SteerAds
Comparison

SteerAds vs Search Ads 360

The mid-market alternative to Search Ads 360 — AI + cross-channel without the enterprise entry ticket, from €129.90/month

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Heavy enterprise vs agile mid-market

Search Ads 360 (formerly DoubleClick Search or DS3) is Google's enterprise tool for very large advertisers and agencies managing $50k+ in monthly spend. Typical entry ticket : $50-200k/year of license + mandatory professional setup (typically 6-12 weeks with a Google Marketing Platform partner). SteerAds targets the mid-market (€2-15k/year), self-serve, OAuth in 2 minutes, no intermediary. You pay for what you use, not for enterprise complexity.

Floodlight tags vs OAuth + auto-tracking

Search Ads 360 requires implementing Floodlight tags (Google Marketing Platform tracking) across your entire site. It's a multi-week integration project with your tech team. SteerAds is content with the Google Ads API via OAuth — no site modification, no tag to deploy, no tracking migration. Connect and you're off.

Enterprise bid strategies vs accessible AI

Search Ads 360 offers advanced bid strategies (portfolio auto-bidding strategies, cross-channel attribution, etc.) relevant when managing 50+ clients or $1M+ in monthly budget. SteerAds covers mid-market needs : Smart Bidding monitoring, AI recommendations, autopilot, root-cause investigation. 80% of advertisers never need SA360's enterprise-specific features — for them, SteerAds is sufficient and 50x cheaper.

Features compared

Point by point, no hype

FeatureSteerAdsSearch Ads 360
Self-serve OAuth in 2 minutes
Connect Google + Bing in 2 min — SA360 requires 6-12 weeks of partner setup
✓✗
Transparent public pricing
€14.90 to €1,099/month publicly listed — SA360 is enterprise quote-based ($50k+ typical)
✓✗
No tags to deploy on your site
OAuth + Google Ads API — SA360 requires Floodlight tags + complete tracking setup
✓✗
AI root-cause investigation
Auto-diagnostic when a KPI drifts — SA360 provides raw reporting without analysis
✓✗
Integrated landing page analysis
Quality score, message match, heatmaps — SA360 is 100% on the ads side
✓✗
Native Google + Bing cross-channel
Both tools manage Google + Bing in a unified interface
✓✓
Cross-channel portfolio bid strategies
SA360 supports agency-grade multi-account strategies — useful beyond 50 accounts
✗✓
Floodlight tracking + Google Marketing Platform attribution
Unified GMP tracking (DV360, Campaign Manager) — relevant for very large agencies
✗✓
Starting price < €200/month
€129.90 for €5k/month of budget — SA360 typically starts at $50k/year
✓✗

6 exclusive features that Search Ads 360 doesn't have

+ 1 shared feature(s)

When SteerAds makes the difference

4 scenarios where you win immediately

Case #1

You manage €5k-€50k/month of Google + Bing spend

SA360 is sized for €100k+/month. If your spend is below, the SA360 ROI is negative (you pay more in license than in optimized media). SteerAds targets exactly this mid-market segment : €2-15k/month of budget, where SA360's enterprise-specific features aren't amortized.

Case #2

You want optimization AI without complexity

SA360 requires professional setup (6-12 weeks with certified partner), team training (Floodlight tags, portfolio bid strategies, attribution models). SteerAds : OAuth, first recos in 2 min, explicit dashboard. If your team doesn't have a dedicated full-time SA360 person, SteerAds is more practical.

Case #3

You're on GA4 / Plausible (not Google Marketing Platform)

SA360 is designed to integrate into the Google Marketing Platform stack (DV360, CM360, Floodlight). If your tracking is on GA4, Plausible, Mixpanel, or third-party MTA, SA360 integration forces a migration to Floodlight. SteerAds consumes the Google Ads API directly without touching your tracking stack.

Case #4

You want to test without annual commitment

SA360 requires an annual contract with commitment (typical $50-200k/year). SteerAds : 14 days free without credit card, monthly cancellable anytime, no minimum duration. Ideal if you evaluate before committing long-term.

How much does each solution cost for €5,000/month of Google + Bing budget?

Recommended
SteerAds
€129.90/month (auto public price)
  • ✓OAuth + first recos in 2 min
  • ✓Google + Bing AI optimization
  • ✓Landing page analysis
  • ✓Root-cause investigation
  • ✓Monthly cancellable
  • ✓14 days free without CC
Search Ads 360
Quote-based (typical $50k+/year)
  • ·Portfolio bid strategies
  • ·Floodlight + GMP integration
  • ·Enterprise multi-channel
  • ·6-12 weeks pro setup required
  • ·Annual commitment typical
  • ·Google Account Manager

Migrate in 5 minutes without losing your data

  1. 1Connect Google Ads and Bing Ads via OAuth — no CSV reimport needed
  2. 2The engine automatically analyzes your last 90 days of history
  3. 3Your first AI recommendations arrive in 2 minutes
  4. 414 days free without a credit card, cancel anytime

Frequently asked questions

Everything people ask us before migrating from Search Ads 360

Are Search Ads 360 and SteerAds equivalent?▾
No, they don't target the same segment. SA360 is enterprise ($50k+/year, agencies/large advertisers managing €100k+/month of spend). SteerAds is mid-market (€2-15k/year, advertisers managing €2-50k/month). Features overlap by 70-80% but the packaging and pricing are opposite.
How much does Search Ads 360 cost?▾
SA360 pricing is not public — it depends on spend volume, number of accounts, activated features. The typical ticket falls between $50k and $200k/year of license + $20-50k of mandatory professional setup with a certified Google Marketing Platform partner. Annual commitment generally required.
Can I migrate from SA360 to SteerAds?▾
Yes, it's even a frequent case when spend no longer justifies the SA360 ticket. Migration takes about 1 week : OAuth Google Ads + Bing Ads on SteerAds (2 min), deactivation of non-critical Floodlight tags (1-3 days depending on your stack), team training on SteerAds (1-2h). AI optimizations take over immediately.
Does Search Ads 360 have features SteerAds doesn't?▾
Yes, certain enterprise-specific features : cross-channel portfolio bid strategies (useful beyond 50 accounts), Floodlight + Campaign Manager attribution, native Display & Video 360 integration for programmatic branding. If you actively use these features, SA360 remains relevant. Otherwise, SteerAds covers the essentials.
Does SteerAds have Smart Bidding AI like SA360?▾
Smart Bidding is a native Google Ads (and Bing Ads) feature — it activates within campaigns themselves, not in SA360 or SteerAds. Both tools can monitor and optimize Smart Bidding parameters (Target ROAS, Target CPA), recommend thresholds, and alert on drift. SteerAds does so with AI root-cause investigation — a feature absent natively from SA360.
Does SA360 do landing page analysis?▾
No. SA360 is 100% on the ads side (campaigns, keywords, bids, attribution). Landing page analysis, UX quality score, behavioral heatmaps, message match — all these functions are absent from SA360. SteerAds integrates this layer in addition to the ads focus.
For an agency managing 30+ clients, which to choose?▾
It depends on average spend per client. If your clients are at €100k+/month each and use Google Marketing Platform, SA360 is sized for that. If your clients are at €5-30k/month (the typical mid-market for independent agencies), SteerAds + multi-client Agency mode + white-label reports is more economically suitable.
Can I test SteerAds before leaving SA360?▾
Yes, and it's recommended. Run SteerAds in parallel (free audit + 14 days trial without CC) on a subset of accounts. Compare AI recommendations, scoring, autopilot. If SteerAds covers your needs, plan the SA360 exit at the next contractual deadline. No obligation to commit before validating.

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