AI-powered performance marketing and retail media platform built on the world’s largest commerce dataset
Criteo is a publicly traded ad tech company (CRTO) specializing in performance marketing for retail and e-commerce advertisers. Its core products span retargeting, customer acquisition, and retail media—all driven by Commerce AI, which uses Criteo’s dataset of billions of shopping events to power predictive bidding, dynamic creatives, and product recommendations. In 2026, Criteo is also piloting agentic AI and an integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT for ad delivery in conversational contexts.
Key Features
Commerce AI (Retargeting & Acquisition)
- Dynamic retargeting with personalized product ads based on browsing and purchase behavior
- Lookalike modeling for customer acquisition beyond existing audiences
- AI-powered predictive bidding based on user value and purchase intent
- Abandoned cart recovery and conversion optimization
- Customer retention and lifetime value optimization
Retail Media Platform
- Commerce Max: retail media solution for brands and agencies buying across retailer networks
- Commerce Grid: supply-side platform for media owners and retailers to monetize inventory
- Commerce Yield: monetization platform for enterprise retailers
- Contextual advertising combining commerce data with content signals
- Auction-based display ad formats (launched June 2025)
Dynamic Creative Optimization
- Real-time product catalog integration with live inventory updates
- Personalized ad creatives generated automatically at scale
- Cross-device user journey tracking
- A/B testing and creative performance analysis
- Video advertising for discovery and upper-funnel engagement
Measurement and Analytics
- Real-time campaign tracking and ROAS optimization tools
- Cross-channel attribution modeling
- Shopper Graph for connecting device IDs and commerce signals
- Custom audience segments and performance insights
- Transparent cost reporting
Business Impact
- Commerce data: Access to one of the largest commerce datasets in ad tech powers more accurate targeting and bidding
- Retail media: Commerce Grid and Commerce Max serve both buy-side and sell-side retail media needs
- Automation: AI handles bidding, creative generation, and optimization with minimal manual intervention
- Scale: Reaches consumers across millions of publisher websites and apps globally
Pricing
Criteo does not publish standard pricing. The platform uses a CPC or CPM model with a platform fee calculated as a percentage of media spend. Managed services are available for larger advertisers. There are no setup fees; campaigns can be started directly through Criteo.com or integrated e-commerce platforms. Contact Criteo for enterprise pricing discussions.
Perfect For
- E-commerce Brands: Online retailers seeking retargeting, acquisition, and lifetime value optimization
- Performance Marketers: Teams focused on measurable ROI and conversion-driven campaigns
- Media Agencies: Agencies managing performance campaigns for retail and e-commerce clients
- Retail Companies: Businesses with large product catalogs and active e-commerce operations
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Criteo free to use? No. Criteo is a paid platform with no free tier. There are no setup fees, but you pay based on campaign spend (CPC or CPM model plus a platform fee).
How does Criteo’s pricing work? Criteo uses a performance-based model: you set daily or lifetime budgets, and pay on a CPC or CPM basis. Criteo charges a platform fee as a percentage of media spend on top of the media cost. Specific rates vary by campaign type and volume; managed service options are available for larger accounts.
What is Criteo’s G2 rating? Criteo Advertising has a 3.8/5 rating on G2 based on 241 reviews, reflecting a range of experiences from highly satisfied performance marketers to users frustrated with platform transparency and support.
How does Criteo compare to AdRoll? Both Criteo and AdRoll offer retargeting solutions for e-commerce brands. Criteo differentiates with a much larger commerce dataset, broader global inventory, and more advanced AI capabilities. AdRoll is often positioned as more accessible for smaller advertisers. For enterprise retail scale, Criteo typically wins on data depth; for SMB accessibility, AdRoll may be simpler to start with.
How does Criteo compare to The Trade Desk? The Trade Desk is a full-stack DSP focused on programmatic buying across all channels with broad data partnership options. Criteo is specialized in performance marketing and retail media using its own commerce dataset. The Trade Desk offers more flexibility and channel breadth; Criteo offers deeper specialization in e-commerce retargeting and retail media.
What is the OpenAI ChatGPT integration? In March 2026, Criteo announced a pilot program to serve ads within OpenAI’s ChatGPT interface. This represents an early entry into AI-assistant advertising—placing Criteo’s commerce-powered ad formats in conversational search contexts.
What is Commerce Max? Commerce Max is Criteo’s retail media buying product that allows brands and agencies to activate across multiple retailer networks through a single platform. It is designed to simplify retail media buying that would otherwise require managing relationships with dozens of individual retailers.
User Reviews & Social Proof
Criteo has 241 reviews on G2 with a rating of 3.8/5. Review sentiment reflects strong performance outcomes alongside concerns about platform usability and support:
“Scalable, efficient, and user-friendly for retail expansion.” — G2 reviewer
“Retargeting system is working very well than competitors.” — G2 reviewer
“Really frustrated with their platform and support.” — G2 reviewer
The mixed review profile is typical for enterprise ad platforms where results can vary significantly based on campaign type, category, and how actively accounts are managed.
Criteo vs Alternatives
Criteo vs The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is an independent programmatic DSP with broad open-web access and strong data partnerships. Criteo is more specialized in commerce retargeting and retail media. Advertisers running performance campaigns for retail clients often use both: Criteo for lower-funnel retargeting and acquisition, The Trade Desk for upper-funnel programmatic.
Criteo vs Amazon DSP
Amazon DSP leverages Amazon’s first-party shopping data for programmatic campaigns, with exclusive access to Amazon-owned inventory. Criteo’s commerce dataset is broader across non-Amazon retail but lacks Amazon’s owned inventory. For advertisers heavily focused on Amazon shoppers, Amazon DSP is more direct; for cross-retailer commerce targeting, Criteo offers wider reach.
Criteo vs Google DV360
Google DV360 is Google’s enterprise DSP with deep YouTube and Google Display Network integration. Criteo specializes in e-commerce retargeting and retail media. Most large retail advertisers use both—DV360 for broad programmatic and YouTube reach, Criteo for performance retargeting.
Criteo vs Quantcast
Quantcast uses AI-powered audience modeling for prospecting and programmatic advertising. Criteo specializes in commerce retargeting and retail media. Quantcast is better suited for audience discovery and brand campaigns; Criteo is stronger for lower-funnel performance optimization with product-level targeting.
Recent Updates (2025–2026)
- March 2026: Pilot program announced to serve Criteo ads within OpenAI’s ChatGPT, testing commerce advertising in conversational AI contexts.
- February 2026: Migros retail media partnership launched, expanding Commerce Grid in the European retail sector. Q4/FY2025 earnings reported with AI automation updates.
- October 2025: DoorDash partnership announced, adding delivery and restaurant inventory to Criteo’s retail media network.
- June 2025: Auction-based display ad formats launched, expanding the programmatic capabilities within the Commerce platform.
- 2025: Agentic AI features introduced to automate routine campaign management tasks, reducing manual workload for advertisers.
Explore More Media Planning Tools
- The Trade Desk — Independent programmatic DSP with broad open-web and data partnership access
- Amazon DSP — Amazon’s programmatic DSP with exclusive first-party shopping data
- Google DV360 — Google’s enterprise DSP for YouTube and display advertising
- Quantcast — AI-powered audience intelligence and programmatic platform
- Meta Business Manager — Facebook and Instagram campaign management
- LinkedIn Campaign Manager — B2B-focused advertising on LinkedIn
- Halliard — Media planning tool built for modern agency workflows