1. What they are
- Google Ads is Google’s self-serve advertising platform, designed for businesses of all sizes to run ads on Search, YouTube, Display, Shopping, and Apps.
- DV360 (Display & Video 360) is an advanced programmatic advertising platform (DSP) within Google Marketing Platform, mainly used by agencies and large advertisers to buy media at scale.
2. Who should use them
- Google Ads: Small to medium businesses, or anyone focused on direct response (leads, sales, conversions).
- DV360: Large brands and agencies focused on branding, reach, and advanced audience strategies.
3. Inventory & reach
- Google Ads:
- Google Search
- YouTube
- Google Display Network (GDN)
- DV360:
- Everything Google Ads offers plus
- 90+ external ad exchanges
- Premium publishers
- Connected TV (CTV), OTT, audio, rich media
4. Targeting & data
- Google Ads: Standard Google audiences (demographics, interests, in-market, remarketing).
- DV360: Advanced targeting:
- First-party and third-party data
- Custom audience modeling
- Data integrations with DMPs and CDPs
5. Media buying options
- Google Ads: Mostly open auction buying.
- DV360: Multiple buying methods:
- Open auction
- Private Marketplace (PMP)
- Programmatic Guaranteed (direct deals with publishers)
6. Reporting & integrations
- Google Ads: Simple and user-friendly reporting.
- DV360: Advanced, customizable reporting with deep integrations into:
- Campaign Manager 360
- Analytics 360
- BigQuery
7. Ease of use
- Google Ads: Easy to learn and manage.
- DV360: More complex; usually managed by trained teams or agencies.
8. Cost
- Google Ads: No platform fee (you only pay for ads).
- DV360: Includes platform and service fees, and usually requires higher budgets.
Quick summary
| Feature | Google Ads | DV360 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Performance & conversions | Branding & large-scale reach |
| Inventory | Google ecosystem only | Google + external exchanges |
| Targeting | Basic | Advanced & data-driven |
| Buying methods | Open auction | Open, PMP, Guaranteed |
| Complexity | Easy | Advanced |
| Platform fees | No | Yes |
In short
- Use Google Ads for search campaigns and performance-driven advertising.
- Use DV360 for programmatic buying, premium inventory, and large-scale branding campaigns.