OpenX vs. StackAdapt

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
OpenX
Score 1.0 out of 10
N/A
OpenX is an ad serving platform. It is sold option as a hosted solution for can be purchased as an installed application. It allows for easy inventory management , geo-targeting of ads by country, and provides statistics for each ad placement.N/A
StackAdapt
Score 8.9 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
OpenXStackAdapt
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
OpenXStackAdapt
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
OpenXStackAdapt
Considered Both Products
OpenX
Chose OpenX
OpenX is less focused than Mopub and it has a bigger reach as it is not limited to the mobile app. Unlike Mopub that focuses on performance, OpenX comes from the branding world and is pushing into CTV and other areas of the industry more catered to traditional media agencies …
Chose OpenX
We have used Basis as a DSP but found better results in integrating OpenX with our own bidder. As for Smaato, they are focused only on in-app traffic so they are a niche player. OpenX is a bigger player for agencies that have different campaigns with multiple objectives and …
Chose OpenX
OpenX provides the same inventory you can get on any other SSPs but at lower price points (generally). However, other exchanges have put more resources on curating their inventory and customer support and in OpenX, you may find some nasty surprises in terms of ad quality and …
Chose OpenX
I use OpenX along with Sailthru because the two combined give me the full amount of reporting statistics I need to give to clients. I would say they are equal but different, and both are necessary but it would be great if all of these statistics could be contained within one …
Chose OpenX
We selected OpenX because most of the team had previous experience; it was free and we were able to self-host it.
Chose OpenX
While DART is my perferred ad server, openx is a more cost efficient product and would be my next choice.
Chose OpenX
OpenX probably falls in the middle. I've used MediaPlex, APN & Sitescout. OpenX is probably the second easiest to use.
Chose OpenX
I do not use OpenX as much as I do other tools that are out there in the market these days. It is a solid system which is definitely better than some that are out there, but it needs to become a bit more competitive in my opinion to keep up with the other leaders that are out …
Chose OpenX
Double Click, Adbrite before it became sitescout. We chose Open X because it was easy to integrate into the back end of our site and we liked the reports it provided and the ease of use. Double Click is a Google company, and frankly, while they are good at some technology, …
Chose OpenX
We've used Double Click and both products perform equally well.
Chose OpenX
If OpenX wants to be used or adopted by more desks or RTB partners than it needs to provide the transparency and premium inventory that a AppNexus, ADX and Rubicon provide. This goes for the open exchange and private marketplaces.
Chose OpenX
The ad sales and ad operations team had been utilizing DoubleClick/DART previous to the migration to OpenX. One of the driving factors for the migration to OpenX was to lower costs associated with utilizing a third party such as the DoubleClick/DART system. The ease of use for …
Chose OpenX
I was not responsible for the selection decision, that was done before I joined the company. However, it was the low cost and adaptability that custom integration allowed that made it really the only solution that we knew of.
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
OpenXStackAdapt
Ad Network Integration
Comparison of Ad Network Integration features of Product A and Product B
OpenX
6.6
Ratings
11% below category average
StackAdapt
-
Ratings
Data Transfer6.50 Ratings00 Ratings
DSP integration6.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad Campaigns
Comparison of Ad Campaigns features of Product A and Product B
OpenX
7.0
Ratings
10% below category average
StackAdapt
-
Ratings
Ad campaign creation6.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad deployment6.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Display advertising7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad display and retargeting segmentation6.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Sequence targeting7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Ad Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
OpenX
6.6
Ratings
16% below category average
StackAdapt
-
Ratings
Ad dashboards5.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad performance reports6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad conversion tracking6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad attribution reporting7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Cross-channel ad management7.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad forecasting and optimization7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
OpenXStackAdapt
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Score 9.0 out of 10
Adobe Advertising Cloud
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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
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Score 8.6 out of 10
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User Ratings
OpenXStackAdapt
Likelihood to Recommend
7.3
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
9.5
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
OpenXStackAdapt
Likelihood to Recommend
This is a wonderful product that is well supported and fully backed by OpenX. If you have green staff that require some training to get their foot in the door for basic ad management, this is a great tool. We've never utilized the OpenX ad market so I can't speak to the quality of the ads in that open market, but for in-house ads in complex networks with its targeting tools, this software would be more than suitable to fulfill your needs.
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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
  • When it comes to RTB and spending on the open exchange market, the number one reason why we spend in one exchange over another is simple performance
  • When Open X doesn't perform which it tends not to, we have to shut that exchange off. This exchange tends to not perform at a CPA or CPC KPI and tends to not have the safest sites either.
  • Because I only use Open X as an exchange which I tap into from a DSP I can't speak to it's other capabilities.
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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
  • Propagation could be improved; ad units that need to go live immediately could take up to 45 minutes to propagate.
  • Over-complexity can be confusing. There are multiple tiers before assigning ad units per order and it seems unnecessary.
  • Real-time reporting or a status dashboard would be great.
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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
I would renew use of OpenX as it is a solid ad serving platform that is easy to use, install, and maintain with some great advanced features that give more control to publishers ad ops teams large or small while reducing the costs associated with managing, serving, and delivering ads from third party vendors.
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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
I was given the system to use as part of setting up a whole new site from scratch in less than 2 months, with a large number of specialty hub pages to run ads on and lots of content I needed to run disease specific ads on. The system was easy for me to learn on the fly in a very compressed time frame. I would have loved more chance to really dig in under the hood to see all that it could do, but given how fast I had to work, I got everything up and running and looking great. And I did it ahead of my launch deadline too. My only reservation might be for people who are not as patient as I am in picking things up, or as hands on. Customer service was great if I needed them, and a quick start guide with the essentials would be ideal for those people.
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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
They went above and beyond without ever asking for additional money and we met our launch date and immediately started to meet and even surpass our business goals. Nothing was too much trouble, which really stood out compared to other companies I had and was at that time also working with. Customer service can really make or break any business; if i expect my staff to give good customer service, I expect to get it too, and Open X gave it.
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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
Double Click, Adbrite before it became sitescout. We chose Open X because it was easy to integrate into the back end of our site and we liked the reports it provided and the ease of use. Double Click is a Google company, and frankly, while they are good at some technology, their products can be clunky failures AND we are not so sure we want to give them so much data about the inner workings of our business and keyword universe
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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.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • OpenX made it easy to manage online advertising. At the time I used the product I was the lead developer in charge of implementing the solution but quickly was put into the role of managing the traffic and training other users. It was really easy for a technical user to become a traffic manager. Getting other users trained and up to speed was very efficient.
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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