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
PubMatic delivers superior revenue to publishers by being an SSP of choice for agencies and advertisers. With our leading programmatic mobile advertising platform, publishers and app developers can leverage the open exchange as well as advanced deal models to maximize their monetization and gain access to brand budgets.
- Mobile platforms: Android, IOS
- Campaign types: CPA, CPC, CPI, CPL, CPM
- Ad formats supported: Banners, In-App, Interstitial, Native, Rewarded Video, Rich Media, Video
- Targeting: Publisher, Geo, Audience Segment, Ad Format, Platform, Domain / App, Viewability
- Key markets: Global
| Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 400 | $192m+ | 25k | 4m+ |
Founded in 2011, AdColony was created by mobile developers, for mobile developers and has grown into one of the largest mobile advertising and monetization platforms in the world with a reach of more than 1.5 billion users globally. AdColony is known for its exclusive Instant-Play™ HD video, Aurora™ HD Interactive video, and playable technologies, its global performance advertising expertise, its programmatic marketplace, and its extensive ad SDK footprint in the top apps worldwide.
- Mobile platforms: Android, IOS
- Campaign types: CPM
- Ad formats supported: Rich Media, Video
- Targeting: Demographic
- Key markets: US
| Founded | Employees | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 51-200 |
Jampp unlocks programmatic advertising to drive incremental performance.
A demand-side platform (DSP) at heart, Jampp leverages unique contextual and behavioral signals to deliver customers and in-app purchases through programmatic user acquisition and retargeting.
We simplify programmatic growth for some of the biggest names in mobile.
Learn more about Jampp
| Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
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. Using just one platform, you have immediate access to all global mobile inventory which uses Real-Time Bidding (RTB) technology. Within a matter of minutes, your mobile ad campaigns can be displayed on a Cost Per Impression (CPM) and Cost Per Click (CPC) basis. Our platform allows you to target on individual Mobile Sites and Apps, giving you total control at campaign management-level. Our detailed analysis gives you full insights on campaign performance enabling you to maximize your ROI.
- Easy to use interface with a self-serve platform and real-time analytics
- Worldwide reach across a transparent publisher set
- Wide range of targeting options including Geo+hyper location and support for mobile retargeting
- Range of formats supported including banners, interstitials, rich media & video
SmartyAds DSP is a programmatic-buying platform for advertisers who search for safe, supreme-quality push traffic that converts in higher ROI, instant user engagement and retention.
Pricing & Features:
- Push traffic for all screen types & sizes that translates in 200-400% higher ROI & conversions.
- Easy to segment and personalize push creatives.
- The broadest network of premium push traffic publishers and SSP partners (MoPub, MobFox, PubNative) with tested and localized landings across all geos and verticals.
- In-app traffic from more than 1000 top-rated apps with push traffic for iOS & Android.
- 30+ targeting options for geomarketing push campaigns Including geo-targeting, GPS, language, etc.)
- Frequency capping, dayparting and sparring to fine-tune push advertising experience.
- Comprehensive, easy-to-grasp statistics with an in-deep performance overview.
- Third-party impression analytics tags support, API.
- Rapid and easy campaign set up and creative approval.
- Flexible CPM pricing model.
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
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
Doubleclick Bid Manager is part of Google’s Display & Video 360 advertising solution. It is a Demand Side Platform for agencies, trading desks and advertisers to get access to ad exchanges with a wide range of exclusive video, display and mobile inventory from Google. Its targeting capabilities are defined by more than 100 ad exchanges and approximately 1 billion websites, opportunity to run ads across, desktop, mobile and tablet, multiple bidding strategies support and more.
- Highlights: connects to 100+ ad exchanges, allows to run ads across mobile, desktop and tablet, allows to buy brand-safe inventory for YouTube and TV ads programmatically through Google Partner Select, DBM’s premium video marketplace
- AppsFlyer Performance Index: Performance: Global, iOS & Android: All Categories: Power Ranking #2 (2019)
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
| Founded | Employees | Social | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 11-50 | 2k+ |
Spotad is a performance-based Demand-Side-Marketing-
Key Features
- Performance driven
- Mobile experts
- Utilize data for better targeting and optimization
- Using self-developed ML model
- Full control of the creative assets for a better user engagement. From the Ad Design to the Ad Serving
| Founded | Employees | Social | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100-125 | 12k+ |
Stack is an end-to-end SaaS-based solution (by the team behind Appodeal’s award winning ad monetization platform) that scales mobile app business growth and drive profit by synthesizing User Acquisition, Ad Monetization and Business Intelligence.
Stack is an independent ad tech market player that strives to clear the way for publishers and advertisers to collaborate directly. In an industry known for being opaque, Stack aims to increase transparency and empower mobile app businesses with the technology and data they need to thrive in a highly competitive landscape.
Learn more about Stack
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
Amazon DSP
Reach your audiences at scale wherever they are—on Amazon sites and across the web.
Amazon DSP, formerly known as AAP or Amazon Advertising Platform, is a Demand Side Platform from Amazon Inc. It’s part of its digital advertising platform. There are several features that set this platform aside from the rest in the industry. For starters, it uses exclusive Amazon audiences to reach highly targeted audience on and off Amazon. With Amazon DSP, advertisers can programmatically reach audiences both on Amazon sites and apps as well as through its publishing partners and third-party exchanges.
Learn more about Amazon DSP
| 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
Adikteev is the leading app re-engagement platform for performance-driven marketers.
We help the world’s top-spending app publishers increase retention, reacquire churned users and drive incremental revenue. App publishers in gaming, eCommerce, on-demand, services and entertainment rely on us to deliver made-to-measure strategies, creatives and algorithms.
By combining science and creativity, we deliver best-in-class playable and interactive ads paired with top retargeting tech. We believe in creating a unique strategy for each client based on data to provide measurable and transparent results that increase user LTV and fuel business growth.
Adikteev is #10 among Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 fastest growing companies and ranked in the top retargeting partners of the world for two consecutive years by AppsFlyer Performance Index
Sovrn is an advertising technology company that provides Meridian solution – an ad server for publishers. The company’s mission is to help publishers to increase their revenue, get insights for their audience and comprehensive reporting on their ad campaigns, as well as acquire more knowledge about effective monetization. Meridian ad server provides a suite of advertising tools for display, mobile and video advertising.
- Key Features: header bidding, VPAID and VAST video support, OnScroll InView ads, integration with all major advertising buyer worldwide
- Tagline: Insights, audience access and advertising solutions that publishers can profit from.
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web