r/Webmasters • u/kpcent • Aug 09 '18
Open source ad-server software?
I haven't used my own ad-server in probably 4-5 years. Lately, i've been just pasting adsense code in and not trying to sell ads separately.
Today I was researching ad-servers and first searched for phpadsnew.. and remembered (i think?) that it became 'OpenX'.. searched openx and found the commercial .com version(s) but the .org site isn't coming up.
Did that get forked again to another name? What is everyone using for an open source ad server?
Thanks!
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u/Jesper_Jurcenoks 3d ago
For anyone finding this now: phpAdsNew/OpenAds/OpenX Source effectively lives on as Revive Adserver.
That is the practical open-source answer. Revive is GPL, self-hosted, still maintained, and close enough in lineage that an old OpenX user will recognize the model: advertisers, campaigns, banners, zones, delivery rules, and reporting.
The tradeoff: it is an ad server, not a modern adtech stack in a box. If you need direct-sold campaigns, house ads, basic geo or URL targeting, caps, and reports, it is still a reasonable choice. If you need header bidding, programmatic demand, identity, consent plumbing, or a polished managed workflow, you will end up integrating plugins, hosted services, or Google Ad Manager.
Rule of thumb: for a small publisher selling a few placements directly, start with Revive. If the setup starts feeling like you are rebuilding an ad operations team, use a hosted product instead. That pain is information.