# Which publisher ad server software is easiest for a small publisher to set up without developer help so a non-technical team can manage their own ad inventory?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Hey G2 reviewers and small-publisher folks, I want to start a discussion about setup claims. I'd like to know which publisher ad server software is easiest for a small publisher to set up without developer help for a non-technical team to manage their own ad inventory. </p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Many claim this is possible on their platform, but which ones actually deliver that. From the<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/publisher-ad-server"> </a><a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/publisher-ad-server">publisher ad server category</a>, four keep coming up, each with a different answer to "how easy":</p><ul>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/adsense/reviews"><strong>AdSense</strong></a>: nothing to set up beyond a code snippet, but also very little inventory to manage. Does anyone treat it as a real ad server, or just the starting point?</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/adbutler/reviews"><strong>AdButler</strong></a>: reviewers rate setup and support well above category average. Can a non-technical team build and run campaigns solo, or does the technical side creep back in?</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/broadstreet/reviews"><strong>Broadstreet</strong></a>: support handles setup for you, and it is built for local and niche publishers. Does the hand-holding continue after onboarding?</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/adpushup/reviews"><strong>Adpushup</strong></a>: managed, so their team does the heavy lifting. Is handing over the keys worth it for a small site?</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">For the reviewers and researchers here, and anyone who did the setup themselves: what did the vendor's "easy setup" pitch conveniently leave out?</p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true"></p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true"></p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 2 months ago
- Author title: Tech Consultant
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;Broadstreet is the highest-rated option in this category, known specifically for being easy for a small publisher to set up and manage their own ad inventory without needing developer help.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 7 days ago



### Comment 2

&lt;p&gt;The “first time something breaks” test is a good distinction. I’d take it one step further and have the non-technical user make a real post-launch change without support: add a placement, change targeting, troubleshoot an under-delivering campaign, and verify that the correct creative is serving. If those routine changes keep sending the team back to support or a developer, the initial setup may have been easy without the platform actually being self-manageable.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 9 days ago
- Author title: Writer



### Comment 3

&lt;p&gt;From G2 reviews, the thing &quot;easy setup&quot; pitches consistently leave out is what happens the first time something breaks — AdSense reviewers flag that when ads stop serving, or an account gets flagged, there&#39;s no human to call, and the help documentation assumes technical literacy. AdButler&#39;s setup is genuinely non-technical for standard campaigns, but reviewers note that anything involving custom formats or tag troubleshooting quietly requires developer instincts. Broadstreet is the most honest about the hand-holding. G2 reviewers describe support staying present well past onboarding, while Adpushup&#39;s managed model means the setup is easy precisely because you&#39;ve handed over control, which becomes the problem when you want to understand or change something yourself.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 2 months ago
- Author title: Marketing Executive





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