The world of programmatic advertising continues to evolve rapidly, and two platforms consistently dominate the conversation: Amazon DSP and The Trade Desk. Each brings unique strengths to the table, and as advertisers seek more efficient, scalable, and data-rich solutions, the comparison between these two giants becomes more relevant than ever.
In this article, we break down the key differences between Amazon DSP and The Trade Desk, with a focus on audience targeting, inventory access, data strategy, and platform capabilities—while also factoring in where AI is pushing both platforms next.
Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) is a programmatic media buying platform that allows advertisers to buy display, video, and audio ads both on and off Amazon’s properties. What sets it apart is its integration with first-party shopper data from across the Amazon ecosystem—Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, Amazon.com, Whole Foods, and more.
With Amazon DSP, advertisers gain access to deterministic audience targeting, closed-loop attribution, and curated inventory across some of the most brand-safe environments on the web. This is especially valuable for eCommerce, automotive, and local retail advertisers looking to tie ad impressions directly to purchase behavior.
The Trade Desk is a widely used, open-web DSP known for its focus on data-driven advertising across display, video, connected TV (CTV), native, and audio channels. As an independent platform, it offers access to a wide range of third-party inventory sources, premium publishers, and data partners.
The Trade Desk has gained a strong foothold among agencies for its powerful optimization tools, cross-device targeting, and the introduction of UID 2.0—a privacy-conscious identity solution meant to replace third-party cookies in the open internet.
Amazon DSP has a significant edge when it comes to audience targeting accuracy. With access to Amazon’s deterministic first-party data, advertisers can target users based on real shopping behavior, product views, and purchase history. This means ads are served to consumers who are further down the funnel, increasing conversion efficiency.
The Trade Desk, in contrast, still leans on third-party data and probabilistic targeting. While UID 2.0 helps create persistent user identifiers, it’s inherently less accurate than Amazon’s login-based, real-time behavioral targeting. However, The Trade Desk offers broader reach across the open web, including publishers Amazon does not have relationships with.
Amazon DSP provides premium inventory on Amazon-owned properties, including Prime Video, Twitch, Freevee, Fire TV, and IMDb. Advertisers also gain access to curated third-party sites through direct publisher relationships—but always with the backing of Amazon’s data.
The Trade Desk, by comparison, shines in scale and variety. It offers access to tens of thousands of publishers and streaming platforms, making it ideal for advertisers looking for reach across many verticals. However, this comes with variability in inventory quality and targeting precision, especially in cookie-deprecating environments.
One of Amazon DSP’s standout features is closed-loop attribution. Advertisers can directly measure how ads influenced shopping behavior, including clicks, product views, adds-to-cart, and actual purchases on Amazon. This level of insight is extremely powerful for performance-driven campaigns.
The Trade Desk offers robust analytics, but attribution is often modeled or inferred from third-party integrations and pixels. Without ownership of a commerce platform, tying ad exposure directly to sales becomes more complicated.
Amazon is increasingly infusing AI into its DSP to improve audience segmentation, campaign pacing, creative optimization, and predictive bidding. Thanks to its access to massive volumes of shopper data and product trends, AI recommendations inside Amazon DSP are directly informed by real buying behavior, not just browsing habits.
The Trade Desk is also doubling down on AI, with its Koa AI engine designed to optimize bids, forecast performance, and analyze media placements. Koa is powerful, but it’s fundamentally built on signals from the open web, making it more susceptible to data disruption as privacy regulations tighten.
Amazon DSP can be perceived as complex for new advertisers, especially if onboarding through a self-service seat. However, managed service and agency partners can simplify execution. Amazon’s support has improved significantly, and newer UI enhancements have streamlined campaign setup and performance tracking.
The Trade Desk, by contrast, has long been seen as a power user’s DSP. Agencies love the transparency, customizability, and control it provides—but it can be intimidating for those without deep programmatic expertise. The learning curve is steeper, though platform education through The Trade Desk Edge Academy helps bridge that gap.
One of the biggest surprises for advertisers switching to Amazon DSP is the cost-efficiency. Despite access to premium inventory and first-party data, CPMs on Amazon DSP are often lower than those on The Trade Desk—especially in CTV environments.
This is largely due to Amazon’s direct relationships with publishers and supply-side efficiency. Meanwhile, The Trade Desk buyers may encounter higher CPMs due to intermediaries, bid shading, and competition in the open auction.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—but here's a general takeaway:
That said, Amazon DSP is gaining ground fast—especially as retail media grows, streaming habits shift, and marketers prioritize privacy-safe, data-rich environments. In 2025, many agencies are rebalancing budgets away from The Trade Desk and into Amazon for better ROAS, closed-loop insights, and curated inventory.
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