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Comparison guide
Self Managed vs. Fully Managed: compare the work, not just fees
Compare AdsGorilla account support and campaign management by responsibilities, preparation, approvals and costs before choosing a service.
The short answer
What to know before you begin
Self Managed is for teams that run their own campaigns and need account support. Fully Managed adds the agreed campaign work. Choose by your operating capacity and responsibilities, not by assuming that either service includes every task.
Who this is for
Businesses deciding which campaign responsibilities to keep and which to delegate.
The important difference is who does the work
With Self Managed, your media buyer makes campaign decisions and handles the daily execution. AdsGorilla coordinates the account setup and operational support agreed during onboarding. Fully Managed adds agreed campaign planning, setup, optimization and reporting for Google, Meta or TikTok. Snapchat is account provision only.
Neither option removes the business’s responsibility to supply accurate product information, usable assets and approvals. Before work begins, identify what is included, what is supplied by your team and what would need a separate agreement.
Compare the responsibilities side by side
Use this as a discussion checklist, not a replacement for your service agreement. The exact deliverables and access arrangement are confirmed before onboarding. A creative review, for example, is not the same as producing a new video from scratch.
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to compare.
| Responsibility | Self Managed | Fully Managed |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign decisions and optimization | Your media buyer | AdsGorilla, within agreed scope |
| Account setup and operational support | Agreed AdsGorilla support | Agreed AdsGorilla support |
| Business facts, assets and destination | Your business supplies them | Your business supplies them |
| Budget and creative approvals | Your authorized contact | Your authorized contact |
| Campaign reporting | Your buyer’s operating process | Agreed AdsGorilla reporting |
| New creative production or website work | Not automatically included | Not automatically included |
Choose for the team you actually have
Self Managed can fit an internal buyer or an agency that already has the time and skills to operate the selected platform. It is less useful if nobody can check campaigns, maintain the destination or investigate measurement issues. Assign those tasks explicitly instead of assuming the account service will cover them.
Fully Managed can fit a team that needs an operating partner and can provide timely assets and approvals. Agree who supplies changes to the offer, how budget decisions are approved and how reporting leads to the next action. The service still needs an available decision-maker on your side.
Compare the same funding amount and scope
Use the pricing calculator for the selected platform and service. Compare the fee added to the same requested credit, then include any separate payment charges or membership. A service fee is not media spend and a minimum top-up is not automatically a monthly fee.
Do not apply one platform’s example to another without checking the rate. In particular, Snapchat account fees are confirmed separately, and a managed-campaign quote should not be inferred for Snapchat. Your agreed terms determine the actual arrangement.
Discuss a handover before responsibilities change
If your internal buyer leaves or you want more support, first review the current account setup, access and campaign records. Agree the new scope and effective handover before assuming that management has changed. Keep outstanding requests, funding records and upcoming approvals visible to both contacts.
- Name the campaign owner and business approver.
- Confirm the reporting and review process.
- Record the fee and work included in the new arrangement.