,873 shots, searchable
35,887 commercials cut shot by shot. Describe the shot, or search by image or by what is said, and land on the exact moment, with who made it.
From idea to canvas
Collect, build, share
Pull frames and clips onto a moodboard canvas or into a lookbook, export to PDF and slides, and share it by link with your team or client.
FrameThrower vs shots, side by side
| Feature | FrameThrower | shots |
|---|---|---|
| The library | ||
| Built for | Creatives: directors, agency creatives and producers, treatment writers, AI filmmakers | "The advertising industry's hub for visual research and creative inspiration", sold to companies by demo |
| Library | 35,887 commercials cut into 1,017,873 shots, each a still and a clip; plus films and animation | "Over 500,000 videos & 600 million stills", all with full credits |
| What it holds | TV and brand commercials 1990–2026, award winners from 27 shows, with full credits | Advertising spots, music promos and short films, with credits |
| Search by | Describe the shot, image, script, colour, brand, director, agency, production company, award | Spots, people and companies, with tagged data |
| Finding the shot | ||
| Search inside a commercial, shot by shot | Yes | Stills picker: any frame of any spot |
| Describe a shot in plain words | Yes | Not stated |
| Search by image | Yes | Not stated |
| Search by what is said | Yes | Not stated |
| Using it | ||
| Download frames | Yes | Yes |
| Download clips | Yes | High-quality assets for any spot |
| Credits by role | Yes | Yes |
| Award winners | 27 award shows, 1990–2026 | shots Awards |
| Building the idea | ||
| Collect references | Boards | Private media library |
| Moodboard canvas | Yes | Not stated |
| Lookbook / treatment builder | Lookbooks, export to PDF and slides | shots Treatments |
| Share by link | Yes | shots Reels |
| API and MCP for AI tools | Yes | Not stated |
| Price | ||
| Free | 10 searches a day, 5 downloads a week | Not stated |
| Paid | Pro $14/mo, or $84 a year | Get a demo (price not published) |
| Free trial | 5-day free trial of Pro | Not stated |
shots describes itself as: “shots spotlights the world's most creative advertising every day.” (shots.net)
Which one should you use?
Choose FrameThrower when
- · You need the exact shot: a look, a move, a moment, not just the campaign name.
- · You want the frame or clip in your treatment or deck, with who shot it.
- · You build ideas on a canvas or in a lookbook and share them with your team or client.
- · You want award winners from 27 shows on an individual price.
Choose shots when
- · You need the widest credited archive, music promos included.
- · Your company builds treatments and showreels inside shots.
Where shots is stronger: The biggest credited archive (over 500,000 spots and promos), hi-res stills from any frame, and treatment and showreel tools for production companies.
Questions
Is there an alternative to shots Vault?+
FrameThrower: commercials cut shot by shot with credits, searchable by describing the shot, by image or by what is said, with frames and clips, a canvas and lookbooks. Free plan, Pro $84 a year; shots does not publish its price and sells by demo.
Does shots let you search by describing a shot?+
shots states powerful search tools, linked profiles and fully tagged data, and a stills picker for any frame. It does not state search by describing a shot, by image or by what is said; that is what FrameThrower adds.
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- ↗ All comparisons
- ↗ The commercials library
Trusted by creatives from Netflix, ILM, Apple TV, Wētā FX, DNEG, Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios and Eyeline Studios.
Try FrameThrower next to shots
Free plan, no card. Describe a shot and see every commercial that has it.
ShotDeck, Flim, FilmGrab, Frameset, StillsLab, MovieStillsDB, shot.cafe, EyeCandy, ShotBook, frmz, Film Vibes, Movie-Screencaps.com and Fancaps are trademarks of their owners. FrameThrower is not affiliated with any of them. Descriptions, prices and library sizes are quoted from each site; if something has changed or is wrong, email contact@framethrower.ai and we will correct it.