Websites using Kevel

Okay, let s break down Kevel (formerly known as Adzerk) with an overview, revenue information, alternatives, pricing, and customer care details.

Kevel Overview

Kevel is a developer-first infrastructure platform for building custom ad servers and ad products. Unlike traditional ad platforms that are often walled gardens, Kevel empowers companies to create bespoke advertising experiences tailored to their specific needs and audiences. They provide APIs, SDKs, and infrastructure that developers can integrate into their applications, allowing them to:

• Build their own ad servers: Instead of relying on pre-built solutions, companies can construct their own ad serving logic, including targeting, bidding, and reporting.
• Create unique ad experiences: This allows for more creative and native advertising formats beyond standard banner ads.
• Control their data and algorithms: Kevel gives businesses full control over the data they collect and how their algorithms are developed.
• Monetize various content formats: Kevel supports diverse advertising channels like websites, apps, podcasts, games, newsletters, and more.
• Offer programmatic advertising capabilities: Integrate with DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) for automated ad buying.

Key Features:

• Powerful APIs: Comprehensive, well-documented APIs for all aspects of ad serving.
• Real-Time Decisioning: Enables rapid and dynamic ad selection based on various factors.
• Customizable Targeting: Granular targeting options based on user data, context, and other criteria.
• Reporting & Analytics: Provides data and insights into ad performance.
• Infrastructure & Scalability: Handles the heavy lifting of ad serving infrastructure, allowing developers to focus on building.

Target Audience:

• Companies with specific and complex advertising needs
• Businesses that prioritize data control and customization
• Developers who want a flexible and programmatic approach to ad serving
• Platforms that want to create unique monetization experiences

Revenue

• Private Company: Kevel is a privately held company, and therefore, they do not publicly disclose their revenue figures.
• Funding: They ve raised significant funding from investors, suggesting strong growth potential.
• Subscription Model: Their revenue model is based on a subscription, usage-based plan that varies by plan and service usage, not ad-revenue sharing. This model aligns with their infrastructure-as-a-service offering.

Alternatives to Kevel

If Kevel isn t the right fit, here are some alternatives, broken down by their focus and capabilities:

1. Other Custom Ad Server Builders:

• SmartyAds: Offers a full suite of ad tech solutions, including a customizable ad server, DSP, and SSP. More of a full-stack solution.
• PubMatic: A well-established platform that offers programmable ad solutions and tools for publishers.
• OpenX: Another enterprise-grade platform that gives publishers more flexibility in their ad strategy, including header bidding and a customized marketplace.
• AppNexus (now Xandr - a Microsoft company): This is a more established, enterprise-focused platform for programmatic ad buying and selling, but it requires significant resources.
• Vistar Media: Focuses more on digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, but also has customizable ad serving capabilities.

2. Self-Managed Open-Source Solutions:

• Revive Ad Server: A free, open-source ad server that can be self-hosted. Requires significant technical expertise to set up and manage.
• AdGlare: Another open-source option for more general ad serving, and not as specialized as some on the list.

3. Traditional Ad Platforms:

• Google Ad Manager (GAM): A widely used platform for larger publishers. It offers a lot of features but is less flexible and customizable than Kevel.
• Magnite (formerly Rubicon Project): A large, traditional SSP with demand-side capabilities.
• Facebook Audience Network: Used for monetization on Facebook and its properties. Again, not as customizable.
• Amazon Publisher Services: A solution for publishers in the Amazon ecosystem.
• Verizon Media Ad Platform: (Now Yahoo Ad Platform) Used for cross-platform advertising with diverse targeting options.

Key Differences When Choosing:

• Customization vs. Off-the-Shelf: Kevel focuses on complete customization, while many alternatives provide ready-to-go platforms.
• Developer Focus: Kevel is designed for developers; others are more business-user focused.
• Complexity: Self-hosting and creating an entire ad system from scratch will be much more complicated than using a managed platform.

Pricing

• Subscription-Based: Kevel uses a subscription model, not revenue-sharing.
• Usage-Based Tiers: Pricing scales with the usage of the platform, including factors like API requests, impressions, data storage, and support level.
• Custom Quotes: They provide custom quotes depending on specific requirements and service levels.
• Higher Cost than Traditional Platforms: Because Kevel is focused on providing infrastructure and flexibility, it often has higher price points than many traditional ad platforms (but offers more control and unique features).
• Free Trial: They do offer a trial so you can test the platform to see if it meets your needs.

Customer Care Details

• Documentation: Kevel has extensive and developer-friendly documentation that provides information and support.
• API Reference: Comprehensive and up-to-date API documentation for all aspects of their platform.
• Support Channels: They offer customer support through a dedicated support team, often via email, chat, or a ticket system.
• Developer Community: They ve cultivated a community of developers who use their platform, creating a forum to share knowledge and problem solve.
• Dedicated Support: They offer dedicated support options for enterprise-level customers, including phone calls, Slack channels, and more direct access to engineering staff.

Key Takeaways

• Kevel is a strong option for companies looking for complete control over their ad serving and the ability to build customized experiences.
• It is an infrastructure-focused platform, not a traditional ad network or self-serve DSP/SSP.
• It s designed for developers and requires a technical understanding to utilize fully.
• Pricing is based on usage and is not a revenue-share model.
• They provide strong technical documentation and developer support.

Before choosing an option, carefully consider your business needs, technical expertise, and desired level of control and customization. Let me know if you have any more specific questions!