Video
Sandcastles
AI research tool that finds viral short-form videos and turns them into winning scripts
Sandcastles is a research and scriptwriting tool for short-form video creators. It tracks channels across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, surfaces a database of millions of validated viral outlier videos, and breaks down why each one went viral (hooks, storytelling, format, style). From there it generates winning hook templates and full scripts using proven storytelling frameworks, and pulls high-quality transcripts from any video to reference. Projects let you organize winning ideas into collections to speed up future scripting, and an MCP connector plus API access (Titan plan) let the research feed into other workflows.
- Best for
- Short-form content creators, brands, and agencies who want data-backed video ideas and scripts instead of guessing what will go viral
- Pricing
- Paid, from $39/mo billed yearly (Pro), up to $399/mo (Titan); no free plan
Core features
- • Track channels across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
- • Database of validated viral outlier videos
- • In-depth analysis of why videos went viral
- • AI-generated viral hook templates
- • AI script writing with proven storytelling frameworks
- • Instant video transcript download
- • Projects to organize winning ideas
- • MCP connector and API access
Use cases
- 1. Researching what's already working in a niche before filming
- 2. Generating multiple hook options for a new video in seconds
- 3. Writing a full short-form script from a proven storytelling framework
- 4. Tracking competitor channels to catch new viral formats early
How to use
Customize your feed to discover successful channels in your niche, explore outlier videos that performed unusually well, review the in-depth breakdown of why they went viral, then develop a winning idea into your own script using Sandcastles' data-backed storytelling frameworks.
Pricing plans
Pro
$39/mo billed yearly ($49/mo monthly)
- • 100 credits/month
- • Personal analytics
- • Content strategy audits
- • Custom competitor research feed
- • MCP connector
- • Verify up to 3 channels
- • 12-hour refresh for verified channels
- • 3 workspaces, track 150 competitors/workspace
Visionary
$79/mo billed yearly ($99/mo monthly)
- • Everything in Pro
- • 250 credits/month
- • Verify up to 5 channels
- • 6-hour refresh for verified channels
- • 5 workspaces, track 250 competitors/workspace
Titan
$399/mo billed yearly ($499/mo monthly)
- • Everything in Visionary
- • 1500 credits/month
- • API access
- • Verify up to 20 channels
- • 1-hour refresh for verified channels
- • 20 workspaces
- • Guest access for agencies
FAQ
Who is Sandcastles for?
Anyone looking to grow faster on social media — whether just starting out or scaling up, it takes the guesswork out of content creation with proven viral frameworks.
Do I have to connect my social media accounts?
No, it's optional — you still get value without connecting them, but syncing accounts helps tailor insights further.
How much does Sandcastles cost?
Plans start at $39/month billed annually on the Pro plan.
Where it holds up
- Database of millions of validated viral outlier videos across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
- Breaks down why a video actually went viral (hooks, storytelling, format) instead of just showing view counts
- MCP connector and API access (Titan) let the research feed into other AI workflows
Where it falls short
- No free plan — cheapest tier is $39/mo billed yearly
- Lower tiers cap how many channels can be verified and how often they refresh (12-hour refresh on Pro vs 1-hour on Titan)
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