Criteo
Paris commerce media company selling retargeting, acquisition and retail media, with European audiences contracted through European Criteo entities
Quick Overview
| Company | Criteo (contracting entity varies by audience location) |
|---|---|
| Category | Programmatic Advertising Platforms |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - France (EU) |
| Data Location | Not stated on the pages reviewed |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Commerce Growth and GO campaigns, dynamic retargeting, customer acquisition and retention, predictive bidding, Shopper Graph, product recommendations, retail media, video advertising |
| Pricing | Not published; contact sales |
| Best For | Retailers and brands wanting performance retargeting and commerce data under one vendor |
| Replaces | The Trade Desk, Google Display & Video 360, Amazon DSP |
Detailed Review
Criteo's contracting entities document sets the contract party and law by the location of the audience selected. French and Swiss audiences go to Criteo SAS under French law and Paris courts, Dutch and Belgian ones to Criteo B.V., German and Austrian ones to Criteo GmbH, and UK audiences to Criteo Ltd.
The company page claims 3,500+ employees, 26 offices and 17,000+ customers, and the find-us page lists the Paris office at 32 Rue Blanche.
Performance media at the core
The homepage groups the offer into customer acquisition, customer retention, dynamic retargeting with personalised product ads, commerce audiences built on shopper data, video advertising and GO campaigns for brands of any size. Commerce Growth is aimed at marketers and agencies running acquisition and retention.
Shopper data and bidding
Shopper Graph connects shopper IDs and commerce data, and Predictive Bidding bids on the predicted value of each user. Product recommendations are intent-based, and a Commerce AI layer sits above them.
Retail media on the open internet
Commerce Max sells retail media across the open internet to brands, Commerce Grid connects media owners and retailers with programmatic demand, and Commerce Yield serves retailers and marketplaces that want to monetise their own assets.
Limitations to Consider
Criteo has a US contracting entity (Criteo Corp., New York law) for US and several Latin American audiences, so the European structure only applies to the audience locations the contract names. The product is oriented around commerce and retargeting, which is narrower than a general-purpose DSP. Pricing is not published. Its size also means smaller advertisers often get a lighter touch than at RTB House or BidTheatre.
Who Should Use Criteo
Retailers, marketplaces and brands in Europe that want retargeting and retail media from a French-headquartered vendor with local contracting entities.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Dynamic retargeting and acquisition under one account
- Retail media products for brands and retailers
- Local contracting entities with local law in many EU countries
- Predictive bidding and Shopper Graph
- Large customer base (vendor figure)
Cons
- US entity exists for US and Latin American audiences
- Commerce and retargeting focus
- No public pricing
- Few channels beyond commerce and retail media
Alternatives to Criteo
Other European programmatic advertising platforms worth comparing before you decide:
Adnuntius
Norway · Nordic marketplace, ad server and DMP with direct supply
BidTheatre
Sweden · Independent self-serve DSP run from Stockholm since 2012
Active Agent
Germany · Omnichannel DSP for display, TV, DOOH, cinema and radio
Adform
Denmark · DSP, ad server and DMP in one Copenhagen platform
See all European programmatic advertising platforms or compare them directly against The Trade Desk on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the May 2025 contracting entities document, German audiences are served by Criteo GmbH under German law with the courts of Munich.
Yes. Criteo Corp. provides the service for US audiences, under the laws of the State of New York.
A retail media product for brands and agencies that want to run retail media on the open internet.