RTB (Real-Time Bidding) is the process of multiple advertisers bidding for impressions in mobile inventory using sophisticated software in real-time. The process of selling and buying impressions takes place in Ad Exchanges. The buyer’s side is presented by agencies, advertisers and networks, and these are connected to ad exchanges via Demand Side Platforms.
The seller’s side is presented by publishers and networks and these are plugged into ad exchanges via SSP (Supply Side Platforms).
Smaato’s real-time bidding platform example
Source: Smaato
Real-time bidding platforms benefits
In the world of programmatic advertising, real-time bidding platforms help to support mobile publishers and their inventories by selling their space through an ad exchange. DSPs, (Demand Side Platforms) find the best ad inventory and the highest bidder wins that space – this could be on a website or inside a mobile app.
Real-time bidding allows advertisers to focus on the mobile inventory that is most important to them; by doing so, this increases their ROI and eCPMs. For example, inside a mobile game where the player is taken to watch an ad between moving to the next level of the game — in real-time, advertisers can bid for that space. The highest bidder then wins this inventory, and the gamer sees the ad in real-time.
Real-time bidding platform benefits include:
- Publishers can connect to a wide variety of different mobile advertisers.
- Ad impressions can be sold for the highest price possible.
- Mobile publishers can set their prices and have more control over their ad space.
Below we’ve listed the best real-time bidding platforms so you can get up and running without fuss.
List of real time bidding ad platforms
| Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 51-200 | - | - | - |
Zoomd is dedicated to helping advertisers and publishers achieve their key performance indicators (KPIs) through a patented, performance-based advertising platform. The Company’s User Acquisition platform unifies more than 600 media sources under one dashboard including Google, TikTok, Samsung premium inventory and much more.
- Business Models – Choose your preferred business model CPC/CPI/CPO/CPE/CPA
- Fraud – Detection as part of the platform, adding you an extra layer of safety
- Measurement – integrated to all major 3rd party mobile measurement solutions
- Cost-efficiency – Save countless resources by managing all campaigns under one screen
- Data Play – Enjoy machine decisions based on more than 500Million data points a day
| Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 400 | $192m+ | 25k | 4m+ |
AdColony (formerly known as Opera Mediaworks) is one of the largest mobile ad networks globally. Its reach, 1,4 billion users globally, what sets it apart from other ad networks. Known for its unparalleled 3rd party verified viewability rates, exclusive Instant-Play™ HD video technology, proprietary rich media formats, its global performance advertising business and programmatic marketplace, and the company extensive SDK footprint in the Top 1,000 apps worldwide. A fully-owned subsidiary of Otello Corporation ASA, AdColony is a global organization with over 20 offices worldwide.
- Mobile platforms: Android, IOS
- Campaign types: CPM
- Ad formats supported: Rich Media, Video
- Targeting: Demographic
- Key markets: US
| Founded | Employees | Social | Traffic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 101-200 | +25000 | +250.000/month |
+250,000 developers, from indies to large enterprises, trust in Appodeal to manage their Ad Monetization. A light full-stack ad monetization solution that puts app publishers first – the way it should be.
By just integrating one simple SDK, you will gain access to +70 ad networks & demand sources, competing against each other in a real-time auction for every single ad impression.
SmartyAds is cutting-edge programmatic advertising platform tailored to the needs of supply and demand partners, data management platforms, ad networks, and agency trading desks. SmartyAds technology allows to create, launch, manage, and analyze digital ad campaigns in the most convenient way.
Learn more about SmartyAdsPubMatic
The platform to help you outperform. The partnership to help you connect. The expertise to help you grow.
| Founded | Employees | Social | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 11-50 | 5k |
Mobupps is are a performance-oriented ad network, with over 10 years of experience in mobile user acquisition. The network leverages an access to private media from over 4,500 direct app publishers, as well as direct integration to all of the major global traffic sources.
- Mobile platforms: Android, iOS,
- Campaign types: CPC, CPI, CPM
- Ad formats supported: App Icon, Audio, Banners, Content Lock, Coupons, Custom, In-App, Incentivized, Interstitial, Native, Notifications, Offer Wall, Pop up, PopUnder, Redirect, Rewarded Video, Rewards, Rich Media, Search, Social, Text, Video
- Targeting: App, Carrier, Category, Country, Demographic, Device, Network, White & Black Lists
- Key markets: Global
Criteo Dynamic Retargeting is an online retargeting platform for the ad solution from Criteo – one of the leading commerce marketing companies, founded in Paris, France. It went a long way from being a small start-up to the company with 2,700 employees in 30 offices around the globe and 1,2 billion ads served in 2017 alone. The platform is used by more than 18,000 marketers all over the globe that rely on displaying their video and display ads on publisher’s premium mobile, tablet and desktop ad inventory. Criteo Dynamic Retargeting platform helps brands to re-engage 90% of their target audience and increase their ROI up to 13 times.
- Mobile platforms: Android, IOS,
- Campaign types: CPC, CPM,
- Ad formats supported: Banners, Video
- Targeting: Custom
- Key Markets: Global
Amazon DSP
Reach your audiences at scale wherever they are—on Amazon sites and across the web.
AdTiming is a mobile marketing platform that is focused on using Big Data to run ads geo-targeted in 200+ countries. With AdTiming advertisers can choose from 20,000 tags to laser focus their mobile app ad campaign in time to reach a particular target audience.
- Mobile platforms: Android, IOS
- Campaign types: CPA, CPI
- Ad formats supported: Banners, Native, Rewarded Video
- Targeting: Device, Operator, OS
- Key Markets: Europe, India, Japan, Middle East, USA
Adsterra Network
Best Advertising Network, High Quality Traffic, Self-Service Platform for advertisers
unity Ads is the premier ad monetization solution for mobile games, it was launched by Unity Technologies in 2014. The mobile ad platform was designed to advertise mobile games and it’s catered to help game developers to monetize on their games more efficiently using video ads. Th unity Ads team is focused on delivering native video ads solution that allows game advertisers to get much more of game players making in-app purchases than industry standard 3% on average.
- Mobile platforms: iOS, Android
- Campaign types: CPM, CPI
- Ad formats supported: Banner, Video, Interstitial
- Targeting: device, connection, operating system, country
- Key Markets: United States
| Founded | Employees | Social | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100-125 | 12k+ |
| Founded | Employees | Social | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 11-50 | 2k+ |
Smaato is a mobile advertising and app monetization platform. It features mobile-first ad network and ad server solution for publishers and app developers. Smaato hosts the largest independent mobile ad exchange with global reach. For advertisers it offers Smaato Demand Platform with advanced traffic optimization features, for publishers Smaato Publishers Platform that allows them to achieve high fill rates and yield high eCPMs.
- Mobile platforms: Android, IOS, Mobile, Windows Phone
- Campaign types: CPC
- Ad formats supported: Banners
- Targeting: country, publisher, app, ad format, device, connection type, GPS data, device ID
- Key Markets: Germany, global
Digital Turbine is a mobile app advertising platform for app delivery and discovery. The company is double down on a mobile native format to allow advertisers cut through the noice and reach out their target audience. Digital Turbine bypasses app stores and partners with major global telecom companies to introduce apps to mobile users with sponsored recommendations and native preloads.
- Mobile platforms: iOS, Android, Mobile Web
- Campaign types: CPC, CPI
- Ad formats supported: Banners, Interstitial, Native, Offer Wall
- Targeting: Geo, OS
- Key Markets: Asia, Europe, USA
Splicky is the new Demand Side Platform (DSP) for the mobile channel using proprietary Real-Time Advertising (RTA) technology. Their technology makes it simple to buy mobile ad impressions and clicks within mobile sites and apps - in real-time.
Learn more about Splicky
| Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 100 | $3m+ | 19k | 50,000+ |
mobusi, part of Fibonad group, is a Technology Media Company with a mobile-first and performance mindset empowering both Advertisers and Publishers to reach and exceed their high demanding targets. The platform obtains over 5 million leads per month worldwide. We maximize revenue obtained by our media partners thanks to our global coverage and optimization algorithms. In House Technology, own DSP and advanced antifraud system, Monetization Solutions, exclusive offers and premium traffic. A Mediation platform.
- Mobile platforms: iOS, Android
- Campaign types: CPM, CPC, CPI, CPA
- Ad formats supported: Interstitial, Banner, Video
- Targeting: country, carrier, OS, device, browser, wifi / mobile connectivity
- Key Markets: Global
