Best Ad Servers 2027: Full Rankings

Disclosure: Best Ad Servers is published by the AdButler team. AdButler appears in these rankings. Scores follow our published methodology. Learn more.

#1

AdButler

Best for: Mid-size and enterprise publishers, multi-site media groups, newsletters and retail media networks that want an independent ad server with strong support.

AdButler is an independent, full-featured ad server that lets publishers traffic direct-sold display, native, video and email newsletter campaigns from one platform, without ties to a competing ad exchange. It scores highest overall in our methodology for its combination of neutrality, transparent pricing, a deep API and hands-on support.

• Display
• Native
• Video (VAST)
• Email newsletter
• In-app
• Sponsored listings

9.3/10 Read review

#2

Kevel

Best for: Engineering-led teams building custom ad products or retail media networks.

Kevel (formerly Adzerk) provides API-first ad serving infrastructure that engineering teams use to build custom ad platforms and retail media networks. It is a strong choice for companies with in-house developers, but it expects more technical work than turnkey ad servers.

• Native
• Display
• Sponsored listings
• Custom JSON ads

7.9/10 Read review

#3

Adnuntius

Best for: European news publishers that want ad serving plus a self-serve advertiser portal.

Adnuntius is a European ad server that combines publisher ad serving with a self-serve advertising portal and data tools. It is popular with news publishers in the Nordics and wider Europe.

• Display
• Native
• Video
• Self-serve ads

7.7/10 Read review

#4

Broadstreet

Best for: Local and community news publishers selling direct to local businesses.

Broadstreet is an ad server designed for local and independent news publishers, with simple trafficking and creative tools for direct-sold local advertisers. It is easy to use, but it is narrower in scope than general-purpose ad servers.

• Display
• Native
• Email newsletter
• Sponsored content

7.6/10 Read review

#5

Equativ

Best for: Large publishers wanting ad serving and SSP in one platform.

Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer) combines a publisher ad server with a supply-side platform, giving large publishers direct and programmatic tools in one stack. It suits enterprise publishers, particularly in Europe.

• Display
• Native
• Video (VAST)
• CTV
• In-app

7.3/10 Read review

#6

Epom

Best for: Ad networks and agencies that need a white-label ad server.

Epom provides a white-label ad server that ad networks, agencies and publishers can brand as their own. It covers display, video and mobile formats at a mid-market price point.

• Display
• Video (VAST)
• Mobile
• Native

7.1/10 Read review

#7

AdSpeed

Best for: Small and mid-size publishers with simple direct-sold needs.

AdSpeed is a hosted ad server with straightforward published pricing, aimed at small and mid-size publishers that need reliable direct-sold ad serving without enterprise complexity.

• Display
• Text ads
• Rich media

6.8/10 Read review

#8

AdGlare

Best for: Smaller publishers that want a lightweight hosted ad server.

AdGlare is a hosted ad server for publishers and advertisers that want a lightweight, fast ad serving platform with clear pricing.

• Display
• Video (VAST)
• Rich media

6.8/10 Read review

#9

Google Ad Manager

Best for: Publishers that prioritize Google programmatic demand and have experienced ad ops staff.

Google Ad Manager is the most widely used publisher ad server, with deep programmatic access through Google's ad exchange. Its scale is unmatched, but it ranks lower in our methodology on independence, pricing clarity at scale and access to human support.

• Display
• Native
• Video (VAST)
• In-app
• CTV

6.6/10 Read review

#10

FreeWheel

Best for: Broadcasters and premium video and CTV publishers.

FreeWheel is an enterprise ad platform for premium video and connected TV, used by broadcasters and large media companies. It is a specialist tool rather than a general-purpose publisher ad server.

• Video (VAST)
• CTV
• Live streaming

6.3/10 Read review

#11

Magnite SpringServe

Best for: Video and CTV publishers that work with Magnite demand.

Magnite SpringServe is the video and CTV ad server from Magnite, the sell-side advertising company. It helps publishers and streaming platforms manage video demand, and is specialized for video rather than general publisher ad serving.

• Video (VAST)
• CTV

6.3/10 Read review

#12

Revive Adserver

Best for: Technical teams that want a free, self-hosted ad server.

Revive Adserver is a free, open-source ad server that publishers host on their own servers. It costs nothing to license but requires technical skills to install, secure and maintain.

• Display
• Text ads
• Rich media

6.2/10 Read review

Score breakdown

Last reviewed October 30, 2026. Scores follow our published methodology.