Before demand-side platforms (DSPs), marketers and advertising agencies had to do a lot of footwork to implement comprehensive digital advertising campaigns. You had to gather acceptable publishers more or less manually and manage deals with each. It was, in a word, exhausting.

The good news is that this model didn’t last long. Before long, DSPs entered the ad tech ecosystem. Suddenly, ad buyers had a simple and effective way to purchase impressions across many publishers in a single, centralized location. 

Since the early days of DSPs, countless entrepreneurial and tech-minded people have created their own, hoping to get their own cut of each digital advertising dollar. But which ones have made their way to the front of the pack? The best DSPs can be tough to determine, but with this list of the top DSPs for 2023, you won’t have to worry about that. Read on.

Note: this article is regularly reviewed and updated to keep the guidance current and the list up to date. If you feel something is missing from this list, please don't hesitate to contact us with your feedback or request.

 

 

The Top DSPs in 2023 are:

    1. Display & Video 360 (DV360)
    2. The Trade Desk
    3. Amazon DSP
    4. Yahoo! Ad Tech
    5. Beeswax
    6. Xandr Invest
    7. Conversant
    8. Quantcast
    9. Basis
    10. Cox Automotive

DSPs are just one part of the large digital advertising ecosystem, but managing them can be tough. That’s why Playwire works tirelessly to connect publishers and advertisers inside a managed digital ad environment that’s optimized to benefit both sides. Contact us to learn more.

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DSPs: Defined

 

 

What is a DSP?

DSPs are platforms that connect advertisers with valuable digital ad impressions. Advertisers can submit their ad creative to the DSP and use the platform to purchase impressions with websites, apps, over-the-top (OTT) channels and more.

The DSP gets a cut of the ad dollar spent on the impressions, and the advertiser gets to reach the exact audience they want to reach by purchasing impressions across channels and publishers in one central place.

Top 10 DSPs for 2023

DSPs are a huge time-saver for anyone who buys advertising on the internet. But they don’t just save time — they make campaigns more effective. That is, as long as you’re using a good one. To help you find the good ones, here is Playwire’s list of the top DSPs for 2023.

1. Display & Video 360

Display & Video 360 (DV360) is the DSP arm of Google Marketing Platform. It’s a Google product, so it was always likely to be a solid choice, but this DSP gets top billing here because it integrates with a bunch of sources of impressions outside of Google’s sphere. In other words, you get access to Google’s massive network and that of the major third-party networks.

2. The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk bills itself as a media buying platform built for the open internet, focused on increasing transparency and data availability. Their platform is built to help you leverage first party data.

3. Amazon DSP

Amazon DSP facilitates the purchase of display, video and audio ads across an enormous network of publishers. The platform also provides templates for video and display ads that you can customize as you build out your creative. And no, you don’t have to sell anything on Amazon to get access to this top DSP.

4. Yahoo! Ad Tech

The DSP from Yahoo! Ad Tech (previously called the Verizon Media DSP) offers access to a broad range of inventory, including premium and exclusive inventory across multiple verticals. And for those ad buyers who would like to learn more about using DSPs effectively, the platform offers the Yahoo Academy Learning Center.

5. Beeswax

With Beeswax's DSP, you get all the traditional DSP features and functionalities you need from day one, including full-featured UI, an intuitive analytics dashboard, and powerful targeting capabilities. To work with Beeswax, you must pay a monthly, flat SaaS fee, which means you keep 100% of the benefit as you grow your programmatic spend.

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6. Xandr Invest

Owned by AT&T, Xandr Invest is the buyer-side solution of the media giant’s digital advertising platform. This DSP supports impressions across multiple channels, but it specializes in CTV and digital video. According to the platform, its participating TV networks reach 90% of all households in the United States.

7. Conversant

Conversant, which is the digital media extension of global marketing giant, Epsilon, is a person-based platform built to ensure buyers are reaching real people, and the right people, with every campaign. Conversant's DSP offers unparalleled access to cutting-edge tech and data-driven solutions.

8. Quantcast

The Quantcast Platform has proven to be one of the most intuitive and easy to use, significantly cutting down digital media buyers time spent on planning, activation, campaign management, and reporting. In a recent study, Forrester Consulting named the Quantcast Platform as a “next-generation DSP 2.0”.

9. Basis

Formerly Centro, Basis Technologies has built its DSP to offer more than other DSPs. To do that, it has baked in some powerful integrations with social, search and programmatic tools, as well as a healthy helping of process automation to save you time and money.

10. Cox automotive

Cox Automotive helps media buyers determine their ideal audience and develop the smartest, most effective advertising strategy for reaching that audience through versatile campaigns. Cox Automotive supports multichannel advertising, including TV, video, display, social media, paid search, and digital audio.

Playwire: Optimized Online Advertising

Playwire puts publishers in the right position to generate maximum ad revenue. With that simple mission, we have built an enormous network of premium publishers across all kinds of verticals. Our publishers’ audiences are the people advertisers like you want to reach.

We make that happen. With brand-safe, high-performing campaigns in a simple, centralized platform, Playwire gets advertisers the most bang for their buck every time.

Interested in working with us? We’re interested in hearing from you. Contact us online.

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More on the Ad Tech Ecosystem

Are you interested in reviewing all your ad tech options but unsure where to begin given the complexity of the industry? Don't fret, Playwire has your back!

Learn more about all the players and tools that are available across the ad tech landscape with our new Ad Tech Ecosystem webpage, which is updated regularly, and includes information on ad networks, native ad solutions, consent management partners, data management platforms, and everything in between!