In the crowded programmatic advertising landscape, not all demand-side platforms (DSPs) are created equal.
As Neil Kettleborough, board member for Trader AI, is fond of saying, the real difference is how each DSP pulls together reach, data, and demonstrable performance.
There are many platforms with purportedly limitless access and endless customization possibilities.
However, only a handful of them are truly optimized for performance at scale. The distinction between Open Web and Connected TV (CTV), of course, is fading, particularly with the increasing number of DSP partnerships.
Understanding where each of these DSP's sits is more important than ever.
Neil Kettleborough provides you with a comparison of how Amazon DSP stacks up versus five of the leading DSPs in the advertising space:
1. The Trade Desk
Many people, it seems, have their go-to DSP platform and will preach and boast about their favorite platform as the best option for individuals. The Trade Desk gets a lot of hype for being flexible enough for open-web, out-of-the-box deep customization, a lot of data, a user-friendly interface, and a sizable place in the open-web marketplace.
They are very reliant on third-party data, even a lot of their data is centric to retail media, such as Instacart in Canada. Alternatively, Amazon DSP,
As Neil Kettleborough pointed out, with Trader AI has deterministic first-party data and exclusive inventory across Fire TV and Amazon properties; their closed-loop attribution is better because it shows what audiences purchased.
2. DV360
DV360 is connected to YouTube as part of the Google ecosystem and can be a great tool for omnichannel advertisers. However, a drawback is DV360 is auction-based and leads to less transparency, typically resulting in inflated CPMs.
Neil Kettleborough explains that Amazon DSP has a direct result with premium publishers on a contract-by-contract basis that has minimal intermediaries and maximum media efficiency.
3. Yahoo DSP
Yahoo DSP has open web inventory and contextual targeting and has deals for live sports placements across these same partners, including Disney, NBC, ESPN and CBS Sports.
Amazon DSP goes beyond that with exclusive streaming placements and one-of-a-kind audience data from browsing, shopping, and streaming activities within the whole of the Amazon ecosystem - Prime Video, Fire TV, etc.
As Neil Kettleborough stated, this data advantage can mean better targeting and better results.
4. StackAdapt
StackAdapt is simple to use and gives a user-friendly experience, with its platform being preferred by smaller agencies due to its simple usage. It works well for launching campaigns quickly, but lacks in-depth insight to identify audiences and does not offer broad integration across media types.
Simply put, it is not an omnichannel solution. Neil Kettleborough reminded that Amazon DSP is built for performance marketing—scalable campaigns across CTV, display, and audio, and full-funnel attribution. 
5. MediaMath
MediaMath was once hailed as a trendsetter in programmatic but has lately been challenged with platform modernisation and financial woes, which seem to limit its accessibility to data and scale.
Conversely, Amazon DSP continues to show growth in advertiser adoption and investment in its platform, supported by one of the richest digital ecosystems—in terms of commerce—in the world.
As Neil Kettleborough explains, this makes for a more powerful and future-proof offer.
Conclusion
In the performance-driven digital advertising landscape of today, brands can no longer trust platforms that allow access without delivering results.
As Neil Kettleborough firmly believes, the future belongs to DSPs that will integrate proprietary data, exclusive inventory, and outcome-based KPIs.
Amazon DSP is more than just a media-buying tool—it is an advantage from which marketers will maximize their spend by reaching high-intent audiences and generating tangible business growth.
Amazon DSP is not only an innovative DSP for any brand or agency looking to grow with confidence in 2025 and beyond—it is the only option that provides a true path to improved performance.
