Real-time bidding is a form of programmatic buying. Real-time bidding (RTB) is an automated method that allows advertisers to make real-time bids for particular display ad locations. Though RTB is a programmatic process, not all programmatic advertising uses RTB technology. Although RTB is one of the most popular ways to buy advertising since it gives advertisers cost control while giving them access to various advertising platforms across different channels, it's vital to realize that RTB is not the only option to buy programmatic advertising.