Programmatic buying runs most of the display, video, and streaming TV ad market now, and three demand-side platforms (DSPs) dominate serious budgets: The Trade Desk, Google’s DV360, and Amazon’s DSP. None of the three publish a price list or a minimum-spend number — that’s normal for enterprise DSPs, and we won’t invent figures that don’t exist. What we can tell you, from each company’s own materials, is how you actually get access, what inventory you’re buying, and who each platform is realistically built for.
At a Glance
| Platform | Pricing Model | Self-Service Option | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk | Not published; negotiated per account | No public signup — sales conversation required for every account; limited self-service now available through certified partners for SMBs | Agency trading desks, enterprise brands, and holding-company media teams |
| Google DV360 | Not published; enterprise sales-led | Existing users sign in directly; new advertisers are routed to a sales contact | Advertisers already inside the Google Marketing Platform/ads ecosystem wanting tight YouTube and exchange integration |
| Amazon DSP (now under “Amazon Ads Agent”) | Not published; no stated minimum spend | Yes — both self-service and managed-service options, open to sellers and non-sellers on Amazon | Advertisers wanting direct access to Amazon’s retail, streaming, and Twitch audiences without a large minimum commitment |
Short Verdict
Amazon’s DSP (newly rebranded under “Amazon Ads Agent”) is the most accessible of the three for smaller and mid-size advertisers, since Amazon explicitly offers a self-service path with no stated minimum spend. The Trade Desk and DV360 are both effectively closed to advertisers without an existing agency relationship or a sales conversation — pick The Trade Desk for independence from the Google and Amazon ecosystems and the broadest open-web/CTV reach, and pick DV360 if you’re already standardized on Google’s ad stack and want deep YouTube integration.
What They Are
The Trade Desk describes itself as “the leading independent DSP built for data-driven marketers,” buying display, video, audio, digital out-of-home, and Connected TV inventory across hundreds of data and inventory partners, with its own “OpenPath” supply-path product aimed at cutting out resellers between advertisers and publishers. Independent reporting is consistent that there has never been a public self-serve signup: every account starts with a sales conversation, and the platform is built around agency trading desks (including staff certified through The Trade Desk’s own Edge Academy), enterprise brands, and holding companies. In 2025 the company launched a Partner Program that extends more self-service-style access to small and medium businesses, but only through certified service partners, not directly from The Trade Desk.
Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) is Google Marketing Platform’s enterprise DSP, positioned by Google as “end-to-end campaign management for enterprises in one tool” — covering media planning, creative, measurement, and bid automation, with native integration into Google Analytics 360. Its own marketing page routes existing users to a direct sign-in, while anyone without an account is routed to a sales contact rather than a public signup form. On inventory, DV360 gives advertisers access to YouTube (including Google Preferred and TrueView placements) and dozens of third-party ad exchanges.
Amazon’s DSP has just gone through a significant rebrand: at its “unBoxed” 2026 event, Amazon folded the DSP console and its ads console into a single AI-first platform called “Amazon Ads Agent,” with a new default campaign type called DVA (display, video, audio) and an AI-optimized variant, DVA+, rolling out from late October 2026. A toggle under “advanced settings” still exposes the “traditional DSP-type experience” for advertisers who want it. Per Amazon’s own product page, access is open to both sellers and non-sellers on Amazon, through either self-service or managed-service options, with no stated minimum spend — registration happens directly through an Amazon Ads account. Inventory spans Amazon’s own properties (Amazon.com, Prime Video, Twitch, Thursday Night Football, Fire TV) plus thousands of third-party publisher sites and apps, and now explicitly the open web as part of DVA+.
Access & Inventory Breakdown
| Platform | How You Get In | Inventory Access |
|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk | Sales conversation for every account; SMB access only via certified Partner Program partners (e.g., Goodway Group) | Open web display/video/audio, digital out-of-home, Connected TV, plus OpenPath supply-path deals |
| Google DV360 | Existing Google Marketing Platform users sign in directly; new advertisers go through Google sales | YouTube (Preferred/Reserve/TrueView), dozens of third-party programmatic exchanges |
| Amazon Ads Agent / DVA(+) (formerly “Amazon DSP”) | Self-service signup via Amazon Ads account, or managed service via an Amazon account executive; open to non-Amazon-sellers too | Amazon.com, Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV, Thursday Night Football, thousands of third-party publishers, and the open web under DVA+ |
Pros and Cons
- The Trade Desk — Pros: fully independent of any walled-garden retailer or publisher, deepest CTV/open-web reach, OpenPath aims to reduce supply-chain markup.
- The Trade Desk — Cons: no public self-service path for most advertisers; realistically requires agency or partner access.
- DV360 — Pros: deep YouTube integration, native tie-in with Google Analytics 360 and the broader Google Marketing Platform stack.
- DV360 — Cons: positioned purely for enterprise; Google’s own page gives new prospects no path except contacting sales.
- Amazon DSP/Ads Agent — Pros: genuine self-service option with no stated minimum spend; open to advertisers who don’t sell on Amazon; access to unique retail/streaming/Twitch audiences.
- Amazon DSP/Ads Agent — Cons: mid-rebrand as of late 2026, so documentation, naming (“Amazon DSP” vs “DVA/DVA+”), and the exact scope of what’s AI-managed by default vs. manually controlled are actively shifting.
Who It’s a Good Fit For / Who Should Look Elsewhere
Choose The Trade Desk if you’re an agency or enterprise brand that needs independent, cross-publisher reach and already has (or can get) a direct sales relationship. Look elsewhere if you’re a smaller advertiser without agency representation and want to self-serve immediately.
Choose DV360 if your media stack is already built around Google (Analytics 360, Google Ads, YouTube) and you have an existing Google Marketing Platform relationship. Look elsewhere if you want a public self-service signup with no prior Google enterprise relationship.
Choose Amazon’s DSP/Ads Agent if you want to start programmatic buying without going through an agency gatekeeper, especially if Amazon’s retail, streaming, or Twitch audiences matter to your brand. Look elsewhere if you need the broadest possible independent, cross-retailer open-web reach that isn’t tied to Amazon’s own properties and data.
Bottom Line
None of these three DSPs will tell you a price upfront, and that’s by design — enterprise programmatic buying runs on negotiated, volume-based deals, not rate cards. The real differentiator in 2026 is access: Amazon is the only one of the three offering a straightforward, publicly described self-service path with no stated spend minimum, while The Trade Desk and DV360 both gate access behind a sales relationship (directly, through an agency, or through a certified partner). Choose based on which walled garden — or lack thereof — fits your inventory needs, not on price you won’t find published anywhere.
FAQ
Is there really no minimum spend for any of these DSPs?
None of the three publish one. Amazon’s own product page explicitly states advertisers set their own budgets with no stated DSP minimum; The Trade Desk and DV360 simply don’t publish a rate card or minimum at all — pricing and access are negotiated individually.
What happened to “Amazon DSP” as a name?
As of Amazon’s unBoxed 2026 event, the DSP console was merged with the Amazon Ads console into a unified platform called “Amazon Ads Agent,” with a new AI-driven campaign type (DVA/DVA+) replacing the old DSP-only workflow as the default — though a “traditional DSP-type experience” toggle still exists for advertisers who want manual control.
Can a small business realistically use The Trade Desk or DV360?
Only indirectly in most cases — through an agency that already has access, or, for The Trade Desk, through its newer certified-partner Partner Program aimed at SMBs. Neither offers a public self-service signup the way Amazon’s DSP does.
Which DSP gives access to the most inventory outside its own ecosystem?
The Trade Desk positions itself most explicitly around independent, cross-publisher open-web and CTV reach, since — unlike Google and Amazon — it doesn’t own a major walled-garden property itself.
Sources
- The Trade Desk — About
- StackAdapt vs. The Trade Desk: access model analysis
- The Trade Desk Partner Program for SMBs
- Google Display & Video 360 overview
- Amazon Ads Agent announcement
- AdExchanger: Amazon DSP’s agentic rebrand
- Amazon DSP product page (access model, inventory)
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