Comparison · catalog ad optimisation for ecommerce
Free alternative to CataBoost
CataBoost focuses on making catalog ads perform. Xeli generates, scores and ships the creative behind them — free under 10 SKUs.
Xeli has a genuinely free tier. The Launch plan is free forever for stores with fewer than 10 SKUs — not a trial, not metered credits that expire. Early-stage founders can also apply to the Xeli Launch Program for free Pro access, creative reviews and founder office hours. CataBoost has no equivalent permanent free plan.
CataBoost works on catalog ad performance: making the products in a feed show up better and convert harder. For stores whose spend is concentrated in shopping and DPA, that focus pays.
Creative production at variety — many angles per SKU, motion formats, brand enforcement — is a different problem, and one it does not set out to solve.
Xeli does, and the Launch plan is free forever under 10 SKUs.
Updated August 2026
CataBoost vs Xeli AI: the seven things that matter
| Topic | CataBoost | Xeli AI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Subscription tied to catalog and spend; no permanent free plan. | Launch plan is free forever for stores under 10 SKUs — no card, no trial clock, no AI credits burning down in the background. Paid tiers start when your catalog does, and AI credits can be topped up separately instead of being bundled into a seat you don't need. |
| Features | Catalog optimisation, feed enhancement, product-level performance tooling for shopping and DPA. | One pipeline: catalog ingest, Brand DNA extraction, agentic briefing, image and video generation, automated QA on contrast, safe zones and disclaimers, pre-spend creative scoring, then channel-ready export to Meta, TikTok, Google, Pinterest, Snap and LinkedIn. |
| AI Editing | Image enhancement for catalog listings rather than generative ad creative. | Model-agnostic editing: background removal and replacement, object-aware relight, generative expand for every aspect ratio, packshot cleanup and copy rewriting to each placement's character limits. Every edit is re-validated against your brand rules before it can be exported. |
| Template Engine | Overlay-style enhancements rather than a full brand-derived engine. | Templates are generated from your Brand DNA rather than picked from a gallery, then bound to feed attributes so one layout renders correctly for every SKU. Layouts self-adjust for long titles, portrait products and missing fields instead of breaking. |
| Video Support | Minimal. | Product stills become motion: pans, reveals, UGC-style hook cuts, captioned 9:16 and 1:1 variants, and feed-bound video DPAs. Frontier video models are routed per shot, and every cut is checked against safe zones before export. |
| Bulk Generation | Catalog-wide enhancement rather than creative concept fan-out. | Whole-catalog runs are the default unit of work. One brief fans out to hundreds of SKUs and every placement size in a single pass, with per-SKU angles derived from the feed rather than one template stamped onto everything. |
| Creative Automation | Optimisation automation on the feed side. | Named agents (Strategist, Copywriter, Art Director, Motion, QA, Media Buyer) run the loop: brief, generate, score, ship, read live ROAS and hook rate, then recut what's fatiguing. The system keeps working after launch, not just before it. |
| Free tier | No permanent free plan | Launch plan — free forever under 10 SKUs |
Pricing: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Subscription tied to catalog and spend; no permanent free plan.
Xeli AI. Launch plan is free forever for stores under 10 SKUs — no card, no trial clock, no AI credits burning down in the background. Paid tiers start when your catalog does, and AI credits can be topped up separately instead of being bundled into a seat you don't need.
Features: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Catalog optimisation, feed enhancement, product-level performance tooling for shopping and DPA.
Xeli AI. One pipeline: catalog ingest, Brand DNA extraction, agentic briefing, image and video generation, automated QA on contrast, safe zones and disclaimers, pre-spend creative scoring, then channel-ready export to Meta, TikTok, Google, Pinterest, Snap and LinkedIn.
AI Editing: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Image enhancement for catalog listings rather than generative ad creative.
Xeli AI. Model-agnostic editing: background removal and replacement, object-aware relight, generative expand for every aspect ratio, packshot cleanup and copy rewriting to each placement's character limits. Every edit is re-validated against your brand rules before it can be exported.
Template Engine: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Overlay-style enhancements rather than a full brand-derived engine.
Xeli AI. Templates are generated from your Brand DNA rather than picked from a gallery, then bound to feed attributes so one layout renders correctly for every SKU. Layouts self-adjust for long titles, portrait products and missing fields instead of breaking.
Video Support: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Minimal.
Xeli AI. Product stills become motion: pans, reveals, UGC-style hook cuts, captioned 9:16 and 1:1 variants, and feed-bound video DPAs. Frontier video models are routed per shot, and every cut is checked against safe zones before export.
Bulk Generation: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Catalog-wide enhancement rather than creative concept fan-out.
Xeli AI. Whole-catalog runs are the default unit of work. One brief fans out to hundreds of SKUs and every placement size in a single pass, with per-SKU angles derived from the feed rather than one template stamped onto everything.
Creative Automation: how CataBoost and Xeli differ
CataBoost. Optimisation automation on the feed side.
Xeli AI. Named agents (Strategist, Copywriter, Art Director, Motion, QA, Media Buyer) run the loop: brief, generate, score, ship, read live ROAS and hook rate, then recut what's fatiguing. The system keeps working after launch, not just before it.
What CataBoost does well
- Sharp focus on catalog ad economics.
- Practical feed and product-level improvements.
- Fast wins for shopping-heavy accounts.
Where Xeli AI pulls ahead
- Your creative is the constraint, not the feed.
- You need image and video variety per SKU.
- You want to start free.
Stay with CataBoost if
- •Your spend is almost entirely shopping and DPA.
- •Feed and product-level optimisation is the current constraint.
- •You are happy with your existing creative.
Terms used on this page
Definitions live in the Xeli glossary — free, no signup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Xeli free for catalog advertisers?
The Launch plan is free forever for stores under 10 SKUs; larger catalogs move to paid tiers.
Does Xeli optimise feeds?
It reads feeds and adapts creative to them. Dedicated feed optimisation tools remain useful alongside it.
What does the free Xeli Launch plan include?
Free forever for stores under 10 SKUs: catalog sync, Brand DNA, manual creative editing, basic templates, exports and community support. AI generation credits are purchased separately, so nothing expires and there is no trial clock.
Is Xeli a good CataBoost alternative for early-stage brands?
That is the specific case it was built for. Most tools in this category, CataBoost included, are priced for brands already spending seriously. Xeli's Launch plan and the Xeli Launch Program exist so a founder with fewer than 10 products can run a real creative engine from day one.
Competitor capabilities and pricing models change often. Everything here reflects publicly available positioning at the time of writing and is our honest reading of it, not a vendor statement. Verify current details with each vendor before you buy.
Try the free Launch plan
Built for founders. Free while you're getting started. When your business grows, Xeli grows with you.
How Xeli works
Compare the whole category
Zoom out from CataBoost and compare the approaches themselves — design tools, single-shot AI ad generators, agencies and full creative automation.