Snapchat
Snapchat is a communications platform that enables users to share moments visually in real time, and has grown into one of the world's largest such services by keeping its focus on connecting people with friends and family.
Last updated Oct 5, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team · Connections updated Oct 13, 2026
AI-drafted from public sources4 sources cited
At a glance
- Employees
- 5001-10000
- Funding
- ~$4.9B pre-IPO
- Revenue
- $4B–$5B
- Stock
- SNAP
About
Leading social platform for Gen Z and millennial advertising with differentiated AR ad capabilities and strong mobile-first reach
Snapchat is a communications platform that enables users to share moments visually in real time, and has grown into one of the world's largest such services by keeping its focus on connecting people with friends and family. For advertisers, it represents a significant marketing channel, with nearly one billion monthly active users composed primarily of Gen Z and millennials, including an estimated 46.4 million Gen Z users as of 2026. Its advertising platform is self-serve, allowing any advertiser to create campaigns, track performance, and optimize spend through Snapchat Ads Manager for as little as $5 per day. Snapchat charges on a CPM basis but supports goal-based bidding, letting advertisers set maximum prices for specific user actions such as swipe-ups, app installs, or impressions. Ad products span a range of formats — including single-image and video ads, Story ads, Collection ads for ecommerce, non-skippable Commercials, Sponsored Snaps delivered via Chat, and Dynamic ads that automatically promote products based on user behavior. Ad delivery is governed by a multi-stage machine-learning ranking system that filters for eligibility and policy compliance, scores candidates for predicted conversion probability, and runs a real-time auction to select the highest-value ad for each user. Source 1: snapchat.com — What is Snapchat? Source 2: shopify.com — Snapchat Ads: How to Advertise on Snapchat in 2026 Source 3: strikesocial.com — How much does it cost to advertise on Snapchat? Source 4: snap.com — Machine Learning for Snapchat Ad Ranking - Snap Engineering
Business model
Advertising Platform
Target market
Enterprise, Mid-Market, SMB
What they offer
Snap Ads
Full-screen vertical video ads that appear between Stories and Spotlight content
Sponsored Lenses
Branded AR face and world lenses that users can interact with and share
Sponsored Filters
Branded overlay graphics available to users in specific locations or timeframes
Collection Ads
Shoppable ad format featuring a hero video or image with tappable product tiles
Dynamic Ads
Automatically generated ads from product catalogs for retargeting and prospecting
Story Ads
Branded tile in the Discover feed that opens a curated collection of Snaps
Snap Audience Network
Programmatic ad network extending Snap campaigns to third-party apps
Snap Pixel
Website tracking pixel for conversion measurement and audience building
Conversions API
Server-side event tracking for privacy-resilient attribution
Ads Manager
Self-serve platform for campaign creation, targeting, optimization, and reporting
Spotlight
Short-form video feed similar to TikTok, available for ad placements
AR Enterprise Services (ARES)
B2B AR solutions enabling brands to build custom AR experiences for retail and commerce
Key features
Use cases
Customer segments
Tech & specs
Technology stack
Security & compliance
Deployment
API
Yes
- 2011 · Founded