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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Basis DSP

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ABasis from Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro) is a programmatic ad buying platform supporting digital advertising buying and placement across varying channels. Since the acquisition of SiteScout the platform also contains technology from the SiteScout AdServer.N/A

    Equativ

    Score10 out of 10
    N/AEquativ (formerly Smart AdServer) is a French ad server provider with a large international presence. Customers tend to be European media outlets.N/A

    Kevel

    Score7.9 out of 10
    Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
    Kevel's (formerly Adzerk) APIs is designed to make it easy for engineers and PMs to build their own server-side, fully-customized ad server. E-retailers and user communities can use Kevel to build ad servers to promote anything from native ads to internal content to sponsored listings (where vendors and sellers pay for their organic listing to be promoted in search and browsing results). According to the vendor, engineers reliably see a significant reduction in dev time using Kevel’s APIs…N/A
    Pricing
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Free Trial
    NoNoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——Pricing is customized based on feature needs, support needs, and monthly request volume.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Considered Multiple Products
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    No answer on this topic
    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    No answer on this topic
    Kevel
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Ad Network Integration
    Comparison of Ad Network Integration features of Basis DSP and Equativ and Kevel
    Feature
    Basis DSP
    -
    Ratings
    Equativ
    8.0
    1 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Kevel
    10.0
    1 Ratings
    31% above category average
    Data Transfer00 Ratings8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    DSP integration00 Ratings8.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Ad Campaigns
    Comparison of Ad Campaigns features of Basis DSP and Equativ and Kevel
    Feature
    Basis DSP
    -
    Ratings
    Equativ
    8.0
    1 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Kevel
    10.0
    1 Ratings
    24% above category average
    Ad campaign creation00 Ratings8.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Ad deployment00 Ratings9.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Display advertising00 Ratings7.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Ad display and retargeting segmentation00 Ratings8.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Sequence targeting00 Ratings8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Ad Reporting & Analytics features of Basis DSP and Equativ and Kevel
    Feature
    Basis DSP
    -
    Ratings
    Equativ
    7.5
    1 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Kevel
    9.2
    1 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Ad dashboards00 Ratings8.01 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Ad performance reports00 Ratings8.01 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Ad conversion tracking00 Ratings7.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Ad attribution reporting00 Ratings8.01 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Cross-channel ad management00 Ratings7.01 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Ad forecasting and optimization00 Ratings7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Small Businesses
    Infillion DSP (MediaMath)
    Score7.4 out of 10
    AdRoll
    Score3.7 out of 10
    AdRoll
    Score3.7 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    StackAdapt
    Score7.1 out of 10
    Criteo Commerce Growth
    Score8 out of 10
    Criteo Commerce Growth
    Score8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Yahoo DSP
    Score8 out of 10
    Criteo Commerce Growth
    Score8 out of 10
    Criteo Commerce Growth
    Score8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (14 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Basis DSPEquativKevel
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    I would recommend Basis [DSP] for specific clients. Boutique agencies that do not require very complex programmatic solutions are the best fit. It is not very well suited for very big clients that want to run multicountries campaigns with objectives that are very much performance focused. Their dashboard is very good and the platform is easy to use so new entrants to programmatic will find it very useful.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    Smart AdServer is great for a marketing department, to track stats and clicks of their audience. It's a great way to engage the client without actually engaging them. We use it all the time to monitor where they're going, what they're interested in, and how engaging our posts are. I would say it's probably not a good idea for a smaller organization, as one social media manager could work it all out
    Incentivized
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    Kevel
    For ad serving, implementing client-side header bidding with prebid was actually easier with Kevel than it is with Google Ad Manager in most cases, particularly for display advertising. I found though that with more complex integrations (like video), there were more solutions and code snippets available with other larger ad servers (Google).
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    • Basis DSP does a great job of keeping their clients informed of new and upcoming features on their platform. They regularly host webinars to help keep their clients informed of what's up and coming and how to use new features.
    • Client relations with Basis is incredible. They're available on a regular, consistent basis. In addition, they check in throughout the on boarding process and beyond to help their clients understand they system.
    • The analytics tracking capabilities built into Basis DSP is fantastic. They provide many different options on how to pull and organize reports for clients.
    • The additional training offered through Centro Institute is fantastic, especially for beginners. Going to Chicago and training at the headquarters for a couple of days has helped with my company's success in building a programmatic advertising clientele list and building successful campaigns.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    • It is easy to use, with functionality covering mobile, desktop and even tablet. I'm always on the go, so it's nice to be able to access my server from pretty much anywhere.
    • It has a wonderful intuitive user interface, every facet of this is designed and thought over, so it's easy to navigate around the program.
    • It offers a free trial so there's no real commitment if you just want to try it out, which is nice.
    Incentivized
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    Kevel
    • More personable team that can address customizations needed to the product.
    • Easy to use interface.
    • Frequent product updates with notifications via email.
    • Well documented API.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    • More detail on how and when the exchanges review submitted ad tags would help us set better expectations for our clients and client success teams during launch. Often a delay in ad approvals can result in lagging campaign metrics that must be made up later, often at the cost of performance.
    • More predictive tools / the ability to stop a campaign from bidding when a certain impression threshold is reached (in addition to the dayparting and budget rules that are currently in place and used for every campaign).
    • For some reports, such a geolocation reports, being able to visualize it on a map of some kind would make the data export more meaningful and less manual for our operations and client success teams seeking to explain to clients where their campaign was exposed.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    • I would like a more in-depth look at my traffic stats. I can see clicks, where my audience is going, but I'd like maybe some kind of perspective into who my audience is (18-24, adult, etc).
    • Constant updates. It's nice that they're always looking to update program, but the update can kinda get in the way of my work sometimes.
    • I'd prefer it if were a little cheaper – the free trial is nice, but getting my superiors to sign off on the cost (they're a bit old school) is a bit tough sometimes.
    Incentivized
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    Kevel
    • User interface could be faster to load.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    It's pretty basic, nothing is hidden and nothing ever moves so you can count on finding what you are looking for each day
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    No answers on this topic
    Kevel
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    We have a dedicated account rep. She makes it seem like we are her only client, she is very responsive, helps each time we have a question and understands our campaign goals. Anytime we need support, our rep is available either email or call and if she is not going to be available, she will let us know ahead of time to provide back up and inform them of our current campaigns so they can better assist us.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    No answers on this topic
    Kevel
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    There are a ton of tactics and strategy to implement in the DSP platform. There isn't really a selection of the different types of campaigns or tactics to choose from, you just have to learn as you go. Once you figure out the strategy and goal of the campaign it is very easy to implement the tactic and to achieve its goals.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    No answers on this topic
    Kevel
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    Advangelist, StackAdapt, Simplifi, Trade Desk, Media Math - overall most of the other platforms we reviewed were perfectly fine and can get the job done quite well. We have mostly stuck with basis because of the relationship that we have, the fact that they have continued to provide stellar support, and have a platform that delivers on everything they promise.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    Honestly, you can use either/or. I'm all about AdServer right now because since Adobe has implemented their cloud service, they've gotten more expensive. Smart AdServer is just one cost, and it's cheaper than Adobe Cloud
    Incentivized
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    Kevel
    Kevel was an easier initial implementation for header bidding with prebid. The team worked alongside us to make sure everything was operating as intended. We ultimately switched to Ads Manager to access AdX demand and other features that were not possible with Kevel (for instance, EBDA). There are benefits to both but I appreciated the attention we got from Kevel support when we were first working through the implementation. We are still using Kevel for many things, just not as our primary display advertising ad server.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Basis Global Technologies (formerly Centro)
    • Affordable display option - The SiteScout platform runs comparable to other self-serve display platforms, and offers a very large network from which to choose.
    • More visibility for our brand - We've used SiteScout as an awareness tactic, and received millions of impressions at a reasonable cost.
    Incentivized
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    Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer)
    • It's helped my organization better manage our traffic flow.
    • It's reduced the amount of work on our social media manager.
    • It's helped my organization get a better perspective on our clientele - where they're going, what they're interested in, it's been a great asset to our business.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Kevel
    • Kevel enabled us to get up and running with client side header bidding when our team was still small and the technology was still new. This improved our ability to monetize our inventory.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    Kevel Screenshots

    Screenshot of Adzerk homepageScreenshot of Decision API JSON exampleScreenshot of Management API example