Amazon Advertising
The Trade Desk
| Feature | Amazon Advertising | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Contact sales |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | amazon-sellers, ecommerce-brands, cpg-brands, agencies | media-buyers, agencies, enterprise-advertisers, programmatic-teams |
| Founded | 2012 | 2009 |
| Sponsored Products | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sponsored Brands | ✓ | ✗ |
| Display Ads | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dsp | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Ads | ✓ | ✗ |
| Attribution | ✓ | ✓ |
| Programmatic Buying | ✗ | ✓ |
| Connected Tv | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio Ads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Identity Graph | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Amazon Advertising Pros
- Access to high-intent buyers
- Lower funnel advertising
- Rich product targeting
- Growing DSP capabilities
✗ Amazon Advertising Cons
- Only reaches Amazon shoppers
- Competitive bidding drives up costs
- Complex campaign management
✓ The Trade Desk Pros
- Best-in-class DSP technology
- Excellent CTV capabilities
- Strong data marketplace
- Transparent pricing
✗ The Trade Desk Cons
- Enterprise minimum spend
- Requires programmatic expertise
- Complex for beginners
The Verdict
Amazon Advertising is built for amazon sellers and ecommerce brands, with a focus on sponsored-products and sponsored-brands. The Trade Desk targets media buyers and agencies and leads with programmatic-buying and connected-tv.
Both tools use custom enterprise pricing — you'll need to contact sales for a quote, which makes direct cost comparison difficult.
Amazon Advertising has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. The Trade Desk requires a paid subscription from day one.
Both tools are a solid fit for agencies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: The Trade Desk has a slight overall edge — but if access to high-intent buyers matters most to you, Amazon Advertising may still be the right call.