Agreed, finding the best alternative ad network is easier said than done. However, it isn’t really hard to increase your ad revenue and try different ad networks when you’ve first-hand experience working with publishers looking for a Google AdSense alternative.
As a programmatic monetization partner, we have helped hundreds of publishers to go beyond Google AdSense, and that’s why we believe we’re the best source to get you the right info on this topic.
So, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What Is the Difference Between Ad Network and Ad Exchange?
An Ad Network acts as an intermediary between publishers and advertisers. Typically, it collects the publisher’s ad inventories and bundles them (based on niche, context, etc.) to sell them to the advertisers and takes a cut from your revenue. Whereas an Ad Exchange is a marketplace where publishers and advertisers come together to sell and buy ad impressions via real-time auctions.
You can read more about this topic in our ad networks vs. ad exchanges article.
Are the CPM Ad Networks Right for You?
Well, it depends on how much traffic you get on your website. If you’re receiving less than one million page views monthly, sign up for an ad network(s). If it’s more than one million, then you have something better than ad networks to look into.
Long Answer:
Although it is good to partner with ad networks, you must ensure they are the right choice for you. That said, ad exchanges can get you better CPM for the same impression and traffic.
So, you can either go to ad exchanges or ad networks. How can you know what’s right for you? The answer is straightforward. What’s your monthly traffic?
- The list is for you if it’s less than one million page views/month. Go ahead.
- If it’s greater than one million page views/month, we need to talk. We have better options for you, including ad exchanges, private marketplaces, and advanced ad refreshes.
If you’ve decided to partner with CPM ad networks, then let us help you.
You know CPM ad networks pay you based on the impressions you deliver. Let’s say you gave them 10,000 impressions, and your CPM is $5; then they’ll pay you $50 in total. So, keep an eye on traffic all the time. After all, even the best ad network won’t be able to help you if your traffic is sinking every day.
Sidenote: CPM rates mentioned here are estimates and will vary based on your site and audience. We have curated the CPMs from forums/communities to give you an idea. It’s always best to contact the ad network and directly discuss it with them to set the expectations right.
What Are some highest-paying CPM Ad Networks for Publishers?
1. BuySellAds
With BuySellAds, you can generate revenue as soon as you are ready to run ads. There are no minimum requirements and conditions to partner with the ad network. They enable publishers to sell ad impressions on your website using their platform.
The ad network helps publishers in setting direct deals with advertisers. For instance, a healthcare publisher can select any health-oriented advertiser and choose to sell based on ad impressions. Besides, the company also enables the publishers to monetize the traffic that is using ad blockers.
Pros
- Relevant, quality, and targeted ads.
- In the case of PayPal, the minimum payment threshold is just $20.
- You can get the payment within 2-3 working days of making the request. No delay.
- 100,000 Pageviews per month.
- Niche publishers can find sponsors.
Cons
- Prices are non-negotiable.
- They take 25% of your revenue, which is a bit higher than the market standard (20%).
Is it right for you?
If you have a new blog with a few thousand page views, BuySellAds might be right.
CPM Rates
CPM varies from $0.25 to $2.25, usually around $0.75.
2. Criteo
Criteo runs an advanced marketplace for eCommerce publishers with over 17000+ retail and brand advertisers. You can set a floor price on the platform, which means you’ll get the cost per thousand mille rate you want. If the buyer isn’t willing to pay above the desired CPM, it won’t be allowed to buy the ad inventory, so no lower revenue for you.
Pros
- Extremely competitive CPM rates.
- Approval is easy.
- Varied ad formats (from native ads to IAB standards to your own).
- Asynchronous/Synchronous ad tags.
- The Criteo algorithm determines and displays the right products for your readers.
Cons
- It offers an ad network for eCommerce publishers only.
- The minimum payment threshold is $150, which is high.
- It doesn’t use popular payment methods.
- Customer support is available only through email.
Is it right for you?
Criteo is right for eCommerce publishers. If you’re getting accepted, we advise you to try them out along with AdSense and other ad networks.
CPM Rates
Criteo usually has a better CPM. It ranges from $1 to $4. If you’re getting tier 1 traffic and have a niche audience, they are the right fit for your monetization.
3. PropellerAds
PropellersAds offers many ad products, including pop-under ads, interstitial ads, dialogue ads, and standard banner ads. They’re popular among download and streaming sites. However, they can pay you higher CPMs than AdSense, depending on your users’ geo. Obviously, you can do better if you have good traffic from the U.S. and the U.K.
Pros
- Easy to join.
- Real-time reporting.
- They give 80% of the revenue to the publishers.
- Payment methods – Wire Transfer, Payoneer, PayPal, WebMoney, and Skrill.
Cons
- Your reader may not love to see pop-under or full-screen ads at all. So, lousy user experience and higher bounce rates.
Is it right for you?
Only if you have good U.S., U.K., and Canada traffic.
CPM Rates
$0.50 to $1.00 for most of the websites. Some niches, like file sharing, can get over $1.50 CPM.
4. Revcontent
Revcontent is a content recommendation network that was established in 2013. Revcontent takes in websites that are of high quality and gets a minimum of 50,000 visitors in a month. They offer a set of ad widgets (native, non-native, custom API) for publishers to place along with the content.
Pros
- Great support team and dedicated account managers.
- It provides premium CPM rates for all countries.
- Can monetize your mobile sites too.
- Quality content recommendations.
- Extremely precise and real-time reporting dashboard.
- The minimum payment threshold is a mere $50.
Cons
- High minimum traffic requirement. But you can apply even if you have pageviews between 1,000 and 10,000 monthly.
- It is extremely hard to join, as many applications are rejected because of quality issues.
Is it right for you?
It’s one of the best alternatives to AdSense. If you are getting approved, then you should try it.
CPM Rates
The average CPM of the Revcontent network is $0.44, but it can go up to $3.
5. Adcash
Adcash, an ad network, claims to fill your inventories 100% of the time. They offer dynamic CPM optimization to ensure better monetization and user experience. However, you can opt-in for the manual process too.
Pros
- Easy approval.
- There is no minimum traffic requirement for approval.
- Supports diverse languages and ad formats, e.g., native, interstitial, banner, and pop-under.
- Personal Account Manager.
- Contact Support is good and easy to get in touch with.
- Let’s you control your ads manually
- Numerous payment systems are available.
- Reporting API to track your ad earnings in real time.
- The minimum payment threshold is $25 (If you use a wire transfer, it’s $100).
Cons
- CPM rates tend to be lower than the market average (but it depends on the publisher (site) and audience).
CPM Rates
CPM rates of Adcash are highly volatile, going from $1 to over $10.
6. AdBlade Network
AdBlade is popular among publishers for its content-style ads, which receive higher clicks from sponsored content. Besides, they offer display ads and sponsored ad formats along with DMP. They prefer quality publishers with a minimum of 500,000 monthly pageviews.
Pros
- The AdBlade ads can be run together with AdSense.
- Unique Ad formats.
- Quality ads.
- Robust reporting and analytics.
Cons
- Low acceptance rate.
- The minimum payment threshold is $100.
CPM Rates
CPM is $2 on average, and it will increase if you have tier-1 traffic and tech-related content.
7. HilltopAds
HilltopAds reportedly delivers 12 billion monthly impressions to its network and is a go-to choice for long-tail and mid-market publishers. It provides an internal ad server and a clean interface to get you started on monetization. In addition, you can utilize its real-time optimization system to increase eCPM.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly.
- Internal ad server and real-time optimization.
- Net7 payout via PayPal, Wire, ePayments, and Bitcoin.
- 24*7 support.
Cons
- Fewer ad formats.
- Relatively new to the digital advertising space.
CPM Rates
For tier 1 traffic, CPM ranges from $3 to $5; for tier 2 and 3 traffic, CPM can go below $1.
8. RevenueHits
RevenueHits is a subsidiary of Intango Ltd, the world’s leading media tech company. Although they’re new to the ad tech ecosystem, they serve publishers seamlessly with the help of their self-serving model. As a publisher, you can access huge ad formats (Shadowbox, Slider, Notifier, to name a few) and can fill your mobile impressions.
Pros
- Higher CPMs for tier-1 traffic.
- Uses both CPC and CPA models.
- Net30 payout cycle.
- Self-serving platform.
- Optimization system to find the best-paying ads.
Cons
- Lack of information on technology.
- No information on the demands.
Is it right for you?
CPMs are high for selective formats like pop-under. So, if you want to try them, you can go ahead. But, do consider the influence of user experience while testing the network.
CPM Rates
Over $1.5 in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada. Traffic from the rest of the world can get you around $0.5.
9. Clickadu
Clickadu has a wide variety of ads available for publishers. It provides 5 different ad formats. Pop-under ads for mobile and desktop, instant message and push notifications that are best suited for mobile, video ads, and skin ads that can add links to advertisers from website elements like text, images, icons, etc. The expected CPMs for all the different ad formats are provided explicitly on its website.
Pros
- No minimum traffic requirement.
- Multiple payment methods like PayPal, Web Money, Paxum, and Wire Transfer.
- The low minimum threshold ($10).
- Flexible payment periods ( Net7, Net15, and Net30).
Cons
- User experience might not be good with formats like instant messages and push notification ads.
Is it right for you?
If you are a publisher with a small amount of traffic, then Clickadu can work for you.
CPM Rates
Depending on your traffic, you can expect $0.5 to $2.0 without considering popunders.
10. Adsterra
Adsterra is a Scottish company with a global presence. It works with quality advertisers to provide higher CPM. It provides a variety of ad formats, including popunders, direct links, pre-roll videos, push notifications, and interstitial ads. The company also claims to provide 100% fill rates to publishers.
Pros
- A variety of ad formats to choose from.
- A variety of payment methods, including PayPal.
- Net15 Payment.
- Provides all kinds of campaign models – CPM/CPC/CPA/CPL/CPI.
Cons
- It is not safe to use pop-under ads with Adsense.
Is it right for you?
If you are not running Adsense, or if you cannot get AdSense approval, then you can try Adsterra.
CPM Rates
The CPM rates are typically b/w $0.5 and $1.5 without considering the popunder ads.
Wrapping Up
As you know, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution in adtech. The best way is to experiment. However, it is important to know how to experiment properly. Cutting off the CPM ad networks abruptly might put a big hole in your revenue. Go through and decide what’s right for you. And, then, start with a few highest-paying CPM-based ad networks at first. Test, measure, and optimize.
Next Read – How to run multiple ad networks to maximize your revenue?
