Hosted vs Self-Hosted Ad Servers: Which Should You Choose?

Short answer: most publishers are better off with a hosted ad server, because the vendor handles servers, security and scaling. Self-hosting makes sense mainly when you have technical staff and need full control of the software.

Hosted ad servers

The vendor runs the software and you log in through a browser. Most of the ad servers we score are hosted, including AdButler, AdGlare, AdSpeed and Broadstreet.

• Good: fast to start, no servers to look after, updates and security handled for you, vendor support
• Watch for: monthly fees that grow with traffic, and features locked to higher plans

Self-hosted ad servers

You install the software on your own servers. Revive Adserver is the best-known example. Its free version is self-hosted, and it also offers a paid Hosted edition from $10 a month.

• Good: no licence fee, and full control of your data and setup
• Watch for: hosting costs, security updates, scaling at busy times, and community-only support

How to decide

Choose hosted if you want to spend your time selling ads rather than running servers. Choose self-hosted only if you have someone who can install, secure and maintain the software, and you value control more than convenience.

See our fastest-to-launch shortlist for hosted options.