TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Google Ad Manager

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/AGoogle Ad Manager is a platform for publishers that combines the former DoubleClick for Publishers and DoubleClick Ad Exchange products.N/A
    Pricing
    Google Ad Manager
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Google Ad Manager
    Free Trial
    No
    Free/Freemium Version
    No
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    No
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Google Ad Manager
    Considered Both Products
    Google
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    We use also some of those platforms depending on the use case scenario. But comparing them, Google Ad Manager is better suited for managing ads in a more centralized and structured way. So it give us stronger operational control and a more scalable setup overall, centralizing …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Smartly definitely makes using Google ADS much easier, as it is more of an add-on and helps in cross-platform ad management.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Meta Business Manager has its own set of UX problems. I chose Google Ad Manager, because it's free and gives direct access to Google data, such as for keywords, competition, and auction pricing.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google Ads Manager is simpler to use and easier to integrate into our agency's day-to-day operations. The functionality is great, and integration into our onboarding process is much easier. When new hires or interns work within the platforms, they learn more quickly and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    As I've said in prior comments, I like how the Google Ad Manager makes better use of the Google data and results compared to the others. Yes, I've tried them - I used to evaluate software for a former company. They will all do the job I didn't like their usage as much as I …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Among all the ad management platforms I use on a regular basis, Google Ad Manager is the most straightforward to use. However, I probably have a paid search bias, as I spend more time there than with the paid social or programmatic platforms. Even still, Google Ad Manager is …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    I personally liked it because of the complex features available. Knowing that this comes from Google, I did not have second thoughts - Comes from an Top tier brand.

    There were other products in the market, however, I chose to stick to this due to the following reasons,
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    None
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google ads help to run ads over other platforms apart from meta.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google ads manager is the forefront in search marketing. Other platforms mirror features and trends set by Google while Google continues to innovate and evolve in a class of its own.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    With Google ad there are more options to be able to put an ad together and to be able to use the information that best suits our situation. With the other vendors, there is limited use to be able to target and also to be able to correct once deployed or pushed forward where …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    The main advantage of Google Ad Manager over The Trade Desk is based on the fact that Google Ad Manager has better data to identify a user on any device as it has more data and the user is signed in over Google Ad Manager´s set of properties. That is why results on Google Ad …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    I didn't evaluate a competitor.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google Ads is [completely different from] Bing. I mostly advertise on Google and prefer it over Bing tenfold.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    We use Google Ads Manager to manage ad campaigns on Google I found that Google Ads Manager was confusing, had a steep learning curve, and had poor documentation. I found myself having to look at tutorials from other websites. I find this to be true of most Google products. They …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    The other DSPs I've used were all managed services and this is the first time we've been able to manage the system on our own!
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google streamlines the process and is supremely easier to use than Facebook for Business (utilized for Facebook ad management.). Facebook's control over their management system makes the program much more cumbersome and less effective. Meanwhile, as mentioned, the Google Ad …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    As I alluded to earlier, you kind of have to be on Google if you want to search marketing. I've tried Bing Ads and I just don't see the same volume or quality. With dwindling targeting abilities on social media sites like Facebook, Google is still tall and mighty and helps us …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google Ad Manager surpasses all competitor ad management services in every aspect. It is free to use and offers the best quality for your budget.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    We selected Google Ad Manager in place of our internal software because Ad Manager allows us to better target our audience while tracking performance at a higher level.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google Ad Manager is the best simply because of how great it is to advertise on the largest search engine on the internet. The other platforms I think have better dashboards and segmentation options but Google is the best because their audience is the largest and most focused …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Google Ad Manager is one of the only free to use ad management services out there. While there are several alternatives such as OpenX and Adzerk, Google Ad Manager provides the best bang for your buck (considering you don't spend any money on the actual product itself). …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    Bings ad tool is clunky, geographies don't import well/accurately and it's old looking. It's basically a Google Ad Manager, but only for the Bing Microsoft network.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    It's a similar product to Facebook, as Google Ad Manager is for Google. Google Ad Manager is better in terms of user segmentation and targeting.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Ad Manager
    We looked at Adsense and Google Ad Manager when we were selecting a platform. Google Manager seemed easier to use and more robust when it came to social management. Google Ad Manager was also easier to use and offered a better community to help you if you get stuck on an issue.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    93%
    Would buy again
    14 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    14 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    14 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    10 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    75%
    Implementation went as expected
    9 Answers
    Features
    Google Ad Manager
    Ad Network Integration
    Comparison of Ad Network Integration features of Google Ad Manager
    Feature
    Google Ad Manager
    7.8
    28 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Data Transfer7.528 Ratings
    DSP integration8.122 Ratings
    Ad Campaigns
    Comparison of Ad Campaigns features of Google Ad Manager
    Feature
    Google Ad Manager
    7.4
    40 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Ad campaign creation7.640 Ratings
    Ad deployment7.040 Ratings
    Display advertising7.639 Ratings
    Ad display and retargeting segmentation7.238 Ratings
    Sequence targeting7.528 Ratings
    Ad Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Ad Reporting & Analytics features of Google Ad Manager
    Feature
    Google Ad Manager
    6.7
    39 Ratings
    15% below category average
    Ad dashboards6.537 Ratings
    Ad performance reports7.439 Ratings
    Ad conversion tracking6.738 Ratings
    Ad attribution reporting6.834 Ratings
    Cross-channel ad management7.029 Ratings
    Ad forecasting and optimization5.734 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Google Ad Manager
    Small Businesses
    AdRoll
    Score3.7 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Criteo Commerce Growth
    Score8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Criteo Commerce Growth
    Score8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Google Ad Manager
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.2
    (40 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    6.8
    (8 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Google Ad Manager
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Google
    I like that I can see several clients in one place, which can be convenient. However, the UX could be a lot better as outlined previously. In other words, the benefits of combining clients into the Ad Manager don't seem to be much more beneficial than logging into each client's ad account separately
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Google
    • The obvious is the data - Google Ads Manager gives me essential and even critical data about which jobs and industries are hot right now and what is driving the most response.
    • Google Ad Manager gives us more control over the search engine results page as we get more visibility and real estate on our branded search terms and job/industry-specific search terms.
    • Google Ad Manager gives us the chance to compete with major national players in job recruitment, Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Google
    • Support. Not that they don't call or offer help, it's that our account people are bullies. I tell them I don't have time, so I am insulted and told that I need to get in front of the laptop otherwise I have "failed the company." I have never had a situation where I wasn't bullied by our Ad reps. They don't respect or value our time, which can make their calls frustrating.
    • Too quick on support. They don't take the time to understand the product. We are a preschool which shares a name with a popular motorcycle. An Ad rep insisted he knew the company so well that he could help me within five minutes. After being interrupted frequently, I just let him continue to tell me how I "could increase awareness of our aerodynamic seat design by creating ads with those keywords..."
    • Better management of trademark keywords and program awareness. We switched over to a new site, the domain changed for about ten seconds. All of our ads were unapproved and put on pause. The email stated it would be fixed very quickly, but I had to go in for the last 3 days to reactivate each one individually.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Google
    I think it's useful for our team and we rely on it to improve our business. It is within our budget also. Although we still will need an approval from the upper-level management team, I don't see any problem with that
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Google
    While most of Google Ad Manager is user-friendly, certain parts of the ad creation process could use some improvements. Specifically, the way you insert keywords can be clunky and time-consuming, and I would like to see better and more keyword suggestions when designing a campaign.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Google
    I could say a lot about this topic. As an agency, we get a new [representative] to talk to almost every quarter to go over select accounts and the campaigns within. Most of the time, these [educated representatives], don't provide any new feedback, or I just simply [disagree] with their approach. This is not all the time however. I have learned a lot from a rare few, [individuals] that have given me new strategies and access to betas early on. The other side of support, is the [overseas support platform]. [It] is usually not very helpful, but you can [emphasize] issues and they can research [them]. The Google Tag Implementation team is pristine though. When you need them, you need to set an appointment, which is usually 2 weeks out; they are so over-my-head intelligent, I've never had a bad experience with them and whenever I needed them for a fix, they solved it [within] the first call.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Google
    As I've said in prior comments, I like how the Google Ad Manager makes better use of the Google data and results compared to the others. Yes, I've tried them - I used to evaluate software for a former company. They will all do the job I didn't like their usage as much as I preferred the Google information - and I said even that had flaws - so you have to realize that nothing is completely perfect so far.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Google
    • I was able to work well with my budgets - mainly because of the reports.
    • I saw a great spike in the way my ad traffic increased.
    • It was a very easy way to work with Google Ad Manager than connecting other platforms with less compatibility - Less investment.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots