Demand side platforms (DSPs) have evolved over the years. In 2021, various new tools have come up with new functionalities, ad formats, and capabilities. By constantly evolving and updating their technology, DSPs are actively competing with multiple ad exchanges.
If you are also looking for a DSP for your business, then you are at the right place. Here we’ll talk about the best demand side platforms in 2021.
Table of Contents
What is a demand side platform?
A demand side platform (DSP) is a marketing automation tool that advertisers can use to buy advertising. DSPs are considered powerful software as they allow advertisers to buy ad placements in real-time and reach their target audience. Majorly used by advertisers, advertising agencies, and marketing teams, the primary purpose is to purchase the impressions on the right inventory and display them to users at reasonable prices.
How does a demand side platform work?
The process of a demand side platform also involves its interaction with supply side platforms (SSPs) to purchase the impressions in real-time from publishers. Here is a simplified demand side platform example of how this software works.
- When any user visits a website or opens an app, their cookies are collected automatically at the source and sent to the SSP which in turn sends a request to the demand side platforms.
- The DSP analyzes the user’s information and matches it with the criteria laid down by the advertisers and agencies, such as the user’s location, age, gender, IP, device type, OS, and more. If the criteria matches, then the DSP competes with other DSPs in an auction to buy this impression. If there is no match, then the DSP does not take part in the auction.
- The agencies whose DSP submits the highest bid wins the impression for that particular user. This entire process happens in real-time and takes just few milliseconds. As a result, the ad is displayed to the right user at the right time.
What are the types of demand side platforms?
Today, there are several demand side platform companies available in the market. There are two types of demand side platforms –
- Self-serve – In this type of DSP, advertisers can use the dashboard to manage the ad campaigns on their own. Advertisers who prefer this will have total control on their campaigns; however, it involves a lot of time and effort.
- Managed – In this type of DSP, advertisers give control to the service team to manage the ad campaigns. This is useful for those who are new to the business or for those who do not sufficient experience or time.
What are the top features of demand side platform?
Whether you are searching for the best demand side platform or free demand side platform software, you need to have certain criteria in mind, such as the features offered. Different DSPs offer different features; however, there are some features that are crucial. These include –
- Compatibility with different devices and channels
- Maximum traffic and top-notch anti-fraud control
- Support for majority of the ad formats and in-depth analytics
- Compliant with local as well as international privacy regulations
Top 7 demand side platforms of 2021
As mentioned earlier, advertisers, advertising agencies, and marketing teams have the option to choose from a wide range of some of the best demand side platforms. Here is a brief list of the top seven DSP platforms, their features, technical details, and pricing.
1. Amazon DSP
When you search for the best demand side platform companies in 2021, one name that is sure to top the list is Amazon DSP. Offering both self-service and managed service options, Amazon DSP enables advertisers to programmatically purchase display and video ads.
Features of Amazon DSP
Some of the key features of Amazon DSP include –
- Audience targeting
- AI optimization
- Brand safety and fraud protection
- Budget management
- Contextual targeting
- Creative management
- Demographic targeting
- Frequency capping
- Geo targeting
- Mobile advertising
- Omnichannel campaign management
- Private marketplace
- Retargeting
- Reporting
- Real-time bidding
Technical details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, and large enterprises |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Online |
Pricing
Amazon DSP offers custom pricing and includes all of its major functionalities.
2. StackAdapt
If you are looking for a state-of-the-art demand side platform, then StackAdapt is your ideal option. This self-serving advertising platform is compatible across various channels, such as display, video, native, audio ads, and connected TV.
Features
The key features of this top DSP software include –
- Audience targeting
- AI optimization
- Brand safety and fraud protection
- Budget management
- Contextual targeting
- Creative management
- Demographic targeting
- Frequency capping
- Geo targeting
- Mobile advertising
- Omnichannel campaign management
- Private marketplace
- Retargeting
- Reporting
- Real-time bidding
Technical Details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, and large enterprises |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Online Business Hours |
Pricing
StackAdapt offers custom plans and usually includes all the major functions and features.
3. Choozle
If you are searching for the best demand side platform companies offering self-service DSP, then you must check out Choozle. With control as its main objective, Choozle offers a robust advertising software platform, allowing its users to program advertising campaigns across different channels and devices from one single, intuitive interface.
Features
Below are some of the key features offered by Choozle –
- Audience targeting
- AI optimization
- Brand safety and fraud protection
- Budget management
- Contextual targeting
- Creative management
- Demographic targeting
- Frequency capping
- Geo targeting
- Mobile advertising
- Omnichannel campaign management
- Private marketplace
- Retargeting
- Reporting
- Real-time bidding
Technical details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, and large enterprises |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Business Hours |
Pricing
You can purchase the Choozle plan for $99 per month and avail features like web insights, audience data, campaigns, learning & support.
4. Basis
Basis is a first-of-its-kind SaaS advertising solution that unifies programmatic and direct media buying with workflow automation, cross-channel campaign planning, universal reporting, and business intelligence. It is one of the most comprehensive and automated demand side platforms available in the market today.
Features
The features and functionalities of Basis include –
- Audience targeting
- AI optimization
- Brand safety and fraud protection
- Budget management
- Contextual targeting
- Creative management
- Demographic targeting
- Frequency capping
- Geo targeting
- Mobile advertising
- Omnichannel campaign management
- Private marketplace
- Retargeting
- Reporting
- Real-time bidding
Technical details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, and large enterprises |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Business Hours Online |
Pricing
Similar to the majority of the best demand side platform software, Basis also offers custom pricing plans that include all of its features.
5. Adelphic
Adelphic is a self-service demand side platform software that is compatible across various devices and formats, such as desktop, mobile, TV, audio, digital out of home, etc. Users can easily plan, measure, and execute their advertising campaigns using Adelphic’s intuitive interface. This DSP offers several functionalities which allow its users to access a simplified digital advertising platform.
Features
Some of the key features of Adelphic include –
- Audience targeting
- Brand safety & fraud protection
- Budget management
- Contextual targeting
- Demographic targeting
- Frequency capping
- Omnichannel campaign management
- Real-time bidding
- Retargeting
- Reporting
Technical details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, large enterprises, individuals, and freelancers |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Online |
Pricing
Adelphic charges $3,000 per month for each license and it includes functionalities, such as machine learning optimization, campaign management, notifications, etc.
6. The Trade Desk
When you search for the best demand side platforms, you will definitely find The Trade Desk featuring in the list. Advertisers, marketing teams, advertising agencies, etc., can use this self-service DSP to create highly personalized ad experiences and better manage their ad campaigns. This DSP is compatible across channels and devices.
Features
The list of features offered by The Trade Desk include –
- Audience targeting
- AI optimization
- Brand safety and fraud protection
- Budget management
- Contextual targeting
- Creative management
- Demographic targeting
- Frequency capping
- Geo targeting
- Mobile advertising
- Omnichannel campaign management
- Private marketplace
- Retargeting
- Reporting
- Real-time bidding
Technical Details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, and large enterprises |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Business Hours Online |
Pricing
The Trade Desk offers custom plans that include all of its features and functionalities.
7. Adzooma
Adzooma is one of the top DSP software that allows its users to manage and optimize ads, such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft ads. Suitable for businesses of all sizes, Adzooma uses machine learning techniques to improve performance. It offers a wide range of features that helps its users to run successful ad campaigns.
Features
Below is the list of features offered by Adzooma –
- Audience targeting
- AI optimization
- Budget management
- Creative management
- Demographic targeting
- Geo targeting
- Real-time bidding
- Reporting
- Retargeting
Technical details
| API | No |
| Customer Type | Small businesses, medium enterprises, and large enterprises |
| Deployment | SaaS/Web/Cloud |
| Support | Business Hours Online 24/7 (Live rep) |
Pricing
Adzooma offers four different plans, each offering different features and functionalities. Below are the plans offered –
- Pilot – $49/user/monthly
- Advanced Pilot – $99/user/monthly
- Rocket Pilot – $249/user/monthly
- Galaxy Class – Custom pricing
Conclusion
Before you decide to buy and invest in any of the top demand side platforms, you need to conduct a thorough evaluation and find out answers to key questions related to data privacy, compliance with privacy regulations, data collection, compatibility with various channels and devices, etc. You can use these key areas to compare the different DSPs and choose the one that suits your requirements the best.
To find out more about the various demand side platforms and compare between them, check out our comprehensive list of demand side platforms.
You can also check out SaaSworthy to know about various other software available to boost your business and profits. With over 40,000 software across 300 different categories, you will be able to find all the required information within minutes.
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