Publisher Independence
Revive Adserver: the open-source ad server, who maintains it, costs and alternatives
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Revive Adserver is a free, open-source ad server licensed under GPL-2.0 that you install on your own PHP and MySQL or PostgreSQL servers. It descends from OpenX Source and has been looked after by Aqua Platform, a Dutch hosting company, since 2024. The current release, v6.0.8, shipped on 25 June 2026 with security fixes (Revive Adserver, accessed 9 November 2026).
Contents
At a glance
Company
Open-source project; "a project by Aqua Platform" (Revive Adserver, About); steward Aqua Platform B.V., Dutch Chamber of Commerce no. 624.167.90 (Aqua Platform)
Headquarters
Aqua Platform B.V., Jonkersvaart, the Netherlands (Aqua Platform)
Founded
Project started in summer 2013 when the team bought OpenX Source; code lineage to phpAds in 1997 (Revive Adserver, About; Aqua Platform, 22 November 2023)
Ownership
Revive Software and Services transferred all activities to Aqua Platform, effective 1 January 2024 (Aqua Platform, 22 November 2023)
Product category
Self-hosted open-source ad server for direct-sold and network campaigns
What it does
Serves banners, rich media and video tags to websites, apps and players, applies delivery rules and reports impressions, clicks and conversions
Deployment model
Self-hosted Download edition; paid Hosted edition; managed hosting by Aqua Platform (Revive Adserver Hosted edition)
Pricing model
Software free under GPL-2.0 (GitHub); Hosted edition $0.01 CPM, plans from $10 a month (Hosted edition pricing, accessed 9 November 2026)
Key integrations
Google AdSense tags and geotargeting, each covered in an FAQ (revive-adserver.com); plugins such as the Mailer plugin in v6 (Revive blog, 5 December 2025)
Publicly named customers
FirstImpression.io, which says it manages over 3 billion ad calls a month on Revive (sponsor statement, Revive Adserver)
Standards supported
n/d; no OpenRTB, Prebid or TCF registration found; PHP 8.1 to 8.5, MySQL and PostgreSQL (requirements)
Last verified
9 November 2026
| Field | Revive Adserver |
|---|---|
Company | Open-source project; "a project by Aqua Platform" (Revive Adserver, About); steward Aqua Platform B.V., Dutch Chamber of Commerce no. 624.167.90 (Aqua Platform) |
Headquarters | Aqua Platform B.V., Jonkersvaart, the Netherlands (Aqua Platform) |
Founded | Project started in summer 2013 when the team bought OpenX Source; code lineage to phpAds in 1997 (Revive Adserver, About; Aqua Platform, 22 November 2023) |
Ownership | Revive Software and Services transferred all activities to Aqua Platform, effective 1 January 2024 (Aqua Platform, 22 November 2023) |
Product category | Self-hosted open-source ad server for direct-sold and network campaigns |
What it does | Serves banners, rich media and video tags to websites, apps and players, applies delivery rules and reports impressions, clicks and conversions |
Deployment model | Self-hosted Download edition; paid Hosted edition; managed hosting by Aqua Platform (Revive Adserver Hosted edition) |
Pricing model | Software free under GPL-2.0 (GitHub); Hosted edition $0.01 CPM, plans from $10 a month (Hosted edition pricing, accessed 9 November 2026) |
Key integrations | Google AdSense tags and geotargeting, each covered in an FAQ (revive-adserver.com); plugins such as the Mailer plugin in v6 (Revive blog, 5 December 2025) |
Publicly named customers | FirstImpression.io, which says it manages over 3 billion ad calls a month on Revive (sponsor statement, Revive Adserver) |
Standards supported | n/d; no OpenRTB, Prebid or TCF registration found; PHP 8.1 to 8.5, MySQL and PostgreSQL (requirements) |
Last verified | 9 November 2026 |
What it does
Revive is the classic ad server of the open web. You create advertisers, campaigns and banners, define websites and zones, link campaigns to zones and paste the zone's tag into your pages (Revive Adserver). Delivery rules cover frequency capping, URL targeting and geotargeting. Statistics are summarised once an hour.
It is the default answer to "is there a free ad server?". Readers comparing it with paid options will find it in Google Ad Manager alternatives. The trade-off is that free software still needs servers, updates and someone to run them.
The project is older than most of its rivals. Aqua Platform traces the code through OpenX Source, Openads and phpAdsNew back to phpAds in 1997 (Aqua Platform, 22 November 2023). The Revive team bought OpenX Source in 2013 and released Revive 3.0.0 on the day of the transfer (Revive Adserver, About).
How it works
Revive is a PHP web application. It needs a web server that runs FastCGI or similar, PHP 8.1 or later for v6, and MySQL or PostgreSQL (Revive requirements, accessed 9 November 2026). Frequency capping and conversion tracking use cookies, so the ad server must run on HTTPS. The project's tests run against PHP 8.1 to 8.5, MySQL 5.7 and PostgreSQL 18.
Maintenance is active but small. The GitHub repository had 1,520 stars, 617 forks and a last push on 6 November 2026 (GitHub, accessed 9 November 2026). Aqua Platform's Development Director, Matteo Beccati, is the lead developer (Aqua Platform, Our Team).
5 of 5 rows
Summer 2013 | OpenX Source bought; Revive 3.0.0 released | |
January 2015 | Revive Software and Services and Aqua Platform founded | |
1 January 2024 | All Revive activities move to Aqua Platform | |
22 October 2025 | v6.0.0: PHP 8.1 minimum, faster reports, Mailer plugin | |
25 June 2026 | v6.0.8: security fixes rated medium to high risk |
Summer 2013
- Release or event
OpenX Source bought; Revive 3.0.0 released
- Source
January 2015
- Release or event
Revive Software and Services and Aqua Platform founded
- Source
1 January 2024
- Release or event
All Revive activities move to Aqua Platform
- Source
22 October 2025
- Release or event
v6.0.0: PHP 8.1 minimum, faster reports, Mailer plugin
- Source
25 June 2026
- Release or event
v6.0.8: security fixes rated medium to high risk
- Source
Table by AdSovereign, CC BY 4.0.
Security work drove the v6 cycle. The team wrote in November 2025 that some of its code "is more than 2 decades old", which explains the run of quick fixes (Revive blog, 14 November 2025). Self-hosters need to apply updates promptly.
Pricing
The software costs nothing. Running it does. The project and its steward publish three ways to pay for operation.
5 of 5 rows
Download edition, self-hosted | Free software; you pay servers and staff | Your capacity | |
Revive Hosted edition, Lite | $10 a month | 1 million | |
Revive Hosted edition, Ultimate | $150 a month | 15 million | |
Aqua Ad Server, Lake | $150 a month, $6 per extra million | 25 million | |
Aqua Ad Server, Ocean | $1,500 a month, $3 per extra million | 500 million |
Download edition, self-hosted
- Published price
Free software; you pay servers and staff
- Included ad requests
Your capacity
- Source
Revive Hosted edition, Lite
- Published price
$10 a month
- Included ad requests
1 million
- Source
Revive Hosted edition, Ultimate
- Published price
$150 a month
- Included ad requests
15 million
- Source
Aqua Ad Server, Lake
- Published price
$150 a month, $6 per extra million
- Included ad requests
25 million
- Source
Aqua Ad Server, Ocean
- Published price
$1,500 a month, $3 per extra million
- Included ad requests
500 million
- Source
Table by AdSovereign, CC BY 4.0.
The Hosted edition's rate works out to one cent per thousand ad requests. A site serving 5 million requests a month would pay $50 on the Premium plan (Hosted edition pricing, accessed 9 November 2026). Self-hosting can be cheaper at volume, but only if someone patches the server; our note on managed vs on-prem sets out that trade-off.
What it does not do, and the Google remedies
Revive's feature pages describe no header bidding, no OpenRTB connections and no exchange. Publishers who want programmatic demand usually run Prebid alongside it or route remnant slots to another system.
The Google remedies widen one path. Google must give Prebid real-time AdX bids for open-web display, on terms "functionally equivalent" to DFP (Memorandum Opinion, Dkt. 1858, p. 62). A publisher running Revive next to Prebid Server could reach AdX that way, once the final judgment takes effect and Google ships the integration (PPC Land, 6 October 2026). The direct AdX feed into rival ad servers would need someone to build a Revive plugin, and no one has announced one.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Free and open. GPL-2.0 source code on GitHub; no licence fee.
- Full control of data. Your database holds every request, impression and click.
- Maintained. Nine v6 releases between October 2025 and June 2026, the latest on 25 June 2026 (Revive blog).
- Cheap hosted option. From $10 a month if you do not want to run servers (Hosted edition).
Limits
- No programmatic layer. No header bidding or exchange connections built in.
- Security burden. Old code and frequent security releases mean prompt patching is essential.
- Small team. Development rests on a few people at one company and on sponsors.
- Hourly statistics. Reports update once an hour, not in real time.
Alternatives
- AdGlare: hosted, flat-rate, also without RTB.
- AdButler: hosted, with priced add-ons for programmatic and log-level data.
- Broadstreet: hosted and built for direct-sold local ads.
Publishers who want an open-source auction rather than an ad server should read the Prebid Server self-hosting guide and the self-hosted Prebid Server profile. The series sits on the publisher independence hub.
What we could not verify
- How many active installations run v6; the project's installation chart is an image without figures.
- Aqua Platform's revenue and staff numbers.
- Whether any plugin connects Revive to Prebid or OpenRTB demand.
- FirstImpression.io's 3 billion ad calls figure, which is its own statement.
FAQ
Is Revive Adserver free?
Is Revive Adserver still maintained?
Does Revive Adserver support header bidding?
Sources
- Revive Adserver, About (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.revive-adserver.com/about/
- Revive Adserver, home page (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.revive-adserver.com/
- Revive Adserver, "Revive Adserver v6.0.8 released" (25 June 2026). https://www.revive-adserver.com/blog/revive-adserver-v6-0-8-released/
- Revive Adserver, "Revive Adserver v6.0.0 released" (22 October 2025). https://www.revive-adserver.com/blog/revive-adserver-v6-0-0-released/
- Revive Adserver, "What's new in Revive Adserver v6.0" (5 December 2025). https://www.revive-adserver.com/blog/whats-new-in-revive-adserver-v6-0/
- Revive Adserver, "Our commitment to security: why v6 releases happened so quickly" (14 November 2025). https://www.revive-adserver.com/blog/our-commitment-to-security-why-v6-releases-happened-so-quickly/
- Revive Adserver, Technical requirements (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.revive-adserver.com/support/requirements/
- Revive Adserver, Our Sponsors (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.revive-adserver.com/about/our-sponsors/
- Revive Adserver Hosted edition, Pricing (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.revive-adserver.net/pricing/
- GitHub, revive-adserver/revive-adserver repository (accessed 9 November 2026). https://github.com/revive-adserver/revive-adserver
More sources (6)
- Aqua Platform, "Aqua Platform acquires all activities of Revive Software and Services" (22 November 2023). https://www.aquaplatform.com/blog/aqua-platform-acquires-all-activities-of-revive-software-and-services/
- Aqua Platform, Company Details (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.aquaplatform.com/about/company-details/
- Aqua Platform, Our Team (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.aquaplatform.com/about/our-team/
- Aqua Platform, Aqua Ad Server pricing (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.aquaplatform.com/aqua-ad-server/pricing/
- United States v. Google LLC, No. 1:23-cv-00108 (E.D. Va.), Memorandum Opinion, Dkt. 1858 (2 September 2026). https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/google-judge-memo.pdf
- PPC Land, "DOJ seeks 6 months, Google 12, to open its ad exchange to rivals" (6 October 2026). https://ppc.land/doj-seeks-6-months-google-12-to-open-its-ad-exchange-to-rivals/
Changelog
- 9 November 2026: profile drafted with v6.0.8, the Aqua Platform transfer and published hosting prices.
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