Platform Comparison
DSP Connect vs. The Trade Desk:
Enterprise reach without enterprise requirements.
The Trade Desk is the gold standard for large-scale programmatic buying. But access comes with a serious price of entry — in spend, in contracts, and in time. Here's what smaller agencies actually face.
TTD minimum spend
$50k–$100k/month
DSP Connect minimum
$0
TTD setup
Weeks + negotiation
DSP Connect setup
Same day. Self-serve.
Platform overview
DSP Connect
For independent agencies
Enterprise capabilities. Zero gatekeeping.
- ✓$0 minimum spend
- ✓Same-day activation. No negotiation required.
- ✓No contracts. No commitments.
- ✓80+ SSPs across the open web
- ✓Partner revenue share on managed spend
- ✓You set your own pricing and margins
The Trade Desk
The most sophisticated DSP — with access to match.
- –$50k–$100k/month minimums (reported)
- –Contract negotiation required before access
- –Weeks of legal and onboarding before launch
- –No revenue share model for agencies
- ✓Kokai AI — among the most advanced bidding engines
- ✓Unified ID 2.0 — industry-leading identity
To get a TTD seat
$50k+
minimum monthly spend commitment
vs.
To get a DSP Connect seat
$0
no minimum, no contract, same day
Feature comparison
| Feature | DSP Connect | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum spend | $0 Win | $50k–$100k/month (reported) |
| Contract required | No Win | Yes — negotiated |
| Activation time | Same day Win | Weeks |
| Revenue share | Yes Win | No |
| SSP access | 80+ SSPs Win | Curated premium inventory |
| AI bidding | AI + human support Win | Kokai AI — industry-leading |
| Identity solution | Standard targeting | Unified ID 2.0 |
| CTV inventory | Available via SSPs | Premium CTV access |
| Self-serve access | Yes Win | Managed onboarding |
The Trade Desk is the best DSP in the world — if you can get in.
Most independent agencies can't. The spend minimums alone rule out the majority of the market. DSP Connect gives you the same open-web infrastructure with zero gatekeeping.When The Trade Desk makes sense
The Trade Desk is the right choice for agencies running $500k/month or more in managed media, with clients who demand the most advanced identity resolution, CTV targeting, and AI optimization on the market.
But for the thousands of agencies managing under $100k/month — or scaling toward it — the minimums, contracts, and onboarding timelines make TTD inaccessible. DSP Connect is built for that gap. Same open-web infrastructure. None of the gatekeeping.
Enterprise infrastructure. Zero barriers.
Same-day activation. No contracts. No minimums.