Best Demand-Side Platforms 2025

What are Demand-Side Platforms?

Demand-side platforms, or DSPs, allow advertisers, brands, or individuals to bid and purchase advertising space via a marketplace. This includes ads distributed across a network of Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) screens, banners that optimize clicks on retail websites, paid search engine ads, video ads on platforms like YouTube, etc.

The DSPs acts as a marketplace where different publishers and retailers/bands auction advertising space for advertisers to bid on. This provides advertisers with an easy way to see all available advertising placement opportunities and purchase the ad space that would work best for their business. Typically, advertisers can adjust their bids and can see a snapshot of the market demand for each item purchased.

DSPs were created as a response to real-time bidding for ad space. Rather than buying digital ads through physical salespeople, the process became more automated and accurate without having to manually adjust certain percentages and numbers. Demand-side platforms differ from ad exchanges in that they are meant to serve the interests of advertisers rather than the public.

The two main types of demand-side platforms include completely self-serve and managed demand-side platforms. Self-serve, as the name insinuates, allows advertisers to manage their own ad campaigns through the platform dashboards. Managed demand platforms use a team hired by the DSP company to oversee the ad campaign.

Demand-Side Platform Features

Some of the most common demand-side platforms include:

• API customization
• Ad serving capabilities
• Analytics
• Campaign dashboard & optimization
• Customized reports
• Bulk editing
• Reach
• Alerts & notifications
• User segmentation

Demand-Side Platform Comparison

Some important things to consider when choosing a demand-side platform include:

• Amount of ad space: Depending on your business or individual goals, you may be looking for a platform with a larger selection or variety of ad space available. Different vendors may have different types and amounts of ad space, therefore be sure you choose to work with a DSP that has the type of advertising placement you’re looking for.
• Ease of use: Another important factor is how difficult or easy the platform is to use. Be sure your vendor offers a user-friendly interface with a small to no learning curve.

Pricing Information

Most DSP vendors don’t offer pricing information publicly. Interested buyers should contact vendors directly for customized pricing options. Some vendors will allow you to register an account with them for free prior to purchasing.