11 Best Demand-Side Platform (DSP) Providers

Before ad inventory purchasing got the software treatment, advertising on various physical mediums involved multiple face-to-face meetings, contracts, and very little in useful metrics you could use to measure a campaign’s effectiveness.

Thanks to advances in artificial intelligence and the rise of demand-side platform providers, that’s no longer the case. Today, you can set up multiple ad campaigns across different mediums (mobile, desktop, TV, etc.) from a single interface and get valuable data back that helps you optimize for better results.

If you’re interested in learning about the best demand-side platform providers, this article, prepared by marketing experts on my team, provides all the information you need.

What Are the Best Demand-Side Platform (DSP) Providers?

Advertisers who want to get the most reach out of their ad spend will need to use a demand-side platform to achieve their marketing goals. These platforms offer a convenient way to monitor ad campaigns while offering transparency and brand safety as standard.

My team has selected the top three demand-side platform providers and has provided an overview of some other great selections below. Our top three platforms are Amazon DSP, CIENCE Go Digital, and MediaMath.

The three demand-side platform providers highlighted as the best here combine some of the best all-around qualities ranging from brand safety, supported ad types, analytics, and artificial intelligence.

1. Amazon DSP

Overview

Amazon DSP is one of the many products in the Amazon Ads software suite. You can use it to buy ads programmatically and reach new and existing customers on or off the e-commerce giant’s website. It provides shopping signals and other insights that let you match your ads with the most relevant audiences.

This demand-side platform provides a brand-safe environment through real-time bid evaluations and manual site reviews. With performance reporting features, Amazon vendors and others can measure results, plan their marketing strategies, and make informed decisions using industry-standard and Amazon-only metrics (e.g., add-to-list counts).

The choice is yours regarding whether you use custom ads or rely on the ones provided by Amazon (its e-commerce creative templates). For example, Amazon provides a video creative builder you can use to create free-of-charge video ads using one of its templates and product images.

Highlights

• Amazon DSP facilitates programmatic ad buying for Amazon vendors and non-vendors on and off the Amazon website
• Users get access to shopping signals and data-rich insights for the precise matching of ads with audiences
• The real-time bid evaluations and manual site reviews make Amazon DSP a brand-safe platform
• Performance reporting features provide industry-standard and Amazon-specific metrics that help inform marketing strategies
• Amazon DSP offers flexibility in the way you can generate ad creatives, including providing a free-to-use video creative builder for video ads
• A managed service is available for businesses who want hands-off campaign management (and have deep pockets)

Pricing

Amazon DSP doesn’t provide specific pricing information for ads on its website, stating in an FAQ section of the website that pricing “varies depending on format and placement.” However, the company mentions that it has a managed service option that has a minimum spend of $50,000 (which varies based on country).

Bottom line

Existing Amazon vendors will benefit from using Amazon DSP. However, this platform will also prove useful to non-vendors. And if you’re a big business with some money to spend, its managed service may be worth considering. Check out the product here.

2. CIENCE GO Digital

Overview

CIENCE Go Digital is one of the best demand-side platforms for managing ad campaigns. This digital advertising platform provides advertising inventory buyers with the tools to manage ad and data exchange accounts. And it has over 100 B2B filters, including company size, title, and industry.

The software’s precise targeting capability means you can target millions of potential customers. Also, as a top media buying platform, it supports different ad campaigns (video, audio, display, and social media). And it includes decent analytics and reporting functions to help monitor performance-driven ad campaigns.

Real-time bidding happens inside the ad exchanges, and CIENCE GO Digital makes managing your cost per mile (CPM) bidding incredibly straightforward. You can combine the platform with CIENCE’s GO Show technology to enable retargeting and follow-up. And the platform counts big names like Yamaha, Google, and Uber among its partners.

Highlights

• This demand-side platform supports all forms of digital advertising, including display (in all sizes), social media, video, and audio, providing many avenues to reach audiences
• CIENCE GO Digital’s detailed reporting and analytics make campaign performance monitoring a breeze, allowing for future optimization
• Thanks to its personalization functionality, you can design ad campaigns around specific personas, leading to increased engagement and higher click-through rates
• The software’s bidder-as-a-service feature provides access to its real-time bidding cloud platform, so you get bid options without the overhead or complexity
• The GO Show functionality and powerful CIENCE tracking pixel make retargeting and follow-up convenient
• CIENCE works with big-name partners like Google, providing your ads with visibility on high-traffic partner platforms

Pricing

CIENCE GO Digital doesn’t have pricing information on its website. However, you can book a demo here.

Bottom line

Marketers looking for premium programmatic advertising platforms should give CIENCE GO Digital a try. Features like its powerful tracking pixel, personalization functionality, analytics, and more, make it one of the best demand-side platforms around. And it offers incredible retargeting when combined with the GO show (also by CIENCE). Check out the product here.

3. MediaMath

Overview

MediaMath is an omnichannel programmatic advertising platform that simplifies advertising through multiple channels. Thanks to its modernized ecosystem, which supports video, audio, display, native, CTV, and DOOH advertising, this demand-side platform brings safety and transparency to the media buying process.

The MediaMath team partners with the advertising industry’s most prominent data providers (like Oracle and IBM Watson), meaning you can buy ads that reach and target the right customers. In addition, all the inventory you buy will be fraud-free and brand safe, so you won’t incur hidden charges and superfluous fees.

MediaMath provides bid-level data that helps you monitor where every cent of your ad spend goes, making optimizing and troubleshooting your spending more efficient. Meanwhile, MediaMath’s proprietary Brain algorithm helps you optimize your bidding decisions. And its campaign management capabilities give you full control of your digital marketing campaign.

Highlights

• Its modernized ecosystem makes buying digital ads brand-safe, transparent, and fraud-free, so you can see where your money is going
• MediaMath’s provision of bid-level data makes monitoring, optimizing, and troubleshooting your ad budget incredibly easy and efficient
• The built-in proprietary Brain algorithm simplifies and optimizes bidding decisions, making MediaMath an advertising solution that saves digital marketers time and money
• The platform’s campaign management capabilities provide absolute control over your online advertising campaign, enabling advertisers to stay agile and make quick decisions
• Its consumer segmentation features provide modeled and look-alike audiences that let you extend your first-party data
• MediaMath provides a managed service for business owners who want to take a hands-off approach to digital ad campaigns and programmatic advertising platforms

Pricing

MediaMath doesn’t provide pricing information on its website. However, you can book a call with their team here.

Bottom line

MediaMath is an excellent choice for ad buyers who prioritize transparency and safety. The platform’s ecosystem offers a fraud-free shopping experience, while its support for all major ad formats makes it a versatile programmatic advertising platform. Check out the product here.

4. Retail Media by Criteo

Overview

Retail Media by Criteo is a demand-side platform that lets “brands reach shoppers with relevant ads near the digital point-of-sale on retailer and marketplace websites and apps.” It’s used by big names in the retail industry, like Best Buy, Target, L’Oreal, Microsoft, and others. And it helps you drive sales and measure campaigns without using third-party cookies.

This end-to-end self-service platform brings brands and retailers together by making it easy to buy and sell ad inventory. It features AI-powered optimization that makes managing your budget straightforward. And its transparent and open ecosystem provides full visibility to brands and retailers alike.

In addition, Retail Media by Criteo boasts an intuitive user interface that simplifies the retailer selection process. It supports first-party data targeting and different ad formats (including native advertising offsite ads). And it has relevancy controls powered by AI that protects the advertising experience by only showing your ads to interested customers.

Highlights

• Retail Media’s support for first-party data targeting eliminates reliance on third-party cookies (unlike other advertising networks)
• Its easy-to-use interface makes choosing retailers to host your ads straightforward, meaning you can set up campaigns in no time
• A transparent ecosystem provides full visibility that helps you monitor your ad spend, saving you money and helping your ad optimization efforts
• The platform’s artificial intelligence-powered optimization simplifies budget management, preventing waste
• Retail Media by Criteo supports different ad types, providing more advertising mediums and devices to reach audiences
• AI-powered relevancy controls show ads to interested audiences alone, protecting your brand and the advertising experience

Pricing

Criteo doesn’t provide pricing information for its demand-side platform on its website. Nevertheless, you can speak to an expert here.

Bottom line

Brands that target customers on retail sites will appreciate how easy Retail Media by Criteo makes it for them to select retailers. Also, thanks to the power of AI, brands who want to manage their budgets will appreciate this platform. Check out the product here.

5. Google Marketing Platform

Overview

Google Marketing Platform provides small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses with easy-to-use tools for digital marketing. Many of these tools are free, and they perform functions like analytics optimization, data collection (through surveys), and more. However, this software shines at the Enterprise level.

Enterprise-level companies that use the Google Marketing Platform get access to many applications. Some of the notable ones are Display and Video 360 and Analytics 360. The former technology has machine learning capabilities you can use to automate bidding and optimization. And you can see where your ad spend is going and where your ads are showing.

In addition, the tool lets you manage all aspects of your campaign. It provides a workspace for media planning, you can use it to do reach forecasting, and its enterprise data solutions let you make changes and combine data across different campaigns. The platform can detect fraudulent impressions and offers refunds for any determined to be fraudulent.

Highlights

• The Display and Video 360 tool’s AI helps with automated bidding and optimization, providing full visibility of your ad spend
• Its workspace, reach forecasting, and data solutions make campaign management more precise and customizable
• The analytics tool provides insights into your advertising campaign that can help you make adjustments and plan future ones
• Google Marketing Platform’s fraud detection capabilities make your campaign safe and prevent wasted ad spend
• Free tools like its survey form facilitate data collection that can help your business understand its customers
• It integrates with other tools in Google’s software suite, including Campaign Manager 360 and Search Ads 360

Pricing

Google has no pricing information for the enterprise version of its marketing platform on its site. You’ll need to contact sales for a quote.

Bottom line

Companies using Google Ads will find making the leap to Google Marketing Platform easy. The enterprise version of this marketing platform provides tools that larger companies will find beneficial. Check out the product here.

6. MediaSmart

Overview

MediaSmart is a demand-side mobile marketing platform that lets you manage your campaigns across diverse channels and ad formats. The software uses a predictive algorithm to help with bidding and has an intuitive interface that anyone can use quickly.

Its artificial intelligence algorithm is the backbone of this platform. Using advanced geolocation precision, the MediaSmart AI can improve targeting that drives engagement. In addition, it’s excellent at detecting ad fraud and has anti-spoofing and anti-fraud capabilities.

You can also use MediaSmart to create and manage audiences using location and campaign engagement data. More so, you can use your first-party data or tap into audience segments provided by data providers like Nielsen, AdSquare, Zeotap, and so on. And it provides premium inventory across mobile, desktop, audio, video, CTV, display, and other channels.

Highlights

• MediaSmart’s intuitive user interface is user-friendly and easily navigable.
• The predictive algorithm helps with bidding and protects against ad fraud, saving you wasted spend
• The mobile marketing platform supports precision targeting using location and campaign engagement data and the creation and management of audiences
• The platform works with renowned data providers like Nielsen, meaning you can tap into their audience segments if you don’t have your data
• It’s excellent for managing campaigns across a diverse range of marketing channels and ad formats, including mobile, display, and desktop
• Ad quality tools help detect and act on issues with ad quality, maintaining brand safety

Pricing

MediaSmart has two pricing plans: the Basic and Pro plan. Both can be customized to fit your needs.

None of them has set pricing, but the Basic plan requires a sign-up, while the Pro plan requires contact with MediaSmart.

Bottom line

MediaSmart is an excellent platform for small businesses that want to leverage the power of artificial intelligence for precision targeting and bidding. Its anti-fraud capabilities, which prevent wasted ad spend, will appeal to businesses that don’t have large advertising budgets. Check out the product here.

7. EZmob

Overview

EZmob puts control of ad campaigns in the hands of small, medium, and large businesses via a feature-rich programmatic advertising platform. This self-serve display and mobile advertising network make it easy for media buyers to promote their brands across multiple ad formats by offering transparent media buying that maximizes revenue.

It has an intuitive self-serve dashboard that simplifies campaign management. Also, EZmob provides campaign managers for advertisers who’d rather not do it themselves. And it supports advanced targeting across desktop, mobile, web, CTV, and DOOH inventories. You can launch a campaign with a minimum of $50 and get access to billions of daily impressions.

Meanwhile, the platform’s reporting and analysis features provide a wealth of information to advertisers. You can use your campaign data to scale high-converting ads, whitelist high-performing publishers, and double down on effective ad formats. And EZmob’s premium inventory means you won’t lose precious ad spend to fraudulent impressions.

Highlights

• Its intuitive self-serve dashboard simplifies the ad buying and campaign management process for new and veteran advertisers alike
• You can get a dedicated campaign manager to manage your campaigns to free up time you can use to focus on other aspects of your business
• Its advanced targeting features let you pinpoint audiences by location, ad platform, browser type, carrier (mobile ISP), connection type, and more
• The reporting and analysis features make campaign management more effective by providing a wealth of data that guide your campaign decisions
• EZmob makes campaign management affordable for all (you can launch a campaign with as little as $50)
• Its premium inventory providers prevent losses to fraudulent impressions

Pricing

EZmob doesn’t have any pricing information on its website. You can contact the EZmob team here for more inquiries.

Bottom line

Small businesses and advertisers with modest budgets will appreciate EZmob, as the platform facilitates running ad campaigns for as little as $50. In addition, its advanced targeting features (which let you target by, among others, location, internet service provider, and browser type) will appeal to all businesses. Check out the product here.

8. The Trade Desk

Overview

The Trade Desk is a “media buying platform built for the open internet” that you can use to advertise to audiences worldwide. This demand-side platform offers total transparency into your ad campaign’s performance, meaning you can easily optimize to drive conversions, increase revenue, and minimize spending waste.

It supports ad formats like connected TV (CTV), video, audio, and digital out-of-home and provides access to a marketplace that has over 350 renowned partners (like ESPN, Wallstreet Journal, and Spotify). And thanks to its open market real-time bidding, businesses that use The Trade Desk can automatically bid on over a billion impressions available around the web.

An intuitive “My Reports” dashboard provides all the data you need to measure your campaign success in one place. You can use the data-rich information to make on-the-fly decisions mid-campaign, make connections between campaigns and outcomes, gain insights into customers, and more.

Highlights

• The Trade Desk provides total transparency into your ad campaigns, making it easy to optimize campaigns to drive revenue
• This demand-side platform supports multiple ad formats (video, CTV, etc.), letting you reach audiences wherever they are
• Its intuitive “My Reports” dashboard puts all the data you need about your campaign at your fingertips, providing insights into customers
• The Trade Desk has 350+ partners, meaning you can reach more audiences across its immense advertising ecosystem
• Its open market real-time bidding feature means you can automatically bid on billions of impressions around the web
• The software’s campaign wizard makes planning campaigns, setting goals, prioritizing spending, and optimizing performance convenient

Pricing

The Trade Desk doesn’t provide pricing information on its website, but you can contact the team here with any inquiries you may have.

Bottom line

This demand-side platform is ideal for large businesses with robust advertising budgets. Its partnerships with companies like ESPN and its open market real-time bidding feature make it one of the best automated platforms for advertisers with money to spend. Check out the product here.

9. Choozle

Overview

Choozle is a programmatic advertising platform that provides brands with reach across various ad mediums (video, CTV, native, audio, etc.). It distinguishes itself from other platforms by providing onboarding and training specialists from the get-go. Thus, whether you’re new to DSPs or are migrating from an existing one, the team is always ready to help.

This software lets you optimize your campaigns by using cutting-edge technology. In addition, its dashboards are exportable, letting you view campaign performance at every level on or off the platform.

Choozle enables you to reach customers through various means, including retargeting, geolocation targeting, cross-device targeting, IP address targeting, email marketing, and other options, allowing you to select the best approach for your target audience. Additionally, Choozle has partnered with more than 60 third-party data providers to offer a high-quality and safe ad-buying experience.

Highlights

• Choozle provides training and onboarding specialists to help you get to grips with the platform quickly
• The platform provides transparent reporting through an exportable dashboard, so you’re always clued in on your campaign’s performance
• Its multiple targeting options give you more options for reaching audiences and potential customers
• The platform’s partnership with 60+ third-party data providers means you’ll be advertising with name brands like Papa John’s, Schneider, and Creighton University.
• Its look-alike modeling capabilities let you target new audiences
• Choozle’s experts help you plan and execute your campaigns so that they’re more efficient

Pricing

Choozle has two plans: ChoozleGo and ChoozlePro.

Both plans provide unlimited advertiser accounts, access to over 60 premium third-party data providers, a plethora of targeting tactics (retargeting, IP targeting, etc.), look-alike modeling, and more features. 

You’ll need to schedule a demo to get pricing information for the ChoozleGo plan or contact the company for the ChoozlePro plan’s price.

Bottom line

Choozle is an excellent DSP for business owners who are new to advertising in this way. You’ll appreciate how this DSP provides specialists to help familiarize you with DSP advertising and Choozle’s platform in particular. Also, its plethora of targeting tactics are impressive. Check out the product here.

10. Adobe Advertising Cloud

Overview

Adobe Advertising Cloud DSP is part of the Adobe Experience Cloud software suite of products. This omnichannel DSP supports ad mediums like connected TV, video, audio, native, display, and search campaigns. And it provides look-alike modeling that facilitates the expansion of an advertiser’s reach to new audiences.

Adobe Advertising Cloud provides real-time reporting, custom reports, and raw activity logs that help in analyzing campaign performance and making informed and optimized decisions. In addition, the platform has proprietary built-in ad management capabilities for shaping and managing your ad creative and integrated brand surveys for collecting feedback.

Adobe’s DSP is built on the principles of brand safety and transparency, which serve as its foundation. The platform ensures that you remain informed about how each penny of your advertising budget is contributing to the success of your campaign. Additionally, it offers access to over 100 top-tier digital publishers and broadcasters, all within the same platform.

Highlights

• As an omnichannel DSP, Adobe Advertising Cloud supports ads on all types of ad mediums (video, CTV, etc.)
• The platform provides a wealth of data you can rely on when targeting audiences through real-time reporting, custom reports, raw activity logs, and more
• Adobe Advertising Cloud’s built-in ad creative management platform facilitates the delivery of personalized, engaging experiences
• It’s an incredibly transparent advertising buying platform, so you’ll always know how far your ad dollars reach
• You get access to look-alike modeling that helps expand your reach to new and existing audiences alike
• The platform provides access to over 100 digital publishers, giving you an abundance of choices of ad inventory suppliers to partner with

Pricing

Adobe doesn’t provide pricing information for its demand-side platform on its website. However, you can request a demo here and make inquiries about pricing.

Bottom line

Adobe Advertising Cloud is meant for companies large and small. Look-alike modeling, transparency, data-rich features, and more make it an excellent demand-side platform for advertisers that want to reach audiences precisely and safely. Check out the product here.

11. AdLib

Overview

AdLib is a free premium demand-side platform you can use to reach audiences on the most popular websites, apps, and streaming platforms. The platform was created by former MediaMath employees and so is built by a team that has decades of experience in the programmatic advertising field.

This demand-side platform claims to have “more reach than any other ad platform across 250 countries and territories”. It leverages AI to automatically optimize your campaigns, saving you time spent manually making adjustments. Also, it has a low learning curve, meaning you can create a campaign in minutes.

Using AdLib provides access to 150,000+ audience segments from over 50 data providers. You get access to a premium advertising ecosystem with always-on protection and privacy and fraud controls. And if you don’t have ad creatives, this platform’s Magic Ads feature can build high-performing campaigns for you.

Highlights

• Free sign-up means you can set up campaigns without contracts or paperwork
• Its AI-optimized campaigns save you time otherwise spent manually adjusting campaigns
• AdLib is an easy-to-use platform, meaning you can get campaigns up and running in mere minutes
• The platform gives you access to over 150,000 audience segments from 50 data providers, meaning you can target just about any customer you can imagine
• AdLib’s always-on protection prevents wasted ad spend with a suite of fraud and privacy controls
• The Magic Ads feature builds ad creatives for users who don’t want to/can’t make theirs

Pricing

Adlib has a paid plan that provides monthly or yearly access to the platform. Accessing the platform monthly costs $499, while annual access costs $4999.

Both payment options provide perks like unlimited retargeting pixels, unlimited user accounts, and unlimited advertisers and campaigns. However, you get the first two months free when you pay for yearly access and custom-scheduled reports.

Bottom line

Businesses of all sizes will benefit from using AdLib. Features like the platform’s Magic Ads function, AI-optimized campaigns, and beginner-friendly design and user interface make AdLib an appealing demand-side advertising software. Check out the product here.

How Are Demand-Side Platform (DSP) Providers Used? What Are Demand-Side Platform Providers?

A demand-side platform provider is a software company that provides a platform where advertisers can buy ad inventory from publishers willing to supply the digital ad space. Their platforms are usually automated and provide a convenient way for advertisers to manage their ad campaigns across multiple real-time bidding networks.

Small, medium, and large businesses use demand-side platform providers to buy ads in video, audio, display, mobile, CTV, and other formats. Some companies opt to use the platform’s proprietary ad creative template when making their ads, while others customize one for themselves.

Moreover, organizations depend on DSPs for their analytical features that assist in monitoring their campaign’s progress. As some DSPs provide various targeting alternatives, companies utilize them to reach their target audience by geographical location, web browser type, internet speed, email, and other specifications. Furthermore, they leverage the anti-fraud tools provided by these platforms to prevent any deceitful impressions.

Wrap Up

Demand-side platform providers facilitate automated global advertising and precise campaign optimization that drive profitable business outcomes. The ones listed in this article are among the best for reaching your target audience, no matter where they congregate on the web.

In terms of features like targeting capabilities, ad inventory ecosystems, data and analytics, and real-time bidding, you can’t go wrong with one of the platforms we recommend. So choose one of these programmatic platforms if you value transparency and brand safety!