Method · Published 2026-10-15
How we score CTV advertising platforms
Short answer
We score eight streaming TV ad platforms 0 to 10 on seven criteria, using only each vendor's own public pages. Scores came first; the weights were set afterwards to answer one question about launching and proving CTV results. Totals, ranks and winners are computed in code.
By The Playback Desk · Best CTV Ad Platforms · Published 2026-10-15
Desk research from public vendor pages. Editorial assessment; we did not run campaigns on these platforms.
What question does the ranking answer?
Which streaming TV ad platform lets a brand or agency launch a campaign and prove its results (measurement, incrementality and control) with the least friction?
Brands and agencies asking it usually want to run a pilot against a current CTV provider and judge it on measured results rather than reach alone. That is why proof carries the most weight.
What are the criteria and weights?
| Criterion | Weight | What we asked |
|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | Can a brand or agency open an account and start a campaign without a sales process? |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | What do the vendor's pages say about tying TV ad exposure to site visits, conversions, revenue or app installs? |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | Do the vendor's pages describe incrementality, holdout or lift measurement? |
| Control and automation | 15% | How much can the buyer steer bidding, targeting and budgets, including through an API or an AI assistant? |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | Are the minimum, pricing model, fees and commitment terms stated, and stated consistently? |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | Which streaming apps, networks or household reach figures does the vendor publish? |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | Are managed service, multi-account, agency licensing, payment terms or security attestations published? |
The lead question is about proving results with little friction. Proof (outcome measurement plus incrementality) carries 40%, friction (launch access plus control) carries 30%, and the commercial and reach checks (pricing clarity, inventory, enterprise readiness) carry 30%. No criterion carries more than 20%, so no single feature decides the ranking. If inventory or a fixed price matters more to you, the re-weigh tool lets you change every weight.
How is a score set?
- A 9 or 10 means the vendor's pages describe the capability in specific terms (named methods, metrics, partners or terms).
- A 6 to 8 means the capability is described, with gaps.
- A 4 or 5 means a partial description, or terms that must be confirmed in a sales conversation.
- A 2 or 3 means the pages we read do not describe it. That is a statement about what is published, not a finding that the product cannot do it.
- We do not score claims made by one vendor about another vendor.
Every score and reason
Vibe
Vibe total: 8.20 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 9 / 10Tied highest | Offers "Get started" next to "Book a demo" and says you can get started "in minutes"; payment by credit card or wire. | Vibe homepage |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 8 / 10 | Pixel attribution with a 1 hour to 7 day window, reporting web visits, ROAS, app installs and in-app revenue in a customizable dashboard. | Vibe measurement and reporting |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 9 / 10Tied highest | States "incrementality testing built in" with geo holdout and cross-channel lift examples; Haus and Northbeam are named integrations. | Vibe MCP |
| Control and automation | 15% | 9 / 10Highest in set | Automatic and manual bidding and frequency capping, plus Vibe MCP to create campaigns and edit targeting and budgets from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini, and an API with every account. | Vibe MCP |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 5 / 10 | States "No Commitment" and shows a $15–$35 CPM estimate, but fees are not published. Vibe's pages describe both a $50 per day figure and no minimums; confirm current terms with Vibe. | Vibe pricing |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 8 / 10 | Publishes 500+ channels and names Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount Plus, ESPN and YouTube; Netflix and Prime Video are not listed. | Vibe apps and channels |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 8 / 10 | SOC 2 Type 2, multi account, 24/7 support and optional managed campaigns; no brand-safety partners named on its integrations page. | Vibe pricing |
Tatari
Tatari total: 7.30 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 5 / 10 | Brands launch with optional strategy and services and agencies license the platform; a public sign-up was not found on the pages we read. | Tatari homepage |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 9 / 10Tied highest | CPV, CPI, CAC and ROAS by network, creative, DMA and platform, with DragFactor and multi-touch attribution. | Tatari TV measurement |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 9 / 10Tied highest | States it measures the true incremental impact of TV. | Tatari TV measurement |
| Control and automation | 15% | 7 / 10 | An AI-powered Planning Engine, log-level exports, reporting APIs and server-to-server sharing via Vault. | Tatari insights: platform comparison page (2026) |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 4 / 10Tied lowest | States flexible minimums and CPM, CPA or flexible models, with no dollar minimum or rate card. | Tatari insights: platform comparison page (2026) |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 7 / 10 | Streaming TV, linear TV and online video through programmatic and direct buying; named publishers are not on the pages we read. | Tatari homepage |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 8 / 10 | Optional strategy and services, agency licensing and a stated range up to $100m per year in TV spend. | Tatari homepage |
StackAdapt
StackAdapt total: 7.00 / 10
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| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 8 / 10 | Basic is self-serve with sign-up and a credit card; Grow is also self-serve. | StackAdapt plans and packages |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 8 / 10 | Cross-device attribution to site visits and conversions, plus reach, frequency and VCR. | StackAdapt connected TV advertising |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 6 / 10 | Lists brand lift, sales lift and store visits; holdout or geo testing is not described on the CTV page. | StackAdapt connected TV advertising |
| Control and automation | 15% | 6 / 10 | Pod bidding, a live sports calendar and dynamic creative optimization; assistant access is not described. | StackAdapt connected TV advertising |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 5 / 10 | Plan tiers and payment terms are published with "no hidden tech fees", but no prices or minimum budget. | StackAdapt plans and packages |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 7 / 10 | Hundreds of networks with partners such as NBCUniversal, A+E Networks and Bell Media. | StackAdapt connected TV advertising |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 9 / 10Highest in set | Scale, Accelerate and Enterprise plans offer self-serve or managed service, net terms, custom payment and Creative Studio services. | StackAdapt plans and packages |
tvScientific
tvScientific total: 6.65 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 4 / 10Lowest in set | The homepage CTA is "Request a demo" plus a login; a public sign-up was not found on the pages we read. | tvScientific homepage |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 9 / 10Tied highest | Patented attribution with household-level deterministic matching for online and offline conversions. | tvScientific measurement and attribution |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 9 / 10Tied highest | Describes incrementality-driven attribution and incremental lift analysis. | tvScientific measurement and attribution |
| Control and automation | 15% | 5 / 10 | States "you control where to activate" with a search-and-social style UI; API or assistant access is not described on the pages we read. | tvScientific homepage |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 4 / 10Tied lowest | Publishes a Guaranteed Outcomes option; minimum spend, CPM and fees are not stated on the pages we read. | tvScientific homepage |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 7 / 10 | Premium streaming and linear inventory reaching 93% of U.S. households, with a filterable publisher list. | tvScientific inventory |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 6 / 10 | Now part of Pinterest, with Pinterest audiences for CTV; managed-service or agency terms are not described on the pages we read. | Pinterest Newsroom: tvScientific by Pinterest |
MNTN
MNTN total: 6.55 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 9 / 10Tied highest | Footer badges "Self-Serve Platform", "No Minimums" and "Cancel Anytime", with "Sign Up Now" next to "Request Demo". | MNTN homepage |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 8 / 10 | Verified Visits identity graph across 99% of available US households and 1:1 outcomes such as visits, conversions and revenue in real time. | MNTN attribution (Verified Visits) |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 3 / 10 | Incrementality or holdout testing is not described on the homepage, inventory or enterprise pages we read. | MNTN for enterprise |
| Control and automation | 15% | 6 / 10 | Publishes AI bidding figures and lists Flexible APIs (BI); buyer-side bidding controls are not detailed on the pages we read. | MNTN homepage |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 6 / 10 | States "No upfront commitments. No minimums." and at-will buying; no CPM or fee schedule is published. | MNTN homepage |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 7 / 10 | Direct deals with 150+ networks reaching 99% of U.S. households, naming Peacock, HBO Max, Hulu, CBS and Bravo. | MNTN for enterprise |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 8 / 10 | An enterprise page with preferred pricing on named networks, an agencies segment and a NYSE listing. | MNTN for enterprise |
Amazon Ads (Ads Agent and DVA+)
Amazon Ads (Ads Agent and DVA+) total: 5.85 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 7 / 10 | Self-service and managed-service options, open to advertisers who do and do not sell on Amazon. | Amazon Ads: Amazon DSP |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 4 / 10 | Ads Agent can measure campaigns, but attribution methods and partners are not described on the pages we read. | Amazon Ads: Amazon DSP |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 2 / 10Tied lowest | Incrementality or lift testing is not described on the pages we read. | Amazon Ads: Amazon DSP |
| Control and automation | 15% | 8 / 10 | Ads Agent plans, creates, optimizes and measures campaigns in natural language; DVA+ has advanced settings. | Amazon Ads: Amazon DSP |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 7 / 10 | DVA+ states CPM billing with no minimum spend; managed service typically requires $50,000 (US); the platform fee is not stated. | Amazon Ads: Display, video and audio (DVA+) |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 9 / 10Highest in set | Prime Video, Twitch, Thursday Night Football, Amazon.com and Fire TV, plus thousands of third-party sites and apps. | Amazon Ads: Amazon DSP |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 8 / 10 | Managed service through an account executive alongside self-service. | Amazon Ads: About us |
Disney Campaign Manager
Disney Campaign Manager total: 4.00 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 7 / 10 | Self-serve with a credit card after a 24–48 hour business verification. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 3 / 10Tied lowest | The FAQ describes status, budget and impressions; conversion measurement is not stated. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 2 / 10Tied lowest | Not described on the FAQ we read. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
| Control and automation | 15% | 3 / 10Lowest in set | Targeting by demographics, zip code, age, gender, interests and show genres; bidding controls and API access are not described. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 8 / 10Highest in set | States a $500 per campaign minimum, no subscription, setup or installation fees, and billing after the ad starts; CPM is not stated. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 3 / 10Tied lowest | Hulu and Disney+ only. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 4 / 10Tied lowest | Managed service, multi-account and agency terms are not described on the FAQ we read. | Disney Campaign Manager FAQ: getting started |
Roku Ads Manager
Roku Ads Manager total: 3.90 / 10
Scroll the table sideways
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch access | 15% | 6 / 10 | The cost guide describes starting with existing creative and a small budget; creative review takes 2–3 days. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| Outcome measurement | 20% | 3 / 10Tied lowest | Measurement is not described on the cost guide we read. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| Incrementality and lift testing | 20% | 2 / 10Tied lowest | Not described on the page we read. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| Control and automation | 15% | 4 / 10 | Dynamic CPM with an optional maximum bid, an AI video upscaler and Action Ads. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| Pricing and commitment clarity | 10% | 7 / 10 | CPM, pay as the campaign delivers, no upfront payment and $500–$1,000 starting guidance; a platform fee is not stated. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| Published inventory reach | 10% | 3 / 10Tied lowest | The page we read does not describe which apps or how many households the inventory reaches. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
| Enterprise and agency readiness | 10% | 4 / 10Tied lowest | Managed service and agency terms are not described on the page we read. | Roku Ads: How much does it cost to advertise on Roku |
What did we not do?
Public sources only: vendor pages, Walmart's and Pinterest's newsrooms and G2 product pages, all. No hands-on testing, no campaigns run, no vendor interviews. Vendor figures are quoted as the vendor's statements. G2 ratings appear only where we read them on G2's own product page (Vibe and MNTN) and are not part of any score.
Why are some platforms reviewed but not scored?
The Trade Desk, Google Display & Video 360, Netflix Ads and Universal Ads publish too little on launch access, pricing or incrementality for us to score every criterion on the same basis. We describe them on /also-on-our-radar from their own pages instead.
How do we keep scores consistent?
Every score was set from the vendor's own pages before the weights were chosen, no weight exceeds 20%, and the criteria where Vibe scores below another platform are shown on the ranking, on its profile and in this table. If a vendor believes a fact about it is out of date, the contact page has a Correction topic, and we update the page with the new source and date.
How do corrections work?
Send the page URL and the vendor page that shows the current fact through /contact with the topic Correction. We re-read the vendor page and update the fact, its read date and any score it affects.
Frequently asked questions
Why does proof carry 40% of the weight?
Because the lead question is about proving results. A platform that is easy to start but cannot show what the ads added does not answer it.
Why does a platform with large inventory not rank first?
Inventory reach carries 10%. A platform can lead on inventory and still score lower where its pages do not describe outcome or lift measurement.
Are G2 ratings part of the score?
No. We show G2 ratings only where we read them on G2's own page, as context.