Ranked #2 of 12 · October 30, 2026

Kevel review

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.

Visit Kevel website
7.9/10

Overview

Kevel offers ad decisioning, reporting and audience APIs rather than a traditional point-and-click ad server. Retailers and marketplaces use it to build sponsored product programs, and publishers with engineering resources use it to power custom native placements.

At a glance

Best for
Engineering-led teams building custom ad products or retail media networks.
Pricing model
Custom pricing; contact sales.
Headquarters
Durham, North Carolina, USA
Formats
Native, Display, Sponsored listings, Custom JSON ads
Website
www.kevel.com

Pros

  • Very flexible API-first design
  • Strong for sponsored products and retail media
  • Independent of ad exchanges

Cons

  • Requires developer resources to implement
  • Pricing not published
  • Less suited to non-technical ad ops teams

Scores

Independence & neutrality
9
Ease of use & self-serve
6
Pricing transparency
6
API & integrations
10
Format & channel support
7
Support & onboarding
8
Commerce & retail media readiness
10

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