Header bidding— Client-side vs Server-side🥇

A discussion about tradeoffs between server-side bidding and client-side bidding!

Drawing 1: Client & server-side header bidding

“Normal” header bidding is done on the client (in the browser). Why? Because it's easier. That, however, should not always be the deciding factor when deciding whether or not to use a piece of technology.

The server-side implementation gives you some different tradeoffs which you should know before deciding what kind of tech stack you want to build and maintain.

Let us investigate why and how you might create a setup that fits you best, by evaluating the tradeoffs the two solutions offer. For a beginner guide read this:

Prebid for beginners — with examples

Let's discuss some advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.

TLDR;

1. Speed: Prebid server 🚀
2. Demand: Prebid server 💸
3. Revenue: Client Prebid wins for now 💰
4. Maintenance: Prebid Server (from a client perspective)🔧
5. Setup: Client Prebid 🔨