Kevel vs. StackAdapt

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Kevel
Score 8.2 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Kevel's (formerly Adzerk) APIs is designed to make it easy for engineers and PMs to build their own server-side, fully-customized ad server. E-retailers and user communities can use Kevel to build ad servers to promote anything from native ads to internal content to sponsored listings (where vendors and sellers pay for their organic listing to be promoted in search and browsing results). According to the vendor, engineers reliably see a significant reduction in dev time using Kevel’s APIs…N/A
StackAdapt
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
StackAdapt, headquartered in Toronto offers their native advertising specialized DSP, supporting programmatic advertising with audience discovery, B2B targeting, and engagement analytics among other features.N/A
Pricing
KevelStackAdapt
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
KevelStackAdapt
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPricing is customized based on feature needs, support needs, and monthly request volume.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
KevelStackAdapt
Considered Both Products
Kevel
Chose Kevel
Kevel was an easier initial implementation for header bidding with prebid. The team worked alongside us to make sure everything was operating as intended. We ultimately switched to Ads Manager to access AdX demand and other features that were not possible with Kevel (for …
StackAdapt
Chose StackAdapt
With Google Ads you are able to set your budget and work within it. However, it is pay per click so the price does increase substantially. StackAdapt seems more budget friendly.
Chose StackAdapt
StackAdapt has an easier self-serve platform than JamLoop, where you can also buy programmatic CTV and display banners. Though they lack audio placements, which is another cross-channel tactic in StackAdapt to reach the same audience with multiple formats. Comparable CPM rates …
Chose StackAdapt
I chose to continue with StackAdapt mainly because of the improvements it has made in the last few years.

Constant improvements and frequent feature releases created a sense of trust in building my business along with StackAdapt.
Chose StackAdapt
We have evaluated Criteo because we have many eCommerce clients. But we decided against it because StackAdapt seems to have much better and complete targeting options and ways to optimize campaigns post-launch, whereas Criteo feels more like a "spray & pray" approach. …
Chose StackAdapt
We selected StackAdapt because we thought they would provide us with a greater ROI for our prospecting campaigns and retargeting campaigns. Unfortunately, we had a problem with the prospecting campaigns which was that we had a very huge audience segment to target so it does not …
Chose StackAdapt
StackAdapt is significantly less expensive than the Trade Desk. StackAdapt doesn't have campaign minimums, unlike the Trade Desk, meaning you can experiment with a lower ad spend to gain client confidence before investing at a larger level. Plus they don't lock you into an …
Chose StackAdapt
Even though we find the StackAdapt UI clunky and not intuitive, it's a huge step up from the Basis UI. We previously used Basis and ran all the media ourselves, and there were spend thresholds we had to hit with Basis that often made it a constraining platform to use. …
Chose StackAdapt
The reason why we chose StackAdapt is their pricing and easy dashboards.
Chose StackAdapt
Much better in terms of audience definition and campaign control. We found AdRoll to be relatively easy to use, but light in terms of campaign parameters, whereas StackAdapt is also easy to use but allows us to be completely in the driver's seat.
Chose StackAdapt
StackAdapt has better pricing, customer support, and results.
Chose StackAdapt
I couldn't find Teads in the dropdown, but that's what I'd most compare StackAdapt too. Both generated strong results for our various clients and campaigns run on the platforms, but overall, I've been far more impressed with StackAdapt. Not only is StackAdapt's dashboard …
Chose StackAdapt
I've worked with the Trade Desk for six years. When it comes to native inventory they've always been my go to.
Chose StackAdapt
Basis is great for display ads. StackAdapt, however, is in a completely different world when it comes to NAtie ADvertising. Typical DSPs like Basis do not come close to comparing.
Chose StackAdapt
In terms of Native advertising, StackAdapt blows Outbrain and Taboola out of the water. The ability to drive impressions is similar between all three, but we have seen a large improvement in the quality of these impressions from StackAdapt. Clicks, engagement, and sales are all …
Chose StackAdapt
StackAdapt's video capabilities perform in-line with what we have seen from Sharethrough, but without any minimums attached to their campaigns. As far as Nativo, their traffic was lower, but the quality of those sessions was better. As far as re-targeting capabilities, we have …
Chose StackAdapt
StackAdapt has better support, better integration, is easier to work with, and listens to customers. Other platforms serve up a take-it-or-leave-it attitude to all but the largest customers.
Chose StackAdapt
We've run native campaigns in other platforms and they just don't measure up to the performance we see coming from StackAdapt.
Features
KevelStackAdapt
Ad Network Integration
Comparison of Ad Network Integration features of Product A and Product B
Kevel
10.0
Ratings
30% above category average
StackAdapt
-
Ratings
DSP integration10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad Campaigns
Comparison of Ad Campaigns features of Product A and Product B
Kevel
10.0
Ratings
25% above category average
StackAdapt
-
Ratings
Ad campaign creation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad deployment10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Display advertising10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad display and retargeting segmentation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Ad Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Kevel
9.2
Ratings
17% above category average
StackAdapt
-
Ratings
Ad dashboards9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad performance reports9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad conversion tracking10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad attribution reporting9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Cross-channel ad management9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
KevelStackAdapt
Small Businesses
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
Score 9.0 out of 10
Adobe Advertising Cloud
Adobe Advertising Cloud
Score 8.6 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk
Score 9.0 out of 10
The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
Score 9.0 out of 10
Adobe Advertising Cloud
Adobe Advertising Cloud
Score 8.6 out of 10
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User Ratings
KevelStackAdapt
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
KevelStackAdapt
Likelihood to Recommend
For ad serving, implementing client-side header bidding with prebid was actually easier with Kevel than it is with Google Ad Manager in most cases, particularly for display advertising. I found though that with more complex integrations (like video), there were more solutions and code snippets available with other larger ad servers (Google).
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Campaigns for Brand Awareness: StackAdapt works effectively in campaigns for brand awareness where expanding brand visibility and reaching a large audience are the main objectives. Advertisers can target particular demographics, hobbies, and behaviors with its sophisticated targeting features, making sure that the correct audience groups receive brand messaging.
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Pros
  • More personable team that can address customizations needed to the product.
  • Easy to use interface.
  • Frequent product updates with notifications via email.
  • Well documented API.
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  • Communication: Their reps are incredibly transparent, thorough and detailed. I really, really appreciate that.
  • Creativity: Not only are the reps communicative, they actually bring new, fresh ideas to the table. As busy as we are, I can't thank them enough for that.
  • Easy-to-use: As detailed as the dashboard is, it's actually pretty easy to use and bring new users up-to-speed on.
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Cons
  • User interface could be faster to load.
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  • There has been occasional slopping maintenance of the campaigns, and we have to follow up with questions about spending spikes or significant changes in delivery CPMs.
  • Account rep knowledge can sometimes be lacking. When we question our reps about performance, we sometimes get confusing or nonsensical answers.
  • The reporting UI is definitely clunky and unintuitive.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
The platform is easy to use and understand whether it is being used as self-serve or a managed service. The audience targeting is solid, and array of placements is versatile. With these, the level of engagement for video content is usually great
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Usability
No answers on this topic
It is very user friendly and if any team members need further help, we are able to easily access their customer service team for hands on assistance with an actual human being, not a robot. Their team has been incredibly kind, understanding and thorough. It is really a great all in one tool for a business who relies greatly on advertising campaigns.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
Support has been exceptional. Our dedicated team is always available and ready to answer any questions that may arise. We receive updates from them on a regular basis and they go above and beyond providing assistance when needed. The team is absolutely one of the bright spots in our relationship with StackAdapt
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Alternatives Considered
Kevel was an easier initial implementation for header bidding with prebid. The team worked alongside us to make sure everything was operating as intended. We ultimately switched to Ads Manager to access AdX demand and other features that were not possible with Kevel (for instance, EBDA). There are benefits to both but I appreciated the attention we got from Kevel support when we were first working through the implementation. We are still using Kevel for many things, just not as our primary display advertising ad server.
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StackAdapt has an easier self-serve platform than JamLoop, where you can also buy programmatic CTV and display banners. Though they lack audio placements, which is another cross-channel tactic in StackAdapt to reach the same audience with multiple formats. Comparable CPM rates on CTV, and customer support on both is similarly strong.
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Return on Investment
  • Kevel enabled us to get up and running with client side header bidding when our team was still small and the technology was still new. This improved our ability to monetize our inventory.
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  • For one of our clients, we've generated over 4.3x ROAS this year, which far exceeded our expectations for a programmatic display ad platform.
  • Getting results for our clients with StackAdapt gives us an edge in attracting new clients, which helps us maintain client retention and satisfaction.
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ScreenShots

Kevel Screenshots

Screenshot of Adzerk homepageScreenshot of Decision API JSON exampleScreenshot of Management API example