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5 Best Ad Networks for Publishers and Buyers in 2025

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Does your company need to buy, sell, and optimize ads to maximize revenue? Jumping from a DSP to an SSP is time-consuming and inconvenient, not to mention they’re sometimes incompatible. Luckily, some programmatic media buying solutions offer platforms for both buying and selling ad space. 

In this listing, you’ll find 5 top programmatic AdTech companies that:

  • Offer omnichannel advertising solutions;
  • Have been on the market for 7 years or more;
  • Operate globally;
  • Have been recognized with industry awards.

Read on to find the option that fits your business best. 

1. SmartyAds

SmartyAds has been providing top programmatic media buying solutions for over a decade to help businesses buy and sell ad space at the best value. It provides a full programmatic ecosystem, including a DSP for advertisers and an SSP for publishers. The company’s services include many ad formats on all devices, including display, video, mobile, native, connected TV, and digital billboards.

SmartyAds has developed one of the best demand-side platforms for advertisers. It supports audience and contextual targeting, as well as real-time performance tracking. Its unique feature, Click Booster, allows customers to boost click-through rates by optimizing creative placements. The platform has an intuitive interface, a clear setup, and wide targeting options.

On the publisher’s side, SmartyAds’ SSP uses machine learning to determine optimal floor prices, supports header bidding, and facilitates private deals with trusted advertisers. It allows users to monitor inventory-level metrics, control which types of buyers have access to different slots, and establish monetization rules. It supports many integration types, such as API, Prebid.js, Google Ad Manager tags, and others, placing it among the best supply-side platforms in the industry.

The company is accredited by the IAB and the Data Privacy Framework Program, so you can be sure of its customer security standards. On G2, the platform is rated 4.6/5, being recognized as a High Performer. It was also honored by the Drum Awards, Red Herring, and MarTech Breakthrough Awards.

2. Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising is a global ad company that offers one of the most established programmatic media buying solutions. Its digital products seamlessly integrate with Microsoft’s advertising infrastructure, which gives clients access to exclusive data, audience insights, and high-quality inventory across display, video, and connected TV.

The company owns one of the top SSP platforms, Microsoft Monetize, which includes features such as an ad server, the SSP, yield analytics, and support for extensive programmatic tools like header bidding to increase publishers’ revenue. This company was one of the first platforms to support OTT/CTV header bidding, competitive exclusion in ad pods, and video inventory auctions. Its Curate product allows publishers and data owners to create packaged, curated deal segments that can be sold programmatically in multiple ways.

The company also developed a robust DSP, Microsoft Invest, powered by machine learning. Its key advantage lies in its access to Microsoft’s own data, which allows it to reach the right customers on Microsoft’s platforms and partner networks.

 3. Adform

Adform is a Denmark-based company that offers the best programmatic advertising platforms both for sellers and buyers. It provides a unified ecosystem called Adform FLOW, which integrates a DSP, an SSP, and an ad server within a single interface. This seamless structure enables advertisers, agencies, and publishers to collaborate efficiently, without the need for fragmented third-party systems.

Its SSP, Adform Monetize, supports header bidding and allows publishers to control who bids on each impression, set pricing rules, and manage private deals. The SSP integrates with publisher DMPs, including first-party data, supports multiple demand integrations, and offers unified dashboards, so publishers can access insights and take action.

The company’s DSP has had extended functionality since 2024, now supporting more than 5 mapped first-party IDs in the cookieless/ad-identifier transition space. It also added Campaign Planner, improved Retail Media functionality, and extended DCO for video, which reinforced their omnichannel and video strengths. In 2021, the FLOW interface won the Red Dot Award in the category of UX Design. The platform has a solid 4/5 rating on G2.

4. Amazon

Amazon is a giant e-commerce and media company that also provides programmatic media buying solutions. With the Amazon DSP, advertisers can buy display, video, and audio ads programmatically, both on and outside of Amazon. It uses unique first-party data, which includes search history, purchase intent, and behavioral signals, exposing what customers actually buy. This makes it one of the top DSP platforms out there.

Amazon doesn’t have a standalone SSP, but it does offer supply-side functionality through Amazon Publisher Services and other publisher tools. Through these, publishers can make their inventory available to Amazon DSP and other programmatic buyers under curated conditions.

APS includes Transparent Ad Marketplace for header bidding, Unified Ad Marketplace for server-to-server integrations, and tools that help publishers optimize yield, improve load times, and access high-quality advertisers. Amazon was ranked as the top 5 ad exchange company by the Forrester 2024 report for its SSP. On G2, Amazon DSP has 4.2 stars out of 5.

5. Google Display & Video 360

DV360 is Google’s premier programmatic buying tool within the Google Marketing Platform. It allows advertisers to manage complex, multichannel campaigns from a single interface. This top programmatic ad platform is seamlessly integrated with the Google ecosystem, including YouTube, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360, and Analytics 360, which simplifies workflows from planning to reporting. 

DV360’s automated bidding and optimization features use Google’s machine learning models to maximize performance. Tools like Ad Canvas and Data-Driven Creatives allow you to design and test ad options directly within the platform. DV360 also provides many advanced targeting options using data from both first-party and Google sources, as well as custom interest and market segments. 

Conclusion

When choosing between the best ad networks for publishers, focus on those that are easily integrated with your existing tools. Choose platforms that offer unified dashboards, real-time analytics, and effective anti-fraud measures. Sign up for platforms with a proven track record of maximizing revenue, following privacy laws, and providing quick service.

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