Start.io vs The Trade Desk
Start.io vs The Trade Desk, compared side by side on 23 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Start.io is on 57/100 and The Trade Desk on 75/100.
Where each one leads
Start.io
- headcount growth: +2.9% against +1.3%
The Trade Desk
- our overall score: 75/100 against 57/100
- domain rating: 85/100 against 75/100
- headcount: 4,732 against 154
- funding raised: $526M against $4.3M
- LinkedIn following: 259,477 against 35,567
At a glance
| Measure | Start.io | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Start.io is a sell-side omnichannel advertising platform powered by real-time mobile audiences, delivering hundreds of millions of ads daily. | A technology company providing a self-service platform for advertisers to buy and manage digital advertising. |
| Category | Mobile Marketing, Marketing, Advanced Targeting, Consumer Analytics | Connected TV (CTV), AdTech, Enterprise Software, Data-Driven Marketing |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2B | B2B |
| Offering | Software | Platform |
| Founded | 2010 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel | Ventura, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Start.io | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 154 | 4,732 |
| Headcount growthLast 12 months | +2.9% | +1.3% |
| Total funding | $4.3M | $526M |
| Latest round | Series A | IPO |
| Valuation | Not published | $1.1B |
| LinkedIn followers | 35,567 | 259,477 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Start.io | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 57/100 | 75/100 |
| Traction | 53/100 | 60/100 |
| Team | 70/100 | 70/100 |
| Community | 8/100 | 8/100 |
| Search visibility | 33/100 | 45/100 |
| Quality | 58/100 | 89/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (50/100) | D (53/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 75/100 | 85/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Start.io | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self Managed | AWS |
| CDN | Not detected | Cloudflare |
| CMS | WordPress | Not detected |
| Frameworks | Jquery | Alpinejs, Tailwind CSS |
| Analytics | Google Tag Manager | Google Tag Manager |
Start.io vs The Trade Desk: common questions
Which is better, Start.io or The Trade Desk?
On our 0-100 score The Trade Desk rates higher (75/100 against 57/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 23 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Start.io and The Trade Desk compare on the numbers?
Start.io leads on headcount growth (+2.9% against +1.3%). The Trade Desk leads on our overall score (75/100 against 57/100), domain rating (85/100 against 75/100), headcount (4,732 against 154), funding raised ($526M against $4.3M), LinkedIn following (259,477 against 35,567).
Read the full Start.io review and pricing or the The Trade Desk review and pricing. You can also browse other Start.io alternatives we track.