How to choose an MMM tool: Vendor-dependent or open-source?

It’s been about a month since Google made its marketing mix model (MMM) tool, Meridian, available to the public, igniting a debate about whether open-source MMM is the way to go or if marketers should stick to vendor’s proprietary tools.

Of course, the answer isn’t that simple. The effectiveness of these tools can depend on organization size and resources, customization needs, and cost.

Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each to help make the process a bit easier.

Proprietary MMM: Easy-to-use, scalable, and vendor-dependent

Proprietary MMM solutions are those that are offered and controlled by a specific vendor, like an analytics firm, measurement provider, or adtech company.

• For example, Nielsen, Ipsos, Analytic Partners and Adobe all offer MMM tools for their clients.

These platforms tend to be out-of-the-box, featuring automation, intuitive user interfaces, and professional support—making them accessible even for teams without deep technical expertise.

"There’s a huge amount of pre-work around really distilling out what are the key questions that MMM should be answering for a business,” said Michael Finnerty, SVP global services at TransUnion, which offers its own MMM solution.

Key benefits include:

• Ease of implementation. Vendors handle the heavy lifting of data integration, model building, and validation.
• Scalability. Enterprise solutions are optimized to handle large datasets across multiple channels and markets.
• Ongoing support. Dedicated support teams ensure that models remain up-to-date and relevant as business conditions change.

However, these advantages come at a cost—literally. Many paid MMM platforms require a significant financial investment, which can be a barrier for small or mid-sized businesses. Proprietary MMM solutions also come with:

• Limited flexibility. Customizing models to fit unique business needs may be difficult or require additional fees.
• Potential lack of transparency. Some vendors operate as "black boxes," making it hard to understand how results are derived.
• Vendor dependency. Brands must rely on external providers for updates and modifications, potentially limiting agility.

Open-source MMM: Cost-effective, transparent, difficult to implement

For brands with the right resources and technology, open-source tools can be an effective way to experiment with MMM without having to commit to a vendor or fee structure.

• Open-source platforms include Meta’s Robyn or Google’s Meridian.
• These tools offer brands more flexibility, transparency, and independence.
• "The intent of Meridian is to really provide an easy access, low cost, relatively low effort, entry into the MMM space,” said Finnerty.

Here are some of the key benefits of open-source MMM tools:

• Free to use. No licensing fees make open-source solutions cost-effective.
• More transparency. Users can see and modify the code, ensuring complete visibility into the model’s mechanics.
• Customizable. Businesses can tweak algorithms, include unique variables, and tailor insights to their exact needs.

“The idea behind open-source models like Meridian is to democratize MMM, which, compared with other easy measurement approaches like last-touch attribution, can provide a more balanced perspective on the contributions of upper-funnel tactics,” said our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

However, the DIY approach comes with some hurdles. Open-source tools require dedicated technical resources, and implementation can be complex and time-consuming.

Key drawbacks include:

• A learning curve. These models may require expertise in data science, statistics, and coding.
• Time-intensive implementation. Data must be manually collected, cleaned, and formatted before modeling can begin.
• Ongoing maintenance burden. Without vendor support, brands must allocate internal resources for troubleshooting, updates, and optimization.

It’s also more difficult to scale open-source models.

"For larger brands that have lots of different products, lots of different channels, it starts to become pretty hard to build out an MMM system that can really accurately represent their business at scale,” said Finnerty.

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.