VIRAL SWIPE FILEViral Swipe File vs Sandcastles
Sandcastles is a research tool for creators: it finds the videos that beat their creator's usual views on the Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts channels you follow, analyses their hooks and writes scripts, from $49 a month, with a one-time $5 Starter plan for new accounts. Viral Swipe File is a curated library of viral TikToks and Reels, filed by niche and format, that your own AI agent searches. It is free to start and Starter is $29 a month. Both rank videos against their creator's usual views, and both connect to Claude and ChatGPT.
At a glance
| Compared on | Viral Swipe File | Sandcastles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Starter $29/mo ($290/yr); Growth $99/mo ($990/yr); plus tax | Pro $49/mo ($39/mo billed yearly), Visionary $99/mo ($79), Titan $499/mo ($399); sized in credits (100, 250 and 1,500 a month) |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan, no card: 50 agent questions a day and the first 100 videos of every list. 7-day trial on paid plans, once per team | No free trial listed (its home page says "Try It Risk-Free"). New accounts can start once on Starter, $5/month with 10 credits, refunded if cancelled; no refunds on the full plans |
| Platforms | TikTok and Instagram Reels | Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts |
| Library | A curated library of viral TikToks and Reels, filed by niche and format. A fixed collection, not a live feed | They claim a database with millions of validated outliers, plus 100+ curated collections |
| Score against the account's usual views | Yes: the viral factor, a video's views divided by its account's usual views | Yes: an outlier score against the creator's usual views |
| Hooks | Each video's hook as text, and the top hooks of every niche and format. No hook-type tags yet | Analysis of hooks, storytelling, formats and styles; generates hooks |
| Writes scripts | Not built in: your own AI agent writes from the library | Yes |
| Creator tracking and alerts | No: following creators and alerts are not built yet | Tracks channels across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube in one place |
| Saving and organising | Boards: 1 on Free besides saved videos, no cap on paid plans | Collections of ideas, and workspaces by niche (3 on Pro, 5 on Visionary, 20 on Titan) |
| Your AI agent (MCP) | Yes, on every plan, Free included: 6 read-only tools for Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and other MCP clients | Yes: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Muse and other MCP clients, on Pro, Visionary and Titan; asking questions uses no credits |
| API | JSON API on every plan: inside the 50 questions a day on Free, then 10,000 requests a month on Starter and 50,000 on Growth | Titan only |
| Team | Unlimited team invites on every plan | Seats not listed; Titan adds guest access to workspaces |
Sandcastles' column is from its own site, checked on 24 October 2026 (sources below).
Where Sandcastles is stronger
Sandcastles is a research tool for creators: it finds outlier videos from the Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts channels you follow, analyses their hooks, storytelling and formats, and writes hooks and scripts.
- Data from the channels you follow on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, with channel tracking.
- It writes hooks and scripts, downloads video transcripts and analyses your own verified channels.
- YouTube Shorts, which Viral Swipe File doesn't cover.
Where Viral Swipe File is stronger
- Viral Swipe File's Free plan includes your AI agent (50 questions a day), with no card. Sandcastles includes its MCP connector from Pro ($49 a month).
- Starter is $29 a month, against Sandcastles' Pro at $49.
- The library comes filed by niche and format, so there is no watchlist of channels to build before you search.
- Unlimited team invites on every plan. Sandcastles lists no team seats; Titan adds guest access to workspaces.
Who should pick which
- Pick Sandcastles: Creators who want to follow the channels in their niche and write hooks and scripts from the videos that beat their usual views, from $49 a month.
- Pick Viral Swipe File: Social media managers juggling several clients, and UGC teams, who want each niche's viral formats and hooks in one place, asked from Claude or ChatGPT.
Try it with your AI agent
Paste the setup prompt into Claude, ChatGPT or another agent. It connects Viral Swipe File and asks for viral videos from a niche; you sign in with a free account when asked.
Free: 50 agent questions a day, hooks and captions included. No card. Setup for each AI agent
FAQ
- Is Viral Swipe File a Sandcastles alternative?
- For finding viral formats and hooks by niche, yes, and it is cheaper to start. Viral Swipe File doesn't track channels you choose, cover YouTube Shorts, write scripts itself or analyse your own account, so a creator who needs those should use Sandcastles.
- Does Sandcastles have a free trial?
- Its pages list none, though its home page says "Try It Risk-Free". New accounts can start once on Starter, $5 a month with 10 credits, refunded if cancelled; the full plans are not refunded. Viral Swipe File has a Free plan with no card.
- Does Sandcastles work with ChatGPT and Claude?
- Yes. Its MCP page lists Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Muse and other MCP clients, on Pro, Visionary and Titan. Viral Swipe File's Free plan includes your AI agent (50 questions a day), with no card.
Sources
Checked on 24 October 2026 on each tool's own site. Prices are in US dollars as listed, and change: check the source before you buy. Viral Swipe File's facts come from its pricing page.