OpenX Ad Server Alternatives

In the summer of 2019, OpenX officially shut down their ad server product to focus on programmatic and video, leaving their ad server users in need of an alternative. Some users flocked to Google Ad Manager (previously DFP or DoubleClick for Publishers), but this continues to provide headaches for retailers and marketplaces who want control over their data, ad formats, and measurement. In this article, we discuss OpenX alternatives for innovative retail and commerce media platforms.

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What Is OpenX?

OpenX was founded in 2008 as an ad tech software company. Their net revenue surged to $172M by 2018, and they were the second largest ad server behind Google. Since then, the ad server market has changed considerably due to Google. After their acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007, Google improved their product quickly, creating an ad server for both the long-tail and the large media brands that made it difficult for others to compete. 

Once Google made their ad server free for anyone with fewer than 90 million monthly impressions, it became difficult for independent players to find paying customers. 

Since their pivot, OpenX is now best known as an independent SSP. To quote Playwire, OpenX is not “...a standalone video ad network, but an SSP with a built-in ad network.” 

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OpenX Ad Server: What Happened To It?

OpenX did not go under in 2019. Instead, they pivoted to programmatic and video, focusing on their ad exchange and SSP instead of doubling down on their ad server arm.

Google destroyed what was once (in the early 2010s) a diverse and crowded ad tech industry. We saw their three largest ad server competitors all shut down or pivot, with Atlas being bought then closed by Facebook in 2016; AppNexus/Xandr focusing on programmatic ads, header bidding, and ad server capabilities for networks; and OpenX pivoting to programmatic as well.

OpenX's ad server was originally a hosted solution of a free open source ad server they released. This ad server still exists, but is no longer affiliated with OpenX and goes by Revive Adserver. 

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OpenX Alternatives

If you’re still looking for an ad server solution, you can either find another out-of-the-box ad server or build your own, fully-customized ad server. Let’s explore how to go about implementing these options and which solutions are available today. 

Google 

Following OpenX’s surprise announcement, many OpenX users switched to Google Ad Manager (GAM). At the time, it was the cheapest, simplest, and most similar option -- but it won’t be ideal for everyone. 

When To Consider GAM 

• You want a low-lift solution. GAM offers four core monetization components that are user-friendly and simple to integrate: yield management, ad serving, reporting & analytics, and security. 

When To Think Twice

• You don’t want to lose ad revenue to ad blockers. Google’s on-page ad tags will get detected and blocked ad blockers, making a significant portion of your inventory un-monetizable. 
• You hate latency. GAM’s use of ad tags can also make for notoriously slow or jumpy content, which could lead to negative browsing experiences or even user attrition. ‍‍
• You want sponsored listings. Since GAM is not a retail media solution, its offerings are limited to serving standard banner ads, not sponsored listings.

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Moloco

Moloco is a machine learning software company focused on performance advertising. They operate on a planet-scale machine learning system, with over 30 deep learning neural network models, and offer programmatic advertising solutions that help with acquisition, retention, and monetization campaigns. 

When to consider Moloco 

• Machine-learning is your main priority. Moloco’s mission is to empower businesses to grow through operational machine learning, or the “Moloco Machine Learning Engine." 

When to think twice

• You need an uncomplicated solution. Moloco’s initial settings and user dashboard don’t make for the most user-friendly retail media platform. If you have limited resources or a team that needs simplicity, other solutions might be a better fit.

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Topsort

Topsort is a 2021 ad tech startup with a retail media focus, offering auction-based sponsored listings, banner ads, and video ads monetization. Their ad APIs flex ease of use, GDPR compliance, and autobidding optimization.

When to consider Topsort 

• Auctions are your main priority. Topsort specializes in AI for Auction tools and New Age Infrastructure APIs to help brands tap into the same technology that helped tech giants, like Google and Amazon, rake in revenue. 

When to think twice

• You want flexible ad units. Although Topsort enables retail media monetization, it’s ultimately limited in its ad unit features. If you’re looking for flexibility, customization, and depth of features, other solutions on the market might be a better fit. ‍
• You want tech experience. If you’re looking for an experienced ad serving partner, the relatively young Topsort might not be the right consultant.

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Kevel: In-Housing with Kevel’s Retail Media Cloud^TM 

Building an ad server from scratch is quite difficult, but it doesn't have to be: Kevel’s Retail Media Cloud™ empowers retail media networks through flexible APIs that improve the shopper experience without the need to forfeit any control over first-party data. Kevel’s ad tech infrastructure has helped multi-brand retailers launch differentiated retail media networks in as little as 14 days, and the team at Kevel is committed to helping digital retailers scale their own distinct ad platforms.

When To Consider Kevel

• You care about innovation. Kevel is constantly developing new features and products that will set your ad platform apart from the crowd. These easily-integrated features won’t leave you with a mundane ad business that’s identical to your competitors, but with innovative, standout ad formats that advertisers will pay premiums for. From unique formats like sponsored brands ads to native, Kevel offers total creative flexibility. 
• You want to prioritize performance. Site performance is crucial for keeping users’ attention and delivering top notch browsing experiences. Kevel’s tech can integrate server-to-server or client/app-to-server, reducing latency and delivering fast-loading ads. Edmunds’ Kevel-powered ads achieved response times as low as 35ms, even at scale.  
• You want server-side integration. All of Kevel’s ads load server-side, meaning alongside your organic content, which keeps users engaged for longer. This can translate into more impressions, higher CTRs, and ROAS -- plus faster response times and the ability to combat ad blockers. 
• You don’t want revshare pricing. With Kevel, you only pay for what you use. This means operating costs can stay the same while you scale your revenue -- no more losing out on revenue or feeling like you have to build features from scratch, yourself. 
• You want a unified ad tech stack. The flexibility of Kevel’s APIs means you can build on top of existing infrastructure or preserve internal tools while still streamlining your ad tech stack. ‍
• You don’t want to lose ad revenue to ad blockers. Kevel’s server-side ad requests can monetize ad blocked users, a demographic which has been steadily growing in recent years.

​​When to think twice

• You don’t need much customer support. As one of the longest tenured ad servers on the market, the Kevel team prides themselves on being consultative experts as well as a tech stack provider. While Kevel’s 1:1 support can take place as frequently or infrequently as preferred, learning how to best integrate and optimize Kevel’s APIs plays an integral role in making the most of Kevel’s offerings. ‍
• You want to launch in days. Kevel’s APIs require engineering resources and usually require a few weeks to launch.

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Kevel Stands Out As OpenX Alternative

Kevel powers the ad serving infrastructures behind MC Sonae, iFood, Delivery Hero, and many more. If you used OpenX's ad server and didn't find it flexible enough, it may be the right time to explore in-housing -- and Kevel can help you get started today.