The Trade Desk vs Display & Video 360 (DV360) at a glance
Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) fits YouTube buys and teams on Google's ad server and analytics. The Trade Desk (TTD) fits retail data, identity without third-party cookies and a direct path to publishers.
| Your question | Short answer | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| What does it cost to start? | We found no published price or minimum for either. The Trade Desk's 10-K describes a fee based on a percentage of spend. | Fees and what to ask |
| Can The Trade Desk buy YouTube? | Its pages and 10-K do not show it. DV360's pages do. Its 10-K says walled garden sellers can keep it out of their inventory, and names none. | The YouTube answer |
| Which fits connected TV and retail data? | Both buy connected TV. The Trade Desk scores Yes on retail purchase data and DV360 scores Partial. | Place the budget |
| Which seat should an agency take first? | No vendor page settles this. Already on Google and DV360? The Google-stack row favours DV360, and retail clients favour The Trade Desk. | Seats and start cost, vendor questions |
| What about the supply path? | The Trade Desk names OpenPath and says it owns no media. DV360 checks sellers against ads.txt, and we found no named direct-path program. | Supply path controls |
| Can each DSP feed my warehouse? | DV360 has a named daily BigQuery transfer. The Trade Desk pages name no transfer, though it offers reporting feeds and APIs. | Data routes |
| How do I report on both? | Match cost, conversions, dates, currency and IDs first. The field map shows where they differ. | The field map |
Shown on a call with an Improvado expert. Your email opens our booking page.
On streaming TV the two tie. We found no published price for either.
DV360 leads 4 of 9 buying jobs, The Trade Desk leads 3, and 2 tie. Find your job's row first. A Not verified scores 0 and means the page did not show it. Improvado publishes this page. It is not a DSP and pulls data from both. Amazon DSP is not scored here: read our Amazon DSP guide.
A DSP (demand-side platform) is software that buys ad space across many sites and apps in real-time auctions and deals. This page cannot tell you fees, measured results or supply quality. We did not test either tool or see spend data.
Already buying on Google
YouTube, Google Audiences and Campaign Manager 360 in one place
See the four reasons DV360 fits, then the Google-stack job and YouTube in the feature table.
Buying the open internet
Retail data, identity without cookies and a direct path to publishers
See the five reasons The Trade Desk fits, then the retail data job and how each one bills.
Key numbers
4, 3 and 2 buying jobs led by DV360, led by The Trade Desk, and tied, of 9.
3 and 1 features we could not confirm on the vendor pages, for The Trade Desk and DV360. Each scores 0. A 0 here means the page did not show it.
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
Pick The Trade Desk or DV360 by your job
Each job uses four or five of the 25 features. A Yes is 2 points, a Partial 1, and a No or a Not verified 0. Pick a job to see its features in the table below.
Neither vendor's pages show the fee or CPM at your spend, a supply-path report or your YouTube reach. Ask each vendor these questions.
| DSP | Reach and inventory | Audiences, identity and AI | Measurement, data and control | All 25 features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk | 81%, 13 of 16 | 81%, 13 of 16 | 72%, 13 of 18 | 78%, 39 of 50 |
| DV360 | 81%, 13 of 16 | 94%, 15 of 16 | 78%, 14 of 18 | 84%, 42 of 50 |
Connected TV and retail data: where the budget goes
- Connected TV. Both score Yes, and the streaming TV job ties at 9 of 10 each. This row alone will not place the budget.
- Retail data. The Trade Desk runs a retail data marketplace (The Trade Desk retail media page). The DV360 proof we found is one retailer, Kroger (Google blog, 23 March 2026). If retail data drives the plan, the marks favour The Trade Desk.
- YouTube in the same plan. If it does, the marks favour DV360, which shows YouTube buying beside other deal types.
- Neither of those. The tied score does not settle it: these marks come from vendor pages, with no live test. Compare fees, campaign results and supply quality.
- For finance. Neither fee appears on the pages, and data carries its own cost. Take the vendor questions to both before you split the budget.
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
Report on DV360 and The Trade Desk side by side
Each DSP gets data out its own way. Check the routes below, match five things, then join the two.
| Route | DV360 | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled reports | Comma-separated values (CSV) files, downloaded in the tool or fetched through the API (Bid Manager scheduled reports) | Reporting feeds that export campaign data (The Trade Desk measurement page). Format and schedule not shown |
| Warehouse transfer | A daily BigQuery transfer of Data Transfer v2 files. Each run retrieves up to 2 days of data (BigQuery transfer for DV360) | Ask the vendor: the pages we read name no transfer |
| Event-level files | Reporting Data Transfer gives event-level files in Cloud Storage or BigQuery. You enroll through your sales or support representative (Reporting Data Transfer) | Ask the vendor: the pages we read name no event-level files |
| API for reporting tools | Reports can be retrieved through the API (Bid Manager scheduled reports) | Clients may use its APIs to link other systems, including reporting tools (The Trade Desk 10-K) |
| Extra cost | Additional charges might apply to the BigQuery files (BigQuery transfer for DV360) | Not shown |
| If your agency holds the seat | Without a direct contract, the docs send you to your agency for the files (BigQuery transfer for DV360) | Not shown. Ask your agency |
The Trade Desk scores Partial on Report data to a warehouse because its page shows feeds and APIs with no schedule. Treat anything marked not shown as a question for the vendor.
Match these five things before you join the two exports
| Measure | DV360 | The Trade Desk | Joined column (our example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time zone | Not listed: check your export | Not listed: check your export | report_date, report_timezone |
| Top level | Campaign | Campaign | dsp, campaign_id, campaign_name |
| Buying level | Line Item | Ad Group | buying_level_id |
| Cost | cost, total_cost | total_cost, media_cost | media_cost, total_cost |
| Delivery | impressions, clicks | impressions, clicks | impressions, clicks |
| Results | conversions | conversions, cpa | conversions |
| Viewability | active_view_viewable_impressions | viewability_rate | Check count against rate first |
| Video | video quartile completion rates | video_completion_rate | video_completion_rate |
| Currency | currency_code | Not listed: check your export | currency_code |
Sources: the DV360 connector page and the The Trade Desk connector page. The joined column and the lists below are our own work. A count and a rate do not join directly, so convert one first.
- Date and time zone of each report.
- Currency.
- Cost basis: media cost alone, or cost with fees and data.
- Conversions: one definition and one attribution window.
- Campaign names and IDs across the two tools.
A fair side by side when both run
- Fix the five items above before the first report, and write them down.
- Count conversions in one neutral place, such as your analytics tool or warehouse, as well as in each DSP.
- Compare the same dates on one cost basis, then read each DSP's own numbers as a second view.
- If your agency holds the seats, ask it for the data routes above in writing.
Both DSPs in one report with Improvado
Improvado is not a DSP and buys no media. It pulls campaign data from both through its DV360 connector and The Trade Desk connector, maps it into one model, and lets the AI Agent answer questions across them. The Trade Desk connector page says the model enables direct comparison with Google DV360. Improvado's catalog lists 1,400+ data sources (see the catalog).
Your DV360 and The Trade Desk data in one view, shown on a call. Not ready for a call: read the field lists on the DV360 connector and The Trade Desk connector pages.
The tour below shows Improvado in general, with demo data. It is not a DV360 and The Trade Desk view.
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
DV360 vs The Trade Desk: the better pick for each team
Both buy audio, out-of-home, streaming TV and private deals. Both forecast reach and cap frequency across devices, and both name fraud protection. The differences sit below.
DV360 is the better pick for
- YouTube in the same buy
- Google Audiences
- One suite with the ad server and analytics
- Linear TV with streaming
The Trade Desk is the better pick for
- No media of its own
- Identity without third-party cookies
- Retail purchase data and outside data
- A direct path to publishers
- Feeds for mix models and attribution
DV360 and The Trade Desk: four facts each
Each fact comes from the vendor's own page. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 27001 and SOC (System and Organization Controls) 2 are outside security audits.
Google's DSP inside Google Marketing Platform
Display & Video 360 (DV360)
DV360 is Google's DSP. It buys display, video, YouTube, TV, audio and out-of-home ads, inside Google Marketing Platform.
Best for
YouTube and other media in one tool Google says DV360 gives true consolidation and unified reporting across YouTube and other media buys. DV360 features page.
Starts at
No price found We found no price on its product page, which offers Talk to Sales. DV360 product page.
AI can
Yes, sets bids Automated bidding reaches your goals without manual optimization (DV360 features page). Google AI suggests audience lists for a line item, which you can review and modify. DV360 help: audience personas.
Audit reports
ISO 27001 Google lists Display & Video 360 among the products certified for ISO 27001. Google ISO 27001 page.
Independent DSP for the open internet
The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is an independent DSP. It buys display, video, streaming TV, audio and out-of-home ads on the open internet.
Best for
The open internet It says it helps you reach relevant audiences on the open internet, drive growth, and prove your impact. The Trade Desk platform page.
Starts at
No price found We found no price on its site. Its 10-K says it charges a platform fee generally based on a percentage of total platform spend. The Trade Desk 10-K.
AI can
Yes, tunes bids and pacing Koa, its AI, refines bidding, pacing and delivery. Its chat assistant can help apply fixes and is in closed beta. The Trade Desk Koa page.
Audit reports
SOC 2 Type 2 It is audited each year against the SOC 2 standard, resulting in a SOC 2 Type 2 report. The Trade Desk security page.
The Trade Desk vs DV360: 25 features side by side
Improvado chose the 25 features and weights them equally. Each mark comes from the vendor's own pages (read 4 November 2026, no tool tested). A Yes needs the whole feature as defined, built in.
●Yes: the whole feature, built in (2 points)◐Partial: part of it, a beta or some markets (1)○No: its own page shows the opposite (0)Not verified: its pages did not show it (0)
Tap a mark for its note and the vendor page behind it.
| 25 features in 3 groups | DV360 | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Points of 50All 25 features | 42 | 39 |
| Reach and inventory: DV360 13 of 16, The Trade Desk 13 of 16 | ||
| YouTube inventoryBuys YouTube video ads in the same tool as other inventory. | ||
| Connected TVBuys ads on streaming TV apps and devices. | ||
| Linear TVBuys or plans traditional broadcast and cable TV alongside digital. | ||
| AudioBuys streaming audio and podcast ads. | ||
| Digital out-of-homeBuys screens in public places. | ||
| Private deals with publishersBooks private or guaranteed deals with named publishers. | ||
| Direct path to publishersA program that connects the buyer straight to publishers, with fewer middlemen. | ||
| Retail purchase dataTargets and measures with retailers' purchase data. | ||
| Audiences, identity and AI: DV360 15 of 16, The Trade Desk 13 of 16 | ||
| Audiences from the owner's servicesTargets with audiences built from the platform owner's own services. | ||
| Third-party data marketplaceBuys audience segments from outside data providers in the tool. | ||
| Your own customer dataBuilds audiences from your CRM or first-party data. | ||
| Identity without third-party cookiesAn identity method that works where third-party cookies are absent. | ||
| Automated biddingThe tool sets bids toward your goal without manual changes. | ||
| Your own bidding rulesYou set custom bid logic or bid weights. | ||
| AI assistant you can checkAn AI that suggests or makes changes you can review. | ||
| Forecast before launchShows predicted reach and frequency before a campaign goes live. | ||
| Measurement, data and control: DV360 14 of 18, The Trade Desk 13 of 18 | ||
| Fraud filteringBlocks invalid traffic before you pay for it. | ||
| Outside verification partnersWorks with outside brand safety and measurement firms. | ||
| Frequency across devicesCaps how often one person sees an ad across screens. | ||
| Feeds for mix models and attributionSends data into your marketing mix model or multi-touch attribution. | ||
| Clean-room analysisJoins impression data with your data in a privacy-safe workspace. | ||
| Report data to a warehouseExports campaign data on a schedule. | ||
| API accessA programming interface to the platform. | ||
| Same-suite ad server and analyticsWorks natively with an ad server and an analytics tool from the same vendor. | ||
| Owner sells no media of its ownThe platform's owner does not sell the ad space the platform buys. | ||
Improvado's own coverage score: DV360 84% (42 of 50 points) and The Trade Desk 78% (39 of 50). It counts what the pages show, so it is no rank. A 0 for Not verified means the page did not show it. The tool may still have it.
| Feature | DSP | Mark | What the page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube inventory | DV360 | Yes | “Access all TrueView formats and YouTube Reserve inventory (including Google Preferred) alongside your cross-exchange deal types in a single buying tool.” DV360 features page |
| YouTube inventory | The Trade Desk | Not verified | “Google is one of our largest advertising inventory suppliers in addition to being one of our competitors.” The Trade Desk 10-K |
| Connected TV | DV360 | Yes | “Enjoy access to high-quality TV inventory via over-the-top video streams and traditional linear TV.” DV360 features page |
| Connected TV | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Reach more than 185 million households streaming premium content around the world.” The Trade Desk connected TV page |
| Linear TV | DV360 | Yes | “Enjoy access to high-quality TV inventory via over-the-top video streams and traditional linear TV.” DV360 features page |
| Linear TV | The Trade Desk | Partial | “Use linear TV data to extend reach to households that have not yet seen your ad on linear television” The Trade Desk connected TV page |
| Audio | DV360 | Yes | “Add an audio line item to an insertion order to serve audio creatives.” DV360 help: audio |
| Audio | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Audio ads position your brand within streaming music, news, live sports, and podcasts.” The Trade Desk audio page |
| Digital out-of-home | DV360 | Yes | “Digital out-of-home (DOOH) media lets you serve media advertisements in public environments to engage audiences beyond online advertising.” DV360 help: digital out-of-home |
| Digital out-of-home | The Trade Desk | Yes | “gives marketers access to more premium outdoor inventory” The Trade Desk out-of-home page |
| Private deals with publishers | DV360 | Yes | “The Marketplace gives you tools to browse all available publishers and products, including Programmatic Guaranteed deals and packages.” DV360 help: Marketplace |
| Private deals with publishers | The Trade Desk | Yes | “For clients who wish to transact directly with individual publishers, we offer a comprehensive user interface for discovering and transacting via a wide variety of private contracts.” The Trade Desk 10-K |
| Direct path to publishers | DV360 | Not verified | “Use Marketplace to discover great inventory, negotiate deals directly, and manage all of your deals in one place” DV360 features page |
| Direct path to publishers | The Trade Desk | Yes | “OpenPath simplifies the supply chain, adding more transparency and reducing the number of intermediaries between buyer and seller.” The Trade Desk OpenPath page |
| Retail purchase data | DV360 | Partial | “Through a new collaboration between Kroger Precision Marketing and Display & Video 360, brands can now activate Kroger’s shopper audiences across YouTube and third-party inventory.” Google blog, 23 March 2026 |
| Retail purchase data | The Trade Desk | Yes | “With retail data, you can connect your marketing efforts to online and in-store sales.” The Trade Desk retail media page |
| Audiences from the owner's services | DV360 | Yes | “Find the customers you’re looking for with access to Google Audiences.” DV360 features page |
| Audiences from the owner's services | The Trade Desk | Not verified | “verified audience data from your own first-party sources or from trusted partners” The Trade Desk audience page |
| Third-party data marketplace | DV360 | Yes | “Display & Video 360 offers tens of thousands of audience lists (also known as "user lists" or "data segments") from dozens of third-party data providers” DV360 help: third-party audience lists |
| Third-party data marketplace | The Trade Desk | Yes | “get access to more than 100,000 pre-vetted premium third-party data segments” The Trade Desk about page |
| Your own customer data | DV360 | Yes | “Build audience segments from your customer data” DV360 features page |
| Your own customer data | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Easily onboard your CRM data as a seed” The Trade Desk identity page |
| Identity without third-party cookies | DV360 | Partial | “The identifiers include privacy-focused inputs such as publisher provided IDs (PPID), exchange provided IDs (EPID), and Identifiers for Advertising (IFA).” DV360 help: frequency |
| Identity without third-party cookies | The Trade Desk | Yes | “advanced identity solutions across each stage of activation and measurement without relying on third-party cookies.” The Trade Desk identity page |
| Automated bidding | DV360 | Yes | “Reach your goals without having to optimize your campaign manually.” DV360 features page |
| Automated bidding | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Continuously refine bidding, pacing, and delivery across channels to improve performance in real time.” The Trade Desk Koa page |
| Your own bidding rules | DV360 | Yes | “Creates a new custom bidding script.” DV360 API: custom bidding scripts |
| Your own bidding rules | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Express what you value through bid factors to guide your optimizations” The Trade Desk buying page |
| AI assistant you can check | DV360 | Yes | “You can review the suggested audience lists and demographics based on the persona you described and modify the list, if needed.” DV360 help: audience personas |
| AI assistant you can check | The Trade Desk | Partial | “Koa’s conversational experience is currently in closed beta.” The Trade Desk Koa page |
| Forecast before launch | DV360 | Yes | “Plan your campaigns based on predicted reach and frequency for your audience and budget.” DV360 features page |
| Forecast before launch | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Our advanced forecasting tools let you review audience spend, reach, and frequency before you set it live.” The Trade Desk audience page |
| Fraud filtering | DV360 | Yes | “We use over 180 sophisticated filters, a global team of experts, and manual reviews to prevent you from paying for invalid clicks, impressions, views, or interactions.” DV360 features page |
| Fraud filtering | The Trade Desk | Partial | “Make sure your ads show up in the right places, and in front of real audiences, with our fraud and safety partnerships and products.” The Trade Desk about page |
| Outside verification partners | DV360 | Yes | “Display & Video 360 has integrations with leading measurement partners to help you assess and understand marketing performance, covering areas such as viewability, brand safety, audience measurement and more.” DV360 features page |
| Outside verification partners | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Choose your preferred solutions from the industry’s largest marketplace of data, measurement, brand safety, and inventory providers.” The Trade Desk platform page |
| Frequency across devices | DV360 | Yes | “You can set frequency caps across all inventory types, including non-personalized inventory, different environments (mobile, desktop, connected TV) and inventory sources (specific publishers).” DV360 help: frequency |
| Frequency across devices | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Control frequency across networks, channels, and devices” The Trade Desk connected TV page |
| Feeds for mix models and attribution | DV360 | Partial | “You can provide a list of Google Ads Campaigns, DV360 Insertion Orders, or both in the provided Google Sheet.” Google Meridian docs |
| Feeds for mix models and attribution | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Integrate with your preferred measurement frameworks and models, such as media mix modeling and multi-touch attribution” The Trade Desk measurement page |
| Clean-room analysis | DV360 | Partial | “Google uploads and manages Google ads data in one of the projects, while the customer uploads and manages their own data in their project.” Ads Data Hub methodology |
| Clean-room analysis | The Trade Desk | Partial | “Measure performance through our marketplace or a clean room.” The Trade Desk identity page |
| Report data to a warehouse | DV360 | Yes | “Scheduled reports are generated as simple CSV files and are stored automatically and securely in Google Cloud Storage.” Bid Manager scheduled reports |
| Report data to a warehouse | The Trade Desk | Partial | “Export campaign data with the granularity you need and share it across The Trade Desk’s measurement ecosystem via flexible reporting feeds and APIs.” The Trade Desk measurement page |
| API access | DV360 | Yes | “you'll be able to use it to send API requests to create and retrieve a Display & Video 360 line item.” DV360 API quickstart |
| API access | The Trade Desk | Yes | “our enterprise application programming interfaces (“APIs”) equip our clients with the ability to customize and expand platform functionality” The Trade Desk 10-K |
| Same-suite ad server and analytics | DV360 | Yes | “Linking accounts enables creative sharing, audience sharing, cross-channel measurement, and bidding optimization.” DV360 help: connect Campaign Manager 360 and DV360 features page |
| Same-suite ad server and analytics | The Trade Desk | Not verified | Its platform page shows no ad server or analytics tool of its own. The Trade Desk platform page |
| Owner sells no media of its own | DV360 | No | “Easily find and discover high-quality inventory from top broadcasters and publishers, Google media, and curated inventory packs.” DV360 features page |
| Owner sells no media of its own | The Trade Desk | Yes | “Because we don’t own or operate media, we can help you objectively prioritize inventory” The Trade Desk platform page |
Running both DSPs? See their results in one report.
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
DV360 vs The Trade Desk (TTD) pricing in 2026
We found no published price for either DSP on the pages we read, so there is no bill worksheet here. The Trade Desk's 10-K describes a fee based on a percentage of spend.
| DSP | Published price | How the fee is set | How you start |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV360 | No price found on its product, benefits or features pages | Those pages show none | Talk to Sales on its product page |
| The Trade Desk | No price found on the pages we read | A platform fee generally based on a percentage of clients' total platform spend, per its 10-K | Its 10-K says clients sign ongoing master services agreements, and move to a fully self-service model after some initial experience |
Supply path controls on each DSP
| Control | DV360 | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Direct path program | None named. Its Marketplace lets you negotiate deals directly (DV360 features page) | OpenPath reduces the intermediaries between buyer and seller (The Trade Desk OpenPath page) |
| ads.txt and app-ads.txt | Checks them and excludes inventory from unauthorized sellers (DV360 help: authorized sellers) | Its seller guide says supply is authorized through these files (The Trade Desk seller guide). No page we read shows how its DSP filters |
| SupplyChain object | Checks all sellers and intermediaries it names (DV360 help: authorized sellers) | Its seller guide says each bid request must have a complete one (The Trade Desk seller guide) |
| sellers.json | Named in its bid request spec (DV360 OpenRTB spec) | Named in its seller guide (The Trade Desk seller guide) |
| Quality data | Ask the vendor: the pages we read name no quality data tool | Its press release says Sincera data is being embedded across Kokai (The Trade Desk press release) |
FAQ
It depends on the job: of the 9 buying jobs on this page, 4 favour DV360, 3 favour The Trade Desk and 2 tie. Pick DV360 for YouTube and Google-stack teams, and The Trade Desk for retail data, identity without third-party cookies and a direct path to publishers.
Its site pages and 2025 annual report do not show YouTube buying. DV360 sells YouTube Reserve and TrueView in the same tool as other deals (DV360 features page). The report says walled garden sellers "may exclusively sell their own inventory directly to advertisers", which keeps it from competing for that inventory. It names no seller there. It also says Google is one of its largest inventory suppliers and one of its competitors (The Trade Desk 10-K). Whether any YouTube route exists is a question for The Trade Desk, so ask it in writing.
We found no published price for either. DV360's product page offers Talk to Sales (DV360 product page). The Trade Desk's 10-K says it charges a platform fee generally based on a percentage of total platform spend (The Trade Desk 10-K).
Its 10-K calls it a self-service platform. It says that once a client has gained some initial experience, they move to a fully self-service model and request support as needed (The Trade Desk 10-K).
We found no minimum on either vendor's pages. The Trade Desk's 10-K says its agreements let clients choose the amount they spend (The Trade Desk 10-K). Ask each vendor for the terms at your spend.
Its 10-K names divisions of large companies such as Google and Amazon (The Trade Desk 10-K). This page compares it with DV360 only.
UID2 (Unified ID 2.0) is an identity method for advertising on the open internet. It turns emails and phone numbers into hashed, salted identifiers (The Trade Desk UID2 page and The Trade Desk identity page). The Trade Desk supports it with EUID and its cross-device graph.
Koa is The Trade Desk's AI. It refines bidding, pacing and delivery across channels. Its chat assistant, which can help apply fixes, is in closed beta (The Trade Desk Koa page). Its platform page also names Kokai, and says brands across industries are using it to improve campaign efficiency (The Trade Desk platform page).
Yes. Automated bidding sets bids toward your goal (DV360 features page). Google AI can suggest audience lists and demographics for a line item from a persona you describe, and you review and modify them (DV360 help: audience personas).
Improvado pulls both into one data model through its DV360 connector and The Trade Desk connector. The Trade Desk connector page says the model allows direct comparison with Google DV360.
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
How we compared the two DSPs
- 25 featuresChosen by Improvado, weighted equally
- 4 November 2026Vendor pages read, no tool tested
- Yes 2, Partial 1A No or a Not verified scores 0
- Every mark linkedTo the page it rests on, in the source table
Sources and detail
Every source behind this page, grouped by the section it supports.
15 sources across 4 sections
- marketingplatform.google.com
- support.google.com
- thetradedesk.com
- sec.gov
- docs.cloud.google.com
DV360 vs The Trade Desk: the better pick for each team
Where DV360 is the better pick
- YouTube in the same buy. DV360 sells YouTube Reserve and TrueView beside its other deal types in one tool (DV360 features page). We found no YouTube buying on The Trade Desk's pages or in its 10-K.
- Google Audiences. DV360 targets with Google Audiences and with your own data from Analytics 360 or Google Cloud (DV360 features page).
- One suite with the ad server and analytics. DV360 results show in Analytics 360 (DV360 features page). A Campaign Manager 360 advertiser connects through a shared Floodlight configuration, and linking enables creative sharing, audience sharing, cross-channel measurement and bidding optimization (DV360 help: connect Campaign Manager 360). Link a DV360 account to Ads Data Hub, and its Google ad data starts to populate there (DV360 help: Ads Data Hub).
- Linear TV with streaming. Its TV inventory covers streaming and traditional linear TV (DV360 features page). The Trade Desk uses linear TV data to extend reach in specific markets (The Trade Desk connected TV page).
Where The Trade Desk is the better pick
- No media of its own. The Trade Desk says it does not own or operate media (The Trade Desk platform page). Google media is part of the inventory DV360 offers (DV360 features page).
- Identity without third-party cookies. It offers Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), European Unified ID (EUID) and a cross-device graph (The Trade Desk identity page). UID2 turns emails and phone numbers into hashed, salted identifiers (The Trade Desk UID2 page).
- Retail purchase data and outside data. It runs a retail data marketplace (The Trade Desk retail media page) and lists more than 100,000 third-party data segments (The Trade Desk about page).
- A direct path to publishers. OpenPath connects buyers to publishers with fewer middlemen (The Trade Desk OpenPath page).
- Feeds for mix models and attribution. Its measurement page names media mix modeling and multi-touch attribution (The Trade Desk measurement page).
The Trade Desk and DV360 alternatives
This page compares two DSPs only. Amazon DSP is not scored here. The Trade Desk's 10-K names divisions of Google and Amazon among its competitors (The Trade Desk 10-K). For Amazon's tool, read our Amazon DSP guide. For a wider list of DSPs, SSPs, exchanges and walled gardens, read our top programmatic platforms comparison.
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
DV360 and The Trade Desk: four facts each
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
DV360 vs The Trade Desk (TTD) pricing in 2026
We found no fee method on Google's DV360 pages.
Minimums, seats and data fees
- Minimum spend. We found no minimum on either vendor's pages. The Trade Desk's 10-K says its agreements let clients "choose the amount they spend" and "terminate our services with limited notice" (The Trade Desk 10-K). Some articles in these search results print minimums with no vendor source, so we left them out.
- Who signs. The Trade Desk's 10-K says its clients are advertising agencies, advertisers and other service providers for agencies or advertisers (The Trade Desk 10-K). DV360's product page offers Talk to Sales (DV360 product page).
- Seat routes for an agency. We found no reseller terms on either vendor's pages. Google's BigQuery docs show one split: with a direct DV360 contract you contact support, and without one you contact your agency (BigQuery transfer for DV360). If you buy DV360 through a reseller now, ask that reseller first. This page cannot give a start cost.
- Data fees. On DV360, a third-party list carries a CPM fee on top of the media cost (DV360 help: third-party audience lists). The Trade Desk's 10-K also lists revenue from value-added services and data (The Trade Desk 10-K).
The Trade Desk's seller guide covers rules for sellers only.
Ask each vendor before you sign
This is our list, written from what the pages above leave open.
- What is the fee at our monthly spend, and which lines will show on the invoice: platform, data, verification?
- Is there a minimum, and does it apply per seat or per client?
- Do we get our own seat, or do we buy through a reseller or a managed service?
- Which data fees apply to the audiences we plan to use?
- Which raw or log-level data can we export, and who holds access if the seat sits with our agency?
- For The Trade Desk: can we buy YouTube, and through which route?
Sources for this part were read on vendor pages on 4 November 2026.
How we compared the two DSPs
We read the vendors' own pages on 4 November 2026: Google's DV360 product, features and help pages, and The Trade Desk's platform pages, security page and 2025 annual report (10-K). We did not trial either tool. Improvado chose the 25 features. Every mark links the page it rests on, in the source table. Improvado publishes this page and sells connectors for both DSPs, so it gives neither a rank of its own.
