How to Get Free TikTok Ads? 5 Best Budget-Free Strategies

If you’re wondering how to get free TikTok Ads, you’re not alone. While most brands assume TikTok Ads require a big budget, there are now practical ways to promote your business on TikTok with little to no cost. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to get FREE TikTok Ads.

Quick Summary: 5 Ways to Advertise on TikTok Without a Budget

• UGC Campaigns: Run organic challenges and boost reach without ads.
• Ad Credits: Claim free TikTok ad spend via agency or referral offers.
• Affiliate Program: Promote TikTok Shop products and earn without paying.
• Creator Partnerships: Collaborate on commission or product-based deals.
• Agency Support: Some agencies provide free setup and unlock credits.

Is it possible to promote TikTok ads for Free?

POSSIBLY YES. Typically, to set up an ad campaign, TikTok requires a $500 minimum ad spend, with a $50 campaign-level daily budget and a $20 ad group-level daily budget. The cost can be up to $10,000 or even more, depending on what type of TikTok ads you decide to use. So, if you set up campaigns as usual, TikTok will cost you the same amount as any other advertiser. However, you can use some insider tips to lower this cost as much as possible! 

5 proven strategies to get FREE TikTok Ads

Now that we’ve cleared up what “free” really means on TikTok, let’s dive into the five most effective ways to get started, without needing a big advertising budget. Each method here either gives you free access to TikTok’s ad tools or helps you promote effectively without paying out of pocket.

1. Claim TikTok Ad Credits via Referral or Agency Support

If you’re new to TikTok Ads, here’s some good news: you can actually start advertising without spending your own money, thanks to TikTok ad credits.

These promo credits are TikTok’s way of encouraging new advertisers like you to test the platform. And they’re not just limited to small amounts either.

You might have seen offers like: “Spend $100, get $100 in ad credit.” or “Get up to $500 in bonus credits when you create your first campaign.”

If you sign up directly through TikTok’s self-serve platform, you may already be eligible for these promotions. But here’s the catch: those are just the basic offers.

To unlock even more value, you can work with an official TikTok Agency Partner like Mega Digital. Partner agencies often give you access to higher-tier credits, along with hands-on support for setup, tracking, and performance optimization.

For example, when you sign up through Mega Digital, you might get something like: “Spend $100, get $100 in TikTok ad credits—plus a free strategy call and campaign audit.”

That means instead of burning your budget on trial and error, you’ll be backed by expert guidance and double the ad spend to work with.

2. Join the TikTok Affiliate Program

One possible way that any advertiser can take advantage of is affiliate marketing. TikTok Affiliate marketing is the method by which an affiliate earns a commission for promoting the products of another individual or company. The affiliate simply finds a product they like, promotes it, and earns a percentage of the profit from each transaction. 

Affiliate marketing is an excellent technique to increase sales and create significant online profit. The increasing trend toward less traditional marketing strategies has paid off for both businesses and affiliate marketers.

There are 2 criteria you need to remember to get affiliates to promote TikTok videos for free.

• Find the appropriate influencers in your niche market.
• Negotiate for a better result of advertising for FREE.

3. Use TikTok Rewards & Creator Incentive Programs

If you want to promote on TikTok without paying for ads, don’t overlook TikTok’s built-in reward and incentive programs. These aren’t traditional ad campaigns, but they can drive reach, visibility, and even traffic to your product or profile for free.

Let’s break down two key options:

TikTok Rewards (Referral Program)

If you’re a regular TikTok user (not necessarily a creator), you can invite new users to join TikTok through your unique referral link. When they sign up and stay active, you’ll earn points that can be redeemed for real rewards, sometimes even cash or gift cards.

Some brands use this program to drive new traffic by encouraging existing users to spread the word for free.

While this doesn’t give you traditional ad impressions, it helps increase your reach organically and costs nothing to participate.

TikTok Creator Programs (e.g., Creativity Program, TikTok Pulse)

If you’re a content creator, TikTok offers several programs where you can monetize your videos or get featured in premium placements, such as:

• TikTok Creativity Program Beta: Get paid based on qualified video views (especially long-form content).
• TikTok Pulse: If you qualify, your content can be placed next to top-performing videos, with TikTok sharing a cut of ad revenue.

So, what is the real benefit here? These programs incentivize you to create high-quality, engaging videos, which TikTok may help amplify, without you spending a single dollar on ads.

4. Collaborate with Creators via Product Gifting or Commission Deals

If you don’t have the budget for paid ads, let creators promote for you.

Instead of spending on TikTok Ads Manager, many brands are now turning to creator collaborations, which can cost little to nothing upfront, especially if you offer products, samples, or commission-based deals.

Product Seeding (a.k.a. Gifting)

You send your product to a relevant TikTok creator, and in return, they create content about it.
There’s no guarantee they’ll post, unless agreed upon, but when they do, it’s free exposure to their audience.

Tip: Choose micro-creators (10K–100K followers). They’re usually more open to gifting deals and have better engagement rates than mega influencers.

Affiliate or Commission-Based Deals

Thanks to TikTok Shop Affiliate, you can invite creators to promote your product through their own channels.
You only pay them a commission when they generate sales, which means no upfront cost at all.

This setup works well if:

• You want creators to help you scale without ad spend.
• You have a TikTok Shop set up
• Your margins can handle a 10–30% commission

5. Become a Partner with a TikTok Agency

I bet some of you guys haven’t heard of the TikTok Agency account! Some of TikTok’s top agencies get priority in distributing agency accounts for advertisers to get full access to ad formats and have credit lines in their payment method. They also provide many beneficial programs that help you get more out of our solutions as you expand your network.

As a TikTok agency, Mega Digital also works to give our clients a referral program that can support advertisers in lowering their ad costs. With Mega Digital’s Referral Program, we give out TikTok Ads Commission when you advise and onboard clients. As a result, advertisers will receive a commission on the referred client’s total ad spend until they discontinue utilizing our ad account.

Moreover, you can receive the commission in whatever way you wish. Earn commissions credited immediately to your ad account balance or your chosen payment method. With our referral program, advertisers will have the chance to decrease their ad spend or even increase their ad budget if they have many networks to refer to. Don’t stay limited, become our partner now!

Frequently Asked Questions about getting free TikTok ads

Final Word

It’s possible to promote free TikTok Ads with our above tips! You can do it in any way that suits your desire, or connect us to get a coffee talk and find the most effective method. We’re free to talk! Let’s exchange ideas!