There are three options for hosting the OpenX Ad Server: hosting it yourself, opening an account at OpenX Hosted, or outsourcing the hosting to a specialized company

Once you’ve decided that you want to start using the OpenX Ad Server, the next important decision is: where and how do I host my OpenX Ad Server?

There are basically three options:

• hosting it yourself on your own site or server
• opening an account at OpenX Hosted
• outsourcing the hosting to a specialist company

Below, I will discuss all three options and the pros and cons of each. As is so often the case, every situation will have it’s own characteristics, so there is no single answer to the questions of where to host OpenX. I hope that you will be able to make your own decision based on the information presented here.

Factors to keep in mind: costs, flexibility, scalability and peace of mind

When making the decision about where and how to host your OpenX system, there are a number of factors to keep in mind: costs, flexibility, scalability and peace of mind.

Nowadays, costs seem to be the only aspect that people consider. That’s understandable, because it’s very easy to quantify and compare them. It can be appealing to look for the least expensive solution in the short term, but in the long term that could result in unexpected expenses and worries.

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