Platform Comparisons
Demand-side advertising platforms compared
Compare DSPs by inventory access, operating model and reporting, with practical checks for Australian advertisers.
Choose a demand-side platform (DSP) by checking whether it can buy the inventory in your brief, support how your team works and deliver the reports you need. A list of supported channels does not prove that a particular Australian account can buy a placement or use a deal.
Display & Video 360, Amazon Ads Agent (which now includes Amazon DSP’s programmatic capabilities) and The Trade Desk are useful candidates to examine. Compare them against the same campaign requirements, then confirm that the proposed account can meet each essential requirement.
Their stated differentiators are distinct: Display & Video 360 has an instant-reporting workflow, Amazon Ads Agent has named campaign formats and Amazon DSP inventory examples, and The Trade Desk describes audience-first targeting using data and identity capabilities. These differences do not prove that any one platform meets every part of the brief.
Start with one campaign brief
Record the audience, geography, formats, publishers or deals, budget controls and measures that matter, then mark each requirement as essential or optional. Give each provider the same brief and ask it to show how the proposed account would meet the essential requirements. Treat account-specific access as a pass-or-fail check, not an assumption drawn from a feature description.
Compare the platforms
Display & Video 360
Google describes instant reporting for immediate performance checks, ad hoc reports and routine analysis, rather than waiting for a report to run and downloading it. Reports can be single-use or saved, with bar and pie visualisations; larger, more complex reports can be saved, downloaded and retrieved later.
Of the three, Display & Video 360 has the most specific stated reporting workflow. Equivalent reporting workflows for Amazon Ads Agent and The Trade Desk are not established here.
Confirm that the proposed campaign setup and account permissions support the reporting access your team requires.
For Bid Manager API performance data, OAuth 2.0 is the only supported authentication method, and the Google account must be a Display & Video 360 user with access to the relevant partner or advertiser. Confirm that proposed users have a role accepted for that access.
A YouTube report is named, but reporting is not proof of buying access. Display & Video 360 coverage for display, video, audio, CTV or DOOH is not established here.
Amazon DSP
Amazon says Amazon DSP has evolved into Amazon Ads Agent, with its programmatic capabilities available through DVA+ using advanced settings. DVA+ also offers simplified, outcome-based campaign creation, while Amazon Ads Agent combines sponsored ads and Display, Video and Audio campaigns.
Amazon DSP was Amazon Ads’ programmatic solution for buying display, video, audio and streaming TV across Amazon properties and third-party publishers. Named inventory included Prime Video, Twitch, Thursday Night Football, Amazon.com and Fire TV, along with thousands of premium third-party sites and apps.
Amazon DSP was available to advertisers who sell on Amazon and those who do not, with self-service and managed-service options. Confirm which access and service options apply to the current account.
Amazon says existing campaigns continue without disruption, with campaign settings, audiences, creative assets, deal management and performance history carried forward. The same inventory, audience signals and reporting remain; account structure, login credentials and team permissions stay the same, and no action is required to maintain campaign delivery.
Amazon’s Inventory Hub supports deal discovery and management for self-service users, and its availability list includes Australia. It covers deals across exclusive Amazon-owned and operated inventory, Amazon Publisher Direct and third-party exchanges; this feature availability does not confirm eligibility for Amazon Ads Agent overall.
The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk describes audience-first targeting using first- and third-party data and its durable identity framework. This is the clearest stated audience-targeting proposition here, but it does not establish channel coverage or an outcome for a particular campaign.
No named inventory sources, formats or supply partners are identified for The Trade Desk here. Ask which Australian supply sources and partner integrations the proposed arrangement includes; Australian account availability is not confirmed, so check eligibility as well.
If audience strategy is central to the brief, ask the provider to demonstrate how the proposed setup uses the relevant data and identity capabilities for the campaign. Do not treat a platform feature description as proof of a particular campaign outcome.
Side by side, Display & Video 360’s stated differentiator is instant reporting, Amazon Ads Agent’s is its named campaign formats and Amazon DSP inventory examples, and The Trade Desk’s is audience-first targeting with data and identity capabilities. Only Amazon DSP’s earlier service options are specified here; service models for the other two remain a check for the advertiser.
Demand-side platforms: Key capabilities for Australian advertisers
- Reporting workflowInstant reporting with bar and pie visualisations; single-use or saved reports; larger reports downloadable and retrievable
- Authentication for API accessOAuth 2.0 only; Google account must be a Display & Video 360 user with access to relevant partner or advertiser
- Named inventory examplesNot specified in provided sources; YouTube report named but not proof of buying access
- Australian availabilityConfirmed via ATO and Google Ads compliance, but account eligibility requires verification
Request comparable evidence
| Requirement | What to request |
|---|---|
| Inventory | Named source, format, buying route and Australian account or deal eligibility |
| Operation | User roles, approval steps and responsibility for campaign changes |
| Measurement | A sample report with required fields, definitions, currency, time zone and export route |
| Cost | Written media, platform, data and service charges, and how spend is reported |
Amazon DSP’s stated details name display, video, audio and streaming TV; equivalent format coverage is not established for Display & Video 360 or The Trade Desk. The details do not identify open exchange, PMP or programmatic guaranteed routes for all three, so verify the buying route rather than infer it from a format or inventory example.
Australia appears in the Amazon Inventory Hub availability list, but this does not confirm eligibility for Amazon Ads Agent overall. Confirm Australian account availability for Display & Video 360 and The Trade Desk, and check Amazon Ads Agent access separately.
No platform-specific fee model, pricing figure, percentage of spend or minimum spend is specified for any of the three. Request account-specific written pricing and threshold terms, including media, technology, data, measurement and service charges.
There is no overall winner on these details alone. Assess Display & Video 360 when its stated reporting workflow fits the brief, and Amazon Ads Agent when its named formats and programmatic capabilities fit. Assess The Trade Desk when its audience-first data and identity approach fits. In every case, confirm the proposed account can meet the essential requirements.
A configuration walkthrough and sample report can settle many questions before a live pilot. If you run a pilot, compare feasible like-for-like formats and record differences in access and measurement. A forecast or vendor case study is not a result from your campaign.
DSP access and availability in Australia
- Display & Video 360Account eligibility confirmed via Google Ads compliance; no public list of Australian supply partners
- Amazon Ads AgentInventory Hub available in Australia; full access requires separate confirmation
- The Trade DeskNo public confirmation of Australian supply partnerships; eligibility must be verified
In this guide
- Evaluating DSP inventory accessCheck whether a DSP can buy the Australian publishers, deals and formats your campaign requires.
- Comparing managed-service and self-service DSPsCompare DSP operating models by campaign control, workload, reporting access and service accountability.
- Checking DSP reporting and data export capabilitiesValidate DSP report fields, export routes, permissions, freshness and retention before relying on campaign data.
