A demand source for your ad inventory is a header bidding partner. When a user enters your app or website, your header bidding wrapper is programmed to call these networks. Following that, these partners raise internal demand to place a bid in the inventory auction. Most publishers are aware that a high level of demand for their inventory can positively impact yield. The idea is rather straightforward: greater competition benefits the supplier, which is you, the publisher, financially.
Do header bidding partners provide you with access to a large amount of demand? This is a significant indicator to evaluate them on. They won’tlikely be valuable if they don’t. If you’re still unsure about how to select the top header bidder, the process is really a little easier than you may imagine: you can select many bidders and include each of them in your auctions.
If you like researching all the available options before choosing one that fits best to your situation then look no more, we’vegot you covered on that too. Searching for the Best Ad Networks for Advertisers & Best Video Ad Networks for Publishers can be quite time taking however they’re two of the many available options you can check out before investing in one, rest assured as we’ve got you covered on them too.
1. AMAZON
Our take on the Best Header Bidding Ad Networks would be incomplete without adding Amazon in it. There’s a clear reason why 71{5ccd6ba0a555b07dfbba38f374185b8dbc87a0e1913dd62a85794d46978a4f0a} of all websites that engage in header bidding name Amazon as one of their demand sources. In many different sectors of the economy, including digital advertising, Amazon is unquestionably the global leader. This indicates that there is a large amount of demand for any publisher to access across their ad network.
- total earnings from all purchasers, which are paid to publishers in a 60-day period.
- Easy integration of server-side bidding
- Utilize vast amounts of first-party data that Amazon customers have provided.
It appears that Amazon is so widely used in the header bidding wrapper market that it hasn’t been mentioned on well-known review sites like G2 or Capterra. However, user reviews from social media platforms typically emphasize demand above usability or features: If Amazon isn’t included in your header bidding mix, you won’t receive the maximum demand.
2. INDEX CHANGE
In their deck of demand partners, 62{5ccd6ba0a555b07dfbba38f374185b8dbc87a0e1913dd62a85794d46978a4f0a} of publishers engaged in header bidding include Index Exchange. If a publisher wants to boost their header bidding revenue, Index Exchange is a strong candidate because of its emphasis on cutting-edge ad tech advancements and access to premium worldwide demand.
- internal emphasis on the quality of ad exchanges
- combines mobile, OTT, display, and video monetization into a single tool.
- upholds demand connections with top international agencies
As of the time of publication, Index Exchange hadn’t appeared on any of the well-known review websites, such as G2, Capterra, TrustPilot, or TrustRadius. Interpret that however you like. Nevertheless, it can’t be too horrible because the bulk of publications that engage in header bidding use Index Exchange as one of their header bidding networks.
3. MAGNITE
With their extensive access to advertiser demand, Telaria, the Rubicon Project, and SpotX combined to form Magnite, a header bidding demand partner that markets itself as “header bidding software made easy.” It appears that the strategy is effective, as 53{5ccd6ba0a555b07dfbba38f374185b8dbc87a0e1913dd62a85794d46978a4f0a} of publishers employ Magnite in their header bidding tactics.
- Dashboard for real-time performance
- run by Prebid.org’s co-founders
- vast private markets for exclusive offers
Magnite appeared to be winning over most, but not all, of its publishers’ hearts with a 3.2 out of 5 star rating on G2. Positive evaluations highlighted an intuitive interface and thorough reporting. Negative reviews, however, brought up problems with low fill rates and sluggish loading.
4. PUBMATIC
PubMatic has developed an enterprise header bidding wrapper that is appealing to many publishers that engage in header bidding—48 percent, to be exact which is exactly what makes it an easy contender for our list of Best Header Bidding Ad Networks. This header bidding network is attractive because to its widespread demand, but it also has several other useful features built in, like A/B testing, comprehensive analytics, and an integrated identity management tool.
- Integrated A/B testing features
- extensive private market offerings
- detailed ad excellent resources
Despite being a widely used header bidding program, PubMatic hasn’t accumulated a lot of web reviews. There were very few reviews (with an average rating of 3.2 out of 5) for the tool on G2, and none on Capterra. Customer service concerns accounted for the majority of PubMatic’s negative reviews, but time-saving capabilities like workflow automation were frequently mentioned in the favorable reviews.
5. XANDR
Most publishers that engage in header bidding have heard of it, even though you may not have. With 69{5ccd6ba0a555b07dfbba38f374185b8dbc87a0e1913dd62a85794d46978a4f0a} of websites using header bidding networks utilizing the platform, Xandr trailed only by Amazon. In addition to providing publishers with access to enormous inventory demand, Xandr leverages Prebid’s header bidding platform to offer a wide range of header bidding-related services.
- AI-driven forecasting and analytics
- The entire division is focused on header bidding over-the-top, or OTT.
- integrated and specially designed ad server
At the time of writing, Xandr has no reviews on Capterra, but on G2, users gave the tool a 3.7 out of 5 stars based on a few mixed evaluations. While several reviews praised the tool’s ease of use and excellent customer support, some expressed dissatisfaction over the programmatic works being hampered by delayed creative approvals.
6. OPENX
OpenX has experience working with a variety of customers, including Procter & Gamble, LinkedIn, HP, and General Motors. This indicates that the demand this header bidder can provide you access to is both diverse and high-quality. That’sprobably a major factor in the 43{5ccd6ba0a555b07dfbba38f374185b8dbc87a0e1913dd62a85794d46978a4f0a} of publishers who use OpenX for header bidding.
- contacting purchasers directly to build publisher inventory packages
- collaborates with over 100,000 advertisers
OpenX received an average rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars out of the few reviews on G2, and none at all on Capterra. The tool’s robust reporting capabilities and openness to work with publishers of any size were noted in the positive reviews. The bad evaluations emphasized software issues and scaling limitations with video inventory, making it essential to be added to this list of Best Header Bidding Ad Networks.