Ditch or Test: The Smart Taboola Alternatives Episode

Chances are, you already heard about Taboola and know that it’s a massive native content-discovery network serving Taboola ads and Taboola native advertising across premium sites. 

It claims to be a giant reach and feed-style placements. Yes, it’s powerful. But there are drawbacks, too: it’s also expensive and sometimes slow to scale. 

So now you’re probably asking: what else is out there? Right? So let’s examine the real Taboola alternatives vetted by trustworthy sources.

But first…👇

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Why You Should Consider Alternatives to Taboola Advertising

Here’s the bit you care about: using Taboola is fine, mostly if your budget, targeting, and KPIs align. But if you want faster speed, more budget levers or unique formats, then shifting to a Taboola alternative might be your move.

Why – key drawbacks of Taboola	What – alternatives allow more
Higher entry spend Focused on native feed formats Less flexibility in format mix and retargeting Variable quality for performance-driven offers	Lower testing cost Access to non-widget formats (push, pop, in-page) Broaden placements and creative innovation

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Top Taboola Alternatives You Can Look Into

When it comes to Taboola alternatives, the landscape goes far beyond content widgets. Platforms like Amazon Advertising, Microsoft Advertising, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions and other giants of the industry are serious contenders.

This tends to happen when you’re chasing performance, formats, B2B, or precision.

But enough talking. Let’s just dive in, and check a few of the networks you could test this quarter:

1. Amazon Advertising

Part of Amazon’s ad ecosystem, enabling advertisers to tap into shopper-direct data and display/video formats. Ranked among top programmatic players by revenue. 

2. Microsoft Advertising

This is the rebranded Bing Ads system. It covers Bing, Yahoo, and AOL inventory. It’s less crowded than Google, yet potentially lower cost per click. 

3. LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

Strong B2B target reach which might be ideal if you’re promoting high-ticket or enterprise offers.

4. StackAdapt

A DSP specialised in native, video, audio and more. However, it’s pretty tech-forward, and mid-market friendly.

5. Yahoo Native / Yahoo DSP

Offers native placements via Yahoo’s network, but it’s mostly seen as a premium alternative for scale and premium inventory.

6. Basis DSP

Enterprise-grade DSP with multi-channel capabilities. It’s good if you’re scaling across channels beyond just native. 

7. Outbrain

Strong in the content recommendation game (one of Taboola’s most direct rivals). Great for feed-style native ads, with solid premium inventory. But if you want performance formats, you’ll still need to layer display or retargeting.

8. Revcontent 

Less fame than Taboola, but packed with ad format flexibility and custom widget options. Also offers better control over creatives and placements – essential when you’re diving into performance.

9. Adblade / MGID / TripleLift cluster 

These platforms often show up when advertisers search “Taboola pricing alternatives”. All of which deliver native-plus displays and support dynamic creatives. Great if you want to scale beyond one feed widget.

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How We at PropellerAds Evaluate These Alternatives

Here at PropellerAds, we focus on ROI and testing velocity. So, when you compare Taboola with these alternatives, you need to ask yourself:

• Can I launch with an under $1k test budget and see results within 48 hours?

When it comes to minimum spend and format variety Amazon/LinkedIn may demand higher entry budgets, whereas StackAdapt and Yahoo might be more flexible.

• Do I get control over placements, creatives and traffic sources?

If you’re dialing in on performance, precision placements, tight traffic-source control and agile creative testing, you’re likely going to find more flexibility in networks built for direct response. Try looking into StackAdapt or RevContent.

• Will the network support performance formats (not just feed ads)?

Talking about reach vs depth of inventory, Taboola and Yahoo cover premium feeds. Yet, StackAdapt and Basis give more format diversity.

• Is Taboola pricing favourable compared to what I’d pay elsewhere?

Taboola’s pricing might feel steep. That is because the network focuses heavily on premium placements and broad discovery reach. 

With all of these in mind, if you answer “no” to any of the questions from above, then you might shift to “yes” with the alternatives.

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The Bottom Line

So yeah, Taboola is solid. But for you – a competing advertiser chasing performance – Taboola native ads might feel limiting or pricey. 

Here’s where the real Taboola alternatives come in. Many of its competitors offer you flexibility, quicker testing, and often lower cost to learn.

And if you’re an advertiser focused on performance, direct conversions, and quick scaling, PropellerAds holds many advantages over the Taboola path.