Topsort vs.
Criteo.
Compare a commerce media network built to activate demand with an infrastructure built to help retailers own and optimize modern commerce media.
Two different models for scaling retail media.
Topsort Built to power your commerce media business | Criteo Built around a commerce media network | |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | Retailer-owned commerce monetization | Commerce media platform + network |
| Core model | Infrastructure you own and control | Activation through Criteo's ecosystem |
| Decisioning | Commerce-native auctions inside your stack | Proprietary optimization inside Criteo's platform |
| Demand | Your advertisers + external demand sources | Established brand and agency network |
| Optimization | AI inside auction, relevance, pacing, and yield | Predictive AI across Criteo campaigns |
| Best fit | Retailers building retail media as strategic infrastructure | Teams prioritizing network reach and managed activation |
Criteo gives you access to a powerful network.
Topsort gives you the infrastructure to build your own.
Compare Topsort and Criteo
● Native / core capability ◐ Supported within a different operating model
| Capability | Topsort | Criteo |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce-native auction & ranking | ●Core decisioning layer | ●Proprietary platform optimization |
| Sponsored listings / products | ●Native | ●Native |
| Catalog / SKU intelligence | ●Core to auction decisioning | ●Strong SKU-centric capabilities |
| Purchase / SKU attribution | ●Native closed-loop attribution | ●Native closed-loop measurement |
| AI optimization | ●Inside the auction engine | ●Predictive AI inside Criteo platform |
| Advertiser self-service | ●Integrated | ●Commerce Max |
| First-party audiences | ●Integrated with commerce data | ●Core strength |
| Onsite retail media | ●Unified infrastructure | ●Native |
| Offsite retail media | ●Integrated into the broader stack | ●Core strength |
| Retailer control of auction + logic | ●Core architecture | ◐Operates within Criteo's platform model |
| API-first infrastructure | ●Core architecture | ◐More platform-led workflows |
| External demand mediation | ●Criteo demand can compete directly in Topsort auctions | ●Criteo network demand |
Keep the demand. Own the infrastructure.
Own your monetization layer
Your auction. Your inventory. Your data. Your advertiser relationships.
Auction · Inventory · Data · Advertiser relationships
Topsort is infrastructure for retailers building retail media as a long-term business — not simply another activation channel.
Put AI inside the auction
Topsort optimization happens at the decision point:
Bid · Relevance · Pacing · Yield · Performance
Every auction becomes a commerce optimization decision. Don't just optimize campaigns — optimize every commerce opportunity.
You don't have to give up Criteo demand
Topsort Demand Mediation can bring Criteo sponsored-product bids directly into Topsort auctions, where Criteo demand competes alongside your existing demand.
The highest-value bid wins — while the retailer retains control of the auction layer. Keep the demand. Change who controls the infrastructure.
Build the network around your business
Retail media becomes more valuable when your data, advertiser relationships, attribution, formats, and optimization compound inside infrastructure you control.
Onsite · Offsite · In-store · New commerce surfaces
Instead of adapting your retail media business to someone else's network, build the infrastructure around your commerce strategy.
Put the technology head-to-head.
Falabella ran a 30-day A/B test comparing Topsort with its existing legacy retail media provider.
Same inventory. Same shopper experience. Very different results.
Falabella split comparable sponsored-listing traffic between the two technologies over 30 days.
Across the test, Topsort outperformed the incumbent technology on click-through rate, conversion, and attributed sales — 5× the ad revenue with the same number of advertising slots.
Read the Falabella case studyHow to evaluate Topsort vs. Criteo
Don't just compare features. Compare the model you're building on.
The question isn't just who can activate retail media today.
It's who should own the infrastructure it runs on tomorrow.
Demand shouldn"t determine who owns your retail media business. Keep the reach. Own the engine.
Build your retail media network on commerce infrastructure designed for control, transparency, and performance.